The Potential Water, Food, and Energy Security-Related Impacts of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam – Gerd (Amharic: ታላቁ የኢትዮጵያ ሕዳሴ ግድብ) on the Lower Stream Riparian States and Egypt’s Distinct Concern (Scepticism): A Systematic Review and Qualitative Synthesis

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue IV, April 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186

The Potential Water, Food, and Energy Security-Related Impacts of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam – Gerd (Amharic: ታላቁ የኢትዮጵያ ሕዳሴ ግድብ) on the Lower Stream Riparian States and Egypt’s Distinct Concern (Scepticism): A Systematic Review and Qualitative Synthesis

Heron Gezahegn Gebretsadik
School of Global Health & Bioethics, Euclid University (Pôle Universitaire Euclide)

Abstract: The Nile River is remained to be a critical resource and center of contradiction among the Nile basin states. Scholars argue that Egypt had an upper hand over the use of the Nile River. However, Egypt’s hegemony over the Nile has been significantly challenged since the initiation of the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in 2011. This creates heavy tension, particularly between Ethiopia and Egypt in the last decade. Though the GERD has been filling the reservoir over the last two years and recently started to generate electric power, the potential negative impacts of the dam over the lower riparian countries remained unclear. This systematic review and meta-synthesis investigated the potential water, food, and energy security-related transboundary impacts of the GERD on the lower riparian states. Furthermore, the research work explored Egypt’s distinct concern over GERD.
The reduction in Nile water volume and velocity, the likelihood of water loss through evaporation, the impoverishment of agricultural lands, the depletion of water reserve, easing of hydroelectric power generation, and the ever-increasing threats in water security are reported to be some of the major water, food, and energy security-related transboundary impacts of the GERD on the lower stream riparian states. On the other hand, the fear of a potential reduction in water supply from the Nile and the consequent occurrence of drought during the dry seasons, and the unresolved tripartite disagreement on the operational detail of the mega-dam are identified to be the major concerns of Egypt over the GERD. Ethiopia has reportedly said the GERD has no significant harm on the lower riparian states. The country believes that the mega project is a way forward to facilitate economic development among the riparian states and mitigate the shortage of electric power in the region.

Keywords: reservoir, tension, downstream/upstream, filling, basin, riparian, transboundary, dam, adverse, impact, cooperation, negotiation

I.INTRODUCTION

Water is essential to sustain life in both the human and overall ecosystems. In almost every region of the world, accessing sufficient water supply is becoming more difficult following the increasing demands associated with industrialization, urbanization, and growing population. Moreover, water is very unevenly distributed both temporally and spatially.

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