Why in news?
Ethiopia inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile River. The megadam is Africa’s largest hydroelectric project. While Ethiopians hailed it as a symbol of self‑reliance, Egypt lodged a protest at the United Nations, calling it an existential threat to its water security.
Description
- Purpose: Primarily built for power generation and regional electricity trade. The dam aims to supply electricity to Ethiopia and neighbouring countries.
- Location: Situated on the Blue Nile River near Guba in north‑western Ethiopia, about 30 km upstream from the Sudanese border. The Blue Nile provides roughly 85% of the Nile’s waters at Khartoum.
- Dimensions: Approximately 170 m high and 2 km long, with a reservoir capacity of 74 billion cubic metres that floods around 1,874 km². It is designed to produce between 5,150 and 6,450 MW of electricity—making it Africa’s most powerful dam.
Significance and controversies
- National pride: For Ethiopia, the dam symbolises development, self‑reliance and regional leadership.
- Regional tensions: Egypt and Sudan fear that rapid filling of the reservoir will reduce downstream water flows. Egypt, which depends on the Nile for more than 90% of its freshwater, views uncontrolled filling as an existential threat.
- Negotiations: Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt have held talks under African Union and international mediation but have yet to reach a binding agreement on filling and operation schedules.
- Environmental concerns: Large dams can disrupt ecosystems, affect sediment flow and displace communities. Detailed impact assessments and cooperative management are needed to minimise harm.
The GERD underscores the challenge of balancing developmental aspirations with regional water security in the Nile basin.