Why an Ethiopia-Egypt war over River Nile dam might be ‘good’
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a 145-metre-high, 1.8-kilometre-long concrete colossus is set to become the largest hydropower plant in Africa. PHOTO | EDUARDO SOTERAS | AFP
Before the Covid-19 pandemic came upon us, Egypt was beating war drums loudly over Addis Ababa’s plans to fill the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Under construction since 2011, the $4.5 billion GERD will be Africa’s biggest hydroelectric power plant once completed.
The quarrel is over the rate at which Ethiopia fills the reservoir behind the dam and its effect on water supplies downstream in Sudan and Egypt—for who the Nile is the primary water source.
