23 June 2014
Source:Middle East Monitor
Ethiopia is moving forward with the construction of the Grand
Renaissance Dam with its full capacity and according to the original
plans despite Egyptian reservations, an Ethiopian diplomat told Arabi 21 website Sunday.
The suspension of an Egyptian anchorwoman from Tahrir TV
channel has reopened discussions on the crisis of the dam's capacity,
amid reports of a UAE-Israeli mediated initiative in the horizon.
Tahrir anchorwoman Rania Badawy has been suspended after a
complaint from the Ethiopian ambassador in Cairo following an argument
she had with him during a live call-in with her show. Badawy has hung up
on ambassador Mahmoud Dardir after he accused her of arrogance due to
her question whether Ethiopia will carry on with the construction of the
dam based on the original plan.
Responding to a question by Badawy regarding the dam's current
capacity and its impacts on Egyptian water security, the ambassador
stressed that this is a sovereign matter, and that Ethiopia has "moved
beyond Egyptian dictations and conditions in this regard."
Arabi 21 website asked an Ethiopian diplomat regarding the
implications of the ambassador's remarks. The diplomat confirmed that
his country had not changed its initial construction plans and would not
accept any discussions with Egypt on them.
The diplomat confirmed reports of an Emirati-Israeli initiative that
calls for the continuation of the construction according to initial
plans, with an Ethiopian pledge not to use the full capacity of the dam
in a way that impacts Egyptian and Sudanese share of the water.
The diplomat pointed out that the initiative, if approved, would not
resolve the crisis because Addis Ababa would still be able to use the
full capacity of the dam whenever it sees fit.
Link: www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/africa/12290-ethiopian-diplomat-renaissance-dam-will-be-built-with-its-full-capacity.
Showing posts with label Ethiopia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ethiopia. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Nile Disputes Threaten Africa’s Largest Hydropower Project
January 10, 2014
This article was written by Oilprice.com -- the leading provider of energy news in the world
The largest Hydropower project in Africa, the 6,000MW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, is under threat as Ethiopia and Egypt remain unable to come to an agreement over the flow of the River Nile.
The giant dam is being constructed on the Blue Nile River, the largest tributary of the Nile, and Egypt is fearful that it might restrict the flow of the river which provides almost all of the country's water. Historically, as one of the most powerful countries along the length of the Nile, Egypt has benefited from almost complete control, but recent attempts to secure almost all rights in the future have just been rejected by Ethiopia.
Egypt claims that it signed a 1959 agreement with Sudan that granted them the rights to 55.5 billion cubic metres of water from the total 84 billion cubic metres flowing through the river. However, Ethiopia and other upriver countries have rejected the agreement, which they were never a part of, and claim that Egypt's monopolisation of the Nile would deprive them of a vital resource that runs through their country.
In 2010, Ethiopia, along with five other countries based along the river Nile (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Burundi in 2011) signed a Cooperative Framework Agreement that addressed issues of using the water in ways that do not cause significant harm to other countries reliant on the water. Basically these countries were fed up with always having to ask permission from Egypt before they could attempt to use the river in any development project. The agreement lays the foundations for creating a Nile River Basin Commission that would manage all water rights and development projects along the river.
Ethiopia claims that the $4.2 billion hydroelectric dam would benefit agriculture and any energy consumers in East Africa, while at the same time not affecting the flow of water downstream; even Sudan has shown its support for the project.
Egypt remains determined to retain its dominance of the River Nile, claiming that it is a matter of national security and that they actually need an even larger share of the water now due to the growing population. Politicians have even suggested the use of force against Ethiopia to prevent the dam from being completed.
Mohamed Abdel-Moteleb, the Egyptian Irrigation Minister, said that the country "has escalatory steps to assert our historic rights to the Nile waters."
Egypt suggested that a panel of neutral experts should be appointed to study the dam's impact on the river and the surrounding environment however Ethiopia was quick to reject this proposal. Eventually a committee was created, that included members from Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan, on the recommendation of international experts who were worried by the lack of understanding about the dam's downstream impact.
This article was written by Oilprice.com -- the leading provider of energy news in the world
The largest Hydropower project in Africa, the 6,000MW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, is under threat as Ethiopia and Egypt remain unable to come to an agreement over the flow of the River Nile.
The giant dam is being constructed on the Blue Nile River, the largest tributary of the Nile, and Egypt is fearful that it might restrict the flow of the river which provides almost all of the country's water. Historically, as one of the most powerful countries along the length of the Nile, Egypt has benefited from almost complete control, but recent attempts to secure almost all rights in the future have just been rejected by Ethiopia.
Egypt claims that it signed a 1959 agreement with Sudan that granted them the rights to 55.5 billion cubic metres of water from the total 84 billion cubic metres flowing through the river. However, Ethiopia and other upriver countries have rejected the agreement, which they were never a part of, and claim that Egypt's monopolisation of the Nile would deprive them of a vital resource that runs through their country.
In 2010, Ethiopia, along with five other countries based along the river Nile (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Burundi in 2011) signed a Cooperative Framework Agreement that addressed issues of using the water in ways that do not cause significant harm to other countries reliant on the water. Basically these countries were fed up with always having to ask permission from Egypt before they could attempt to use the river in any development project. The agreement lays the foundations for creating a Nile River Basin Commission that would manage all water rights and development projects along the river.
Ethiopia claims that the $4.2 billion hydroelectric dam would benefit agriculture and any energy consumers in East Africa, while at the same time not affecting the flow of water downstream; even Sudan has shown its support for the project.
Egypt remains determined to retain its dominance of the River Nile, claiming that it is a matter of national security and that they actually need an even larger share of the water now due to the growing population. Politicians have even suggested the use of force against Ethiopia to prevent the dam from being completed.
Mohamed Abdel-Moteleb, the Egyptian Irrigation Minister, said that the country "has escalatory steps to assert our historic rights to the Nile waters."
Egypt suggested that a panel of neutral experts should be appointed to study the dam's impact on the river and the surrounding environment however Ethiopia was quick to reject this proposal. Eventually a committee was created, that included members from Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan, on the recommendation of international experts who were worried by the lack of understanding about the dam's downstream impact.
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