A new security assessment by Dyami Strategic Security Solutions analyses the rising tensions along the Nile River. Written by Chiara Longmore in collaboration with Akash Ramnath from the PSI, the article discusses the consequences of Ethiopia's hydropower ambitions on the region.
The Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD) is the centrepiece of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's economic reforms, with the ambition of securing the country's energy security going forward. The dam also brings heightened job prospects for a poverty-stricken region as well as a chance to earn precious foreign currency from energy surpluses. The problem however is that Ethiopia's ambitions could have dire consequences for countries downstream of the GERD (lower riparian countries).
Egypt, in particular, depends on the flow of the Nile to power its entire economy, from agriculture to transportation to freshwater. Changes upstream as a result of hydropower installations threaten to reduce or even distort the flow of the Nile coming into Egypt, having devastating results for the country. Currently, there is no bipartisan accepted treaty or agreement managing the resources of the Nile at large and driven by national security agendas, the risk of conflict between Cairo and Addis Ababa grows every day.
Find the full report HERE
By Chiara Longmore & Akash Ramnath
Photo credits: Jimmy Conover/Unsplash.com