Egypt achieves record primary budget surplus of EGP 629bn despite sharp fall in Suez Canal revenues    Escalation in Gaza, West Bank as Israeli strikes continue amid mounting international criticism    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Resumption of production at El Nasr marks strategic step towards localising automotive industry: El-Shimy    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, UNDP discuss outcomes of joint projects, future environmental cooperation    United Bank achieves EGP 1.51bn net profit in H1 2025, up 26.9% year-on-year    After Putin summit, Trump says peace deal is best way to end Ukraine war    Jordan condemns Israeli PM remarks on 'Greater Israel'    Egypt's Supreme Energy Council reviews power supply plans for 14 industrial projects    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egypt's FM discusses Gaza, bilateral ties in calls with Saudi, South African counterparts    Egypt prepares to tackle seasonal air pollution in Nile Delta    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egyptian pound closes high vs. USD on Tuesday – CBE    Egypt, Colombia discuss medical support for Palestinians injured in Gaza    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt's govt. issues licensing controls for used cooking oil activities    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Egypt's Sisi: Egypt is gateway for aid to Gaza, not displacement    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Egypt to protect its quota of Nile water
Published in Daily News Egypt on 08 - 08 - 2006

Meeting to finalize the Nile Basin Initiative postponed to Sept.
CAIRO: A meeting scheduled this month to bring together the ministers of water resources from each of the 10 Nile Basin countries to finalize the seven-year-old Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) has been postponed to mid-September.
The postponement was agreed upon by member countries because of expected hot weather during August and for no other reason, said Mahmoud Abou Zeid, minister of irrigation and water resources. The minister dismissed claims there might still be differences between the Egyptian and Ethiopian positions on the amount of water allocated to each country.
Ayman Abd El-Wahab, environmental analyst at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, says its unlikely tensions have flared once again between the two countries.
The relationship has developed much more, says Abd El-Wahab. The Ethiopian side has come to understand better the importance of the Nile to projects in Egypt, and the Egyptian side now understands the Ethiopian needs can be met without lowering its share.
If all goes well, Abd El-Wahab says he expects NBI to finally be ratified by all member countries in their September meeting.
Although strong public rhetoric about possible conflict over Nile water has calmed down over recent years, statements made by Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi as recently as Feb. 2005 suggest old tensions still persist.
While Egypt is taking the Nile water to transform the Sahara into something green, we in Ethiopia, which is the source of 85 percent of that water, are denied the possibility of using it to feed ourselves, and we are being forced to beg for food every year, Zenawi told BBC.
And from time to time Egyptian presidents have threatened countries with military action if they move, he claimed. While I cannot completely discount the saber-rattling I do not think it is a feasible option. If Egypt were to plan to stop Ethiopia from utilizing the Nile waters it would have to occupy Ethiopia, and no country on earth has done that in the past.
Under a series of agreements, the most recent of which was signed in 1959, Egypt has fought strongly to maintain its quota of at least 55.5 billion cubic meters per year. Egyptians have long feared dam construction at Nile sources in Ethiopia and Uganda would affect the amount of water reaching them.
In late July, Ethiopia announced the beginning of construction on a 1,870 megawatt hydroelectric project on the Omo-Gibe River. The project, which will allow Ethiopia to harness enough power to satisfy national demand and export to neighboring countries is scheduled for completion in 2011.
Abd El-Wahab says recent studies have proven Egyptian fears of a decrease in water supply unjustified.
Studies have shown the impact of building Ethiopian dams on the Egyptian water supply is expected to be very minimal, says Abd El-Wahab.
In the last three years, there has been an increase in communication from the Egyptian side all levels up to the president to build trust and insure cooperation [on NBI], he adds.
Work on the NBI began in 1992 but was not formalized until 1999. Under the initiative, member countries were each required to submit their own projects aiming to increase the efficiency of Nile water use to better benefit the group. Work on eight projects located mostly in Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan has already begun.
In the long run, the initiative aims to increase power output in countries where the river originates such as Ethiopia and Uganda which would allow agriculture to flourish in Sudan and industry to grow in Egypt. In the end, NBI relies on sharing these products in order to benefit the whole region.
I think it s a very balanced initiative, says Abd El-Wahab. The nature of the initiative itself is based on raising the amount of water available by lessening the wasting of water, and any project proposed has to benefit more than one country. So there s new thinking of cooperative work. The main problem that governed this issue for a long time were political. Now there s a sense that this matter has nothing to do with politics and cooperation is the only solution.


Clic here to read the story from its source.