When we hear the name The Nile River, we think of the amazing river that regulated the agriculture in ancient Egyptian civilization. Ancient Egyptians were a civilization ahead of its time, it praised and admired the Nile River because it was their source to life and crops. The Nile River is the called the father of all African rivers, it is the longest river of the world. It flows throughout Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt where it meets the Mediterranean Sea and drains its flow. The Nile River was where the first world war over water was fought. There is a lot of history where the Nile River affected most of the norther region of Africa. The Nile River has three principal streams: the Blue Nile, the White Nile, and Atbara River which flows into different parts of Northern Africa. The Nile River is an important water source to all of the areas in Northern Africa because it helps cultivate and produce crops. It became more than just a river, it became a part of the people’s culture and belief system. The Nile River is also known for its annual floods that ruin the banks near the river. There would be no food, people, civilization, or government without the Nile River.
There has been prolonged issues with the maintenance along the Nile due different cultures and countries. Treaty negotiations of the Nile waters started during the colonial era in Africa, where they had what is known as the ‘Scramble for Africa’. The ‘Scramble for Africa’ was a period where European nations went into Africa and started claiming African lands and resources as their own for their own benefit. People in Africa were affected by this colonization because their culture and customs were being changed to be more westernized. During this colonization, Britain tried to seize maximum control of the agricultural production in the delta of the Nile. In 1902, the British made an agreement with the Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II to consult with them on any projects for the Blue Nile. In 1929, Egypt negotiated within the Nile Waters Agreement with the East African British colonies. Many countries still were colonized and did not have independence, therefore they did not have a say in Nile Waters Agreement. There have been many dams throughout the years to help reduce the floods and increase the waters of the Nile, such as Aswan High Dam in Egypt in 1971, in the 1966 Roseires Dam in Sudan, and the Khashm al-Girba Dam in 1964 was completed as well. However, Ethiopia was excluded from some of the Nile Waters Agreement, which created chaos within the countries affected by the Nile. The Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi did not agree to the constructions on the Nile in Egypt because he felt like they were taking control of the water which is unfair, afterwards he began the plans for the Grand Renaissance Dam.
There has been many dam projects along the Nile, however the Grand Renaissance Dam is the dam project that causing massive controversy in Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. The project started in 2011, it is a gravity dam on the Blue Nile River. It will be the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa generating energy to the nearby banks along the Nile River that do not have energy. This project would greatly affect the people of Ethiopia in many ways such as the people would get jobs. Ethiopia’s goal is modernize and make their country better for the people. This dam will industrialized Ethiopia and create better living conditions for its people. The people that live along the Nile River in Ethiopia do not energy they are living in very poor conditions and the agriculture is the only thing prospering their land. The construction cost is about 6.4 billion dollars so far, but there is no set date as to when the dam will be open. The plan of the dam is to expand the Nile River onto the inlands and create on the biggest lakes of Africa. Since The Blue Nile is highly seasonal river the dam would reduce the flooding. This would flood the Blue Nile for nearly two hundred fifty kilometers into the street. Also, the dam would serve as a bridge across the Blue Nile for easier mobility for the people. This project took off fast and many of the people along the banks have been moved to make way for the flood. Sudan as right now, is agreeing with Ethiopia because they would also enjoy the cheaper energy produced by the Grand Renaissance Dam. However, Egypt does not agree with this project because they believe it will lessen their water supply and that is how solely majority of Egypt coexisting.