Wednesday March 19, 2014

I've Been Thinking:

Egypt and Ethiopia have been locked in conflict for a year.

Ethiopia is diverting part of the Blue Nile River in order to create a huge hydro electric dam called the Great Renaissance Dam. Work on the $4.7 billion project began last year and should be completed in three more years.

The Blue Nile begins in Ethiopia and flows into Sudan where it merges with the White Nile and forms the famous Nile River.

Diverting the Nile for any purpose is an explosive act because it could cause a death blow to any of the ten Nile Basin desert countries that are dependent on its fresh water.

In 1929 Egypt and Ethiopia signed a treaty promising not to alter the Nile without mutual approval. Then, in 1970, when Ethiopia attempted to build 26 dams Egypt rejected the plan. And in 1993 the two countries again signed a deal stipulating that neither would do anything to the Nile that would harm the other's interests.

Now we arrive at the present day conflict.

Both parties are talking but there is no agreement. Egypt is not happy with the current project and tensions are rising.

In that part of the world fresh water is far more valuable than oil.

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