WATER: The River Nile Flashcards
what are the conflicts between users within a country and internationally over the river Nile?
a
basic facts
6,700 km long
longest river in the world
much of the river and its tributaries flow through semi-arid (Sahel) and arid (Sahara) areas, which increases their importance as other water resources are scarce
its water resources are shared by 11 countries
primary source of water for Sudan and Egypt
two major tributaries
its two major tributaries are the White Nile and the Blue Nile
the Blue Nile is the larger of the tributaries and its source is in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia is now trying to develop its Hydro-Electric Power (HEP)
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile has caused an angry response from the Egyptian government who were against any projects on the Nile River that threaten their livelihood. However discussion led to this issue getting resolved.
Egypt
Egypt depends on the River Nile for 95% of its water needs
The 1929 Nile Agreement
In 1929 a Nile Agreement between Egypt and the UK (the colonial power in Sudan at that time) granted significant water allocations to Egypt and Sudan, making no allowance for the water needs of other Nile states. This agreement granted veto power to Egypt over construction projects over the Nile and its tributaries.
Conflicts
The 1929 Nile agreement has led to conflicts between the Nile river basin countries; upstream countries are increasingly harvesting the waters of the River Nile to meet the needs their growing populations and economies.
The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI)
The Nile Basin Initiative in 1999 was signed by the River Nile countries, except Eritrea, in an effort to enhance the cooperation over the use of the Nile water resources. The initiated work on developing a permanent legal framework for governing the Nile River Basin with equitable water allocation.
Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA)
In 2015, countries except Sudan and Egypt signed CFA (Cooperate Framework Agreement) to share the Nile Water more equally.
