River Nile water was seen overtopping both sides of corniche in some areas in Greater Cairo over the past few days as rates of rainfall over the Nile's headwaters continue to mount for the second month in a row. Small ponds were formed along the Nile's banks, with tens of juvenile fish seen swimming in groups on the piers overlooking the Nile, according to local media reports. The annual Nile flooding, which takes place in August, September, and October, is caused by heavy rains in the Ethiopian highlands. On Sunday, Egypt's Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel-Ati said the River Nile's flood this year "is above average so far". Abdel-Ati's remarks came during the periodical meeting of the Permanent Committee for Regulating the Nile Revenue (PCRNR) in which he ordered a high alert state at all ministry departments of irrigation, drainage and mechanics nationwide as part of the country's measures for rainfall threats. Egypt relies on the Blue Nile – which originates in Ethiopia and is one of the two main tributaries of the world's longest river – and the White Nile, which converges in Khartoum, before flowing north through Egypt and into the Mediterranean Sea. The PCRNR, a ministry statement said, is following up on the water situation and the amount of water reaching the Aswan High Dam's lake, which accommodates flooding water and holds it for irrigation and hydroelectricity purposes. In order to deal with the upcoming rainy season, the irrigation minister ordered the reduction of water levels in all watercourses and the continued follow-up to ensure the maintenance and readiness of water pumps and spillways as well as flood protection facilities. Last year, the Blue Nile's levels in Sudan rose in late August and September to 17.57 metres (57 feet), breaking all records since measurements began more than a century ago, leaving more than 100 people dead and damaging tens of thousands of houses, according to the Sudanese irrigation ministry. In Egypt, the level of the River Nile rose dramatically and caused the sinking of some lands in the Delta at the time. Egypt, which is considered one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, receives around 60 bcm annually, mainly from the Nile. However, its needs stand at around 114 bcm, placing the 102-million-plus country well below the international threshold for water scarcity, at 560 cubic metres per person annually. The large gap in water resources in Egypt is overcome by importing 54 percent of its virtual water and reusing 42 percent of its renewable, Abdel-Ati said in an earlier statement. Egypt have been involved in a long-standing dispute with Ethiopia over the massive dam GERD it is building on the Blue Nile, which Cairo worries could cut its water supply. Ethiopia, the upstream country, has pinned hopes of development and power generation on the multi-billion dollar hydropower project, while Egypt, a downstream country, fears an impact on its water supply. Egypt, alongside Sudan, the third side of the dispute, have been negotiating with Ethiopia for ten years to reach a comprehensive and legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD, but to no avail as the upstream country seeks mere guidelines that can be modified any time at its discretion. Ethiopia has completed the first and second filling of its controversial dam in 2020 and 2021 despite lack of agreement with Cairo and Khartoum.
