Fekahmed Negash: Egypt Water Mismanagement Causes Huge Evaporation Losses

• Fekahmed Negash, a former GERD negotiator, asserts that Egypt's downstream reservoirs, including the Aswan High Dam, suffer significant annual water losses of 15 to 16 billion cubic meters due to evaporation in its hot desert climate.
• He proposes that storing water in Ethiopia's cooler, deep, and narrow highland gorges would minimize evaporation and reduce sedimentation in downstream reservoirs like Lake Nasser.
• Additional benefits of upstream storage include enhanced flood protection for downstream countries, generation of affordable clean electricity, and increased Nile climate change resilience.
• Negash suggests that this strategic shift in water management could benefit all Nile Basin countries by conserving water and fostering economic integration.
• Studies reportedly indicate substantial water savings from shifting storage toward Ethiopia's highland gorges.

This strategic shift could not only conserve vast quantities of water but also offer a range of environmental and economic advantages for all Nile Basin countries.

A prominent Ethiopian water expert, Fekahmed Negash, has highlighted significant water losses in Egypt's downstream reservoirs, attributing them to the country's arid climate. Negash, who serves as the Chairperson of the Advisory Team on Transboundary Water and GERD at Ethiopia's Ministry of Water and Energy, and is a former member of Ethiopia's GERD negotiation team, argues that the hot desert environment leads to substantial evaporation from large water bodies like the Aswan High Dam's reservoir. He contends that this represents a form of Fekahmed Negash Egypt water mismanagement, where valuable water resources are unnecessarily depleted.

In stark contrast, Negash points to Ethiopia's deep and narrow highland gorges as offering inherently superior conditions for water storage. These cooler, elevated regions, he suggests, could significantly minimize evaporation losses compared to the vast, exposed surface area of reservoirs in Egypt's hot desert. His analysis indicates that the Aswan High Dam alone loses an estimated 15 to 16 billion cubic meters of water annually through evaporation, a volume that could be conserved through a strategic shift in water storage practices within the Nile Basin.

Negash, also a former Executive Director of the Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO), proposes that relocating a greater portion of the basin's water storage upstream to Ethiopia could yield substantial benefits for all Nile Basin countries. This strategic shift could not only conserve vast quantities of water but also offer a range of environmental and economic advantages, ultimately increasing the amount of water available for downstream release.

Beyond reducing Aswan High Dam evaporation losses, Fekahmed Negash emphasizes several other critical benefits of Ethiopia water storage advantages. One major advantage for downstream nations, particularly Egypt, is the potential for reduced sedimentation. Large volumes of silt, originating from the Ethiopian highlands, currently accumulate in Lake Nasser behind the Aswan High Dam, progressively diminishing its storage capacity. By trapping this sediment in upstream reservoirs, Ethiopian dams could extend the operational lifespan of downstream facilities.

Furthermore, upstream storage offers enhanced protection against extreme flooding for countries situated downstream. While severe floods are infrequent, their occurrence poses considerable risks to infrastructure. Negash recalled a significant flood event in 2005 when Egyptian engineers were compelled to open the Western Spillway, diverting billions of cubic meters of water into the Toshka Valley. Greater storage capacity in Ethiopia could effectively regulate extreme flows within the Nile Basin, thereby alleviating pressure on critical downstream infrastructure during such events.

The benefits of increased upstream storage extend to broader regional development and Nile climate change resilience. Fekahmed Negash highlights the potential for cascade hydropower development in Ethiopia to generate electricity beyond its domestic needs, providing downstream countries with access to clean and affordable energy. Such energy cooperation could lay a foundation for deeper economic integration among Nile Basin countries, fostering shared prosperity.

Negash also links enhanced upstream storage to the basin's capacity to adapt to the impacts of climate change, which manifests through increased flooding, drought, and variability in river flows. Constructing cascade dams in Ethiopia would augment the overall storage capacity within the basin, allowing water to be released downstream precisely when needed. This controlled release mechanism would empower countries to better manage periods of both excessive and reduced river flow, bolstering the Nile Basin water management framework against climatic uncertainties. Studies, according to Negash, corroborate that shifting water storage to Ethiopia's highland gorges could indeed save substantial quantities of water presently lost to evaporation.

Lawyers advising clients on transboundary water resource projects, particularly in the Nile Basin, should be aware of these technical arguments regarding water storage efficiency and environmental benefits. This perspective from a former GERD negotiator could inform future policy, negotiations, or risk assessments for investments in the region, especially concerning water-intensive industries or infrastructure projects.

Source: Original reporting via regional news outlets