Mubarak pledges to keep Nile water in Egypt
15 August, 2010 | By Al-Masry Al-Youm
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
can be irrigated with salt water in order to satisfy the growing demand for
food.
Diaa Eddin al-Qoussi, former advisor to the minister of irrigation, told Al-
Masry Al-Youm that Mubarak’s statements clearly demonstrate that Egypt
will not give up its Nile water quota in order to satisfy Israel. He added
that Mubarak’s statements further emphasize that Egypt rejects any
negotiations which aim to bring Nile water to Israel.
Maghawri Shehata Diab, former president of Minufiya University and a
water expert, said Mubarak's statements reflect a clear understanding of
the geographical nature of the Nile Basin, as well as of the political and
legal dimensions governing the distribution of water.
In related news, Kenya has announced that it is carrying out an
assessment of the impact of Ethiopia's Gibe III Dam. The dam, intended
to generate hydroelectric power, would become the second largest dam in
Africa after Egypt’s High Dam in Aswan.
The massive dam is scheduled to be completed by 2012 at an estimated
cost of US$1.76 billion. Construction of the dam is mainly financed by the
African Development Bank. The World Bank withdrew funding for the
project under pressure from non-governmental organizations.
The dam will generate 1,800 megawatts of electricity, according to the
Ethiopian government, which also says that Kenya has pledged to
purchase some of the energy produced by the dam. As a result, Kenyan
environmental groups have accused their government of taking greater
interest in the well-being of Ethiopians.
The Ethiopian government says that environmental impact studies have
shown that the dam will not negatively impact life in any local
communities.
The Kenyan Minister of Power said that the Kenyan government and the
European Investment Bank will both study the impact of the dam. The
results of both studies will be submitted to the Kenyan government in
December.
The Kenyan government’s decision to examine the potential impact of
building the dam came in response to local and international pressure from
rights groups. These groups cited Egypt's threat of military intervention if
Ethiopia carried out any projects that would intervene with the flow of the
Blue Nile.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
Courtesy
Egypt extends olive branch in Nile river row
27 July, 2010 | By Barry Malone (Reuters)
------------------------------------------------------------------
KAMPALA (Reuters) - Egypt sounded a conciliatory note on Monday in a
dispute over how Nile waters should be shared by the countries it passes
through at an African summit in the Ugandan capital Kampala.
After more than a decade of talks driven by anger over the perceived
injustice of a previous Nile water treaty signed in 1929, Ethiopia, Uganda,
Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya signed a new deal in May without their
northern neighbours.
The five signatories have given the other Nile Basin countries -- Egypt,
Sudan, Burundi and Democratic Republic of the Congo -- one year to join
the pact but the countries have been torn by behind-the-scenes debate
since the signing.
"There are no strategic differences between us," Egyptian Prime Minister
Ahmed Nazif told reporters at the summit. "The issue is only on some
technical points that need resolution. The purpose of the Nile Basin
agreements is development."
The words mark a softening of the Egyptian position since a meeting of
water ministers from the nine countries last month in the Ethiopian capital,
Addis Ababa.
"Ask the Egyptians to leave their culture and go and live in the desert
because you need to take this water and to add it to other countries? No,"
Egyptian Water Minister Mohamed Nasreddin Allam told Reuters at that
meeting.
The Nile, stretching more than 6,600 km (4,100 miles) from Lake Victoria
to the Mediterranean, is a vital water and energy source for the countries
through which it flows......More
15 August, 2010 | By Al-Masry Al-Youm
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- While inaugurating the
new Saft el-Laban
corridor in Giza,
President Mubarak
assured that Nile water
“will not extend beyond
Egyptian borders."
- Mubarak further called
for making optimal use
of Nile water, carrying
out seawater desalination
can be irrigated with salt water in order to satisfy the growing demand for
food.
Diaa Eddin al-Qoussi, former advisor to the minister of irrigation, told Al-
Masry Al-Youm that Mubarak’s statements clearly demonstrate that Egypt
will not give up its Nile water quota in order to satisfy Israel. He added
that Mubarak’s statements further emphasize that Egypt rejects any
negotiations which aim to bring Nile water to Israel.
Maghawri Shehata Diab, former president of Minufiya University and a
water expert, said Mubarak's statements reflect a clear understanding of
the geographical nature of the Nile Basin, as well as of the political and
legal dimensions governing the distribution of water.
In related news, Kenya has announced that it is carrying out an
assessment of the impact of Ethiopia's Gibe III Dam. The dam, intended
to generate hydroelectric power, would become the second largest dam in
Africa after Egypt’s High Dam in Aswan.
The massive dam is scheduled to be completed by 2012 at an estimated
cost of US$1.76 billion. Construction of the dam is mainly financed by the
African Development Bank. The World Bank withdrew funding for the
project under pressure from non-governmental organizations.
The dam will generate 1,800 megawatts of electricity, according to the
Ethiopian government, which also says that Kenya has pledged to
purchase some of the energy produced by the dam. As a result, Kenyan
environmental groups have accused their government of taking greater
interest in the well-being of Ethiopians.
The Ethiopian government says that environmental impact studies have
shown that the dam will not negatively impact life in any local
communities.
The Kenyan Minister of Power said that the Kenyan government and the
European Investment Bank will both study the impact of the dam. The
results of both studies will be submitted to the Kenyan government in
December.
The Kenyan government’s decision to examine the potential impact of
building the dam came in response to local and international pressure from
rights groups. These groups cited Egypt's threat of military intervention if
Ethiopia carried out any projects that would intervene with the flow of the
Blue Nile.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
Courtesy
Egypt extends olive branch in Nile river row
27 July, 2010 | By Barry Malone (Reuters)
------------------------------------------------------------------
KAMPALA (Reuters) - Egypt sounded a conciliatory note on Monday in a
dispute over how Nile waters should be shared by the countries it passes
through at an African summit in the Ugandan capital Kampala.
After more than a decade of talks driven by anger over the perceived
injustice of a previous Nile water treaty signed in 1929, Ethiopia, Uganda,
Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya signed a new deal in May without their
northern neighbours.
The five signatories have given the other Nile Basin countries -- Egypt,
Sudan, Burundi and Democratic Republic of the Congo -- one year to join
the pact but the countries have been torn by behind-the-scenes debate
since the signing.
"There are no strategic differences between us," Egyptian Prime Minister
Ahmed Nazif told reporters at the summit. "The issue is only on some
technical points that need resolution. The purpose of the Nile Basin
agreements is development."
The words mark a softening of the Egyptian position since a meeting of
water ministers from the nine countries last month in the Ethiopian capital,
Addis Ababa.
"Ask the Egyptians to leave their culture and go and live in the desert
because you need to take this water and to add it to other countries? No,"
Egyptian Water Minister Mohamed Nasreddin Allam told Reuters at that
meeting.
The Nile, stretching more than 6,600 km (4,100 miles) from Lake Victoria
to the Mediterranean, is a vital water and energy source for the countries
through which it flows......More
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