$1.7b dam may sink the hopes of 20,000

The Nile Basin, which encompasses nine countries — including Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania — has been mentioned as a potential source of conflict because of the high number of people who depend on it.

For example, if the combined population of just three countries — Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan — through which the Nile runs, rises as predicted from 150 million today to 340 million in 2050, there will be intense competition for limited water resources.

This could easily spill over into war. Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea are among the Nile Basin states that are most vulnerable to climatic variations.

The amount of water left when the Nile reaches the sea has also been drastically declining, proof that the uptake along its course is rising.

In case water levels reduce drastically, Egypt, being at the lower end of the river, will be most affected.

Meanwhile, the African Resources Working Group says there are also disagreements on the use of the Okavango-Makgadikgadi Basin in Southern Africa.

Botswana’s need to sustain the delta and its lucrative ecotourism is in conflict with Namibia’s plans to pipe water from the Okavango river to supply its capital, Windhoek.

Also, dams and water transfers in the South African area of the Incomati River basin have reduced freshwater flows and increased salt levels in Mozambique’s Incomati estuary.

This has altered the estuary’s ecosystem and led to the disappearance of salt-intolerant plants and animals.