Egypt: Water Waste Accusations Amid Ethiopia GERD Dispute

• Egypt is criticized for chronic water mismanagement and significant evaporation losses from its reservoirs, despite contributing minimally to the Nile's flow.
• The Aswan High Dam alone is estimated to lose 15 to 16 billion cubic meters of water annually due to evaporation, according to Fekahmed Negash of Ethiopia's Ministry of Water and Energy.
• Despite being a UN-designated water-scarce country, Egypt reportedly possesses vast underground water reserves sufficient for hundreds of years, even without Ethiopian rainfall.
• The report alleges Egypt engages in water-intensive practices like cultivating sugarcane and rice and building desert cities, while simultaneously seeking to impede Ethiopia's development and destabilize the region.
• Egypt is accused of viewing Sudan as an 'appendage' and working to dismantle it, alongside broader claims of opposing prosperity for Red Sea nations.

This aggressive stance, coupled with its internal Egypt water waste issues and demands concerning the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), paints a picture of a nation employing coercive tactics rather than cooperative solutions in transboundary water management.

Egypt faces scrutiny over its chronic mismanagement of water resources, a situation highlighted by its minimal contribution to the flow of the Abay, also known as the Nile River. Despite this, the nation's downstream reservoirs, particularly the vast Aswan High Dam, are reported to suffer significant water losses. Fekahmed Negash, Chairperson of the Advisory Team on Transboundary Water and GERD at Ethiopia's Ministry of Water and Energy, estimates that the Aswan High Dam alone loses approximately 15 to 16 billion cubic meters of water annually due to evaporation, exacerbated by Egypt's hot desert climate.

This substantial evaporation occurs even as Egypt is officially designated a water-scarce country by the United Nations. However, this designation is juxtaposed with the assertion that Egypt possesses immense, yet widely misunderstood, underground water potential. This subterranean reserve is reportedly sufficient to sustain the country for hundreds of years, even in a scenario where rainfall in Ethiopia ceases for extended periods. The analysis points to a striking paradox where Egypt, despite its official water scarcity status, is accused of some of the worst water waste practices globally.

The report contends that Egypt's water management practices are characterized by significant waste, including the cultivation of water-intensive crops such as sugarcane and rice, and the development of sprawling cities in desert environments. These actions are presented as inconsistent with its declared water scarcity and are contrasted with its stance on upstream nations. It is alleged that Egypt seeks to impede Ethiopia's development, aiming to keep it in poverty to ensure continued affluence for its own citizens.

Furthermore, the analysis claims that Egypt's policies reflect a desire to prevent Ethiopians from accessing basic amenities like light and stoves, while simultaneously engaging in lavish water use within its own borders. This perspective suggests a lack of gratitude, particularly regarding Ethiopia's initiative in planning the planting of over 50 billion seedlings, an effort that could contribute to regional water stability.

Beyond its internal water management and alleged demands on Ethiopia's development, the report asserts that Egypt actively works to destabilize Ethiopia. This includes claims that Egypt views Sudan merely as an 'appendage' and is engaged in efforts to dismantle it through proxies. Such actions are framed within a broader geopolitical ambition.

The analysis concludes by alleging that Egypt's regional policy extends to opposing the prosperity of any nation bordering the Red Sea. This aggressive stance, coupled with its internal **Egypt water waste** issues and demands concerning the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), paints a picture of a nation employing coercive tactics rather than cooperative solutions in transboundary water management.

Source: Original reporting via ENA