Nile dam dispute: Egypt lays out fresh case against Ethiopia

Egypt has presented its most comprehensive case yet in the ongoing Nile dispute, emphasizing its vulnerability to the river's flow and challenging Ethiopia's control over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). At a press conference, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hani Sewilam highlighted Egypt's extreme aridity, with over 98% of its water originating outside its borders and annual renewable supplies falling short of estimated needs.

Egypt's per capita water availability has dropped to about 472 cubic meters per year, below the threshold for absolute scarcity. Sewilam reinforced Cairo's argument that the Nile cannot be left to unilateral decisions upstream, as Ethiopia's allocation of 55.5 billion cubic meters represents only a fraction of the total rainfall in the Nile Basin.

The minister shifted the focus to Ethiopia's economic development, asking whether it necessitates control over the Blue Nile. He stressed that Ethiopia's water resources are vast, with more than 1,000 billion cubic meters of rainfall in 2023, compared to Egypt's limited resources. Egypt's strategy, dubbed Water 2.0, emphasizes water reuse, infrastructure upgrades, and desalination to combat its water deficit.

Cairo has also sought international recognition of its water security concerns, highlighting its support for dam projects that involve consultation and impact assessments.