EGYPT AND ETHIOPIA WATER WAR: A result of Construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam or GERD (It all started with British Colonization 1885-1956)

 

3,092 views Aug 27, 2023

The Nile Conflict has entered a new period of complexity as a result of accelerating climate change, forcing regional states to struggle for the security of their food, energy, and water supplies. The relationship between Ethiopia and Egypt has become even more complicated as a result of the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam or GERD, an Ethiopian non-consumptive hydropower project on the Nile.

• Ethiopia and Egypt no doubt see the project as an existential threat and a matter of existential necessity, so they oppose the project.
  
• However, this struggle extends beyond the exchange of material goods and touches on the basic identities of the two republics.
  

Since the GERD project's construction began in 2011, Cairo has argued that it endangers the stability of Egypt and the region, notably Egyptian water security. Ethiopia, on the other hand, insists that the GERD is a development initiative rather than a security-based political initiative. Ethiopia looks to grow her economy and the hydroelectric power that can be generated from the Nile will be a major boost. Despite these various claims, it is obvious that the driving forces behind the Nile issue are the competing parties' attempts to uphold border security, or the maintenance of state identity.
However, this struggle extends beyond the exchange of material goods and touches on the basic identities of the two republics.