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7 - The Nile River Basin

from Part III - Engineered Rivers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 September 2021

By
Muhammad Khalifa ,
Sephra Thomas  and
Lars Ribbe
Edited by
Jurgen Schmandt  and
Aysegül Kibaroglu
Edited in association with
Regina Buono  and
Sephra Thomas
Jurgen Schmandt
Affiliation:
Houston Advanced Research Center
Aysegül Kibaroglu
Affiliation:
MEF University, Istanbul
Regina Buono
Affiliation:
University of Texas, Austin
Sephra Thomas
Affiliation:
University of Texas, Austin
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Summary

The chapter analyzes upstream-downstream issues in the Nile river basin. The large increase in population in the future and the resulting push for development will increase demand of the Nile flow in upstream riparian countries where headwaters are sourced. Variability in temperature and precipitation due to climate change will impact the heavily populated areas the most, which in the case of the Nile, is at the Delta in Egypt. This will have a deep economic impact as Egypt is the most prosperous country along the Nile. However, the increased development and engineering upstream will affect how much of the Nile is available at a specific time for Egypt. These tensions are already seen in the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. An agreement still has not been reached as countries are struggling with sharing ownership of the river. If sufficient flow is not released to Egypt, saltwater intrusion in Egypt can endanger current groundwater storage, pushing the country to invest in more desalination.

Keywords

NileEgyptSudanEthiopiagroundwaterwater resources and water use patternsagriculture and energy productiontransboundary conflctsHigh Aswan DamGrand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam-GERD
Type
Chapter
Information
Sustainability of Engineered Rivers In Arid Lands
Challenge and Response
 , pp. 79 - 93
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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