Why This Circle Could Spark Africa’s Biggest War 

As an Egyptian, I am really impressed how clearly and unbiased you presented the facts. I am also really glad you highlighted the Tigray disaster. Western Media is acting like it does not exist, and all we ever hear about is Russia and Ukraine. While that is a disaster as well, it is absolutely dwarfed by what happened in the Tigray version in terms of misery and loss of life. You have my sub, good sir.

Amazing reporting! I wish more people would seek out content like this before voicing their opinions on various geopolitical conflicts and situations. A truly amazing job of laying out the facts in a clear and unbiased way. Thank you.

Thank you, for the informative analysis. As far as I know, Ethiopia uses the Blue Nile water soley to generate electricity, not for irrigation purpose. In addition it is well understood that, the dams in the Sudan and Egypt will significantly get rid of the silt being carried from the Ethiopian highlands in particular, and the other benefit can be electricity can supplied to the Sudan in particular.

I knew there was stuff being overshadowed by the war in Ukraine.. but I didn’t know it was this atrocious. Up until the last segment of this video, I held out hopes that the governments involved would retain the possibility of an amicable and joint resolution to this problem that really isn’t a problem yet… and then I saw that last segment and it seems like my hopes were pretty much dashed.

To begin with the reporting, this is the only objective video ever presented on this very sensitive issue. As an Ethiopian I want to ask a question for those watching this video. Lets talk the other way. If blue nile was originating from Egypt and it planned to build a dam, would she be open for negotiations with Ethiopia? I really appreciate your comments on this.

Great informative video , you can also talk about Assab Port , How Ethiopia got landlocked and potential for conflict as 120M Ethiopians push for economic growth

I respect and empathize both countries to be fair, so sad they struggle to find solution that is going to be satisfying to everyone. I honestly would even send my own money donation if it could help them develop the region and prevent the war even though I am half the world away and it won't affect me at all.

Thank you RealLifeLore. These informative geographical based videos are some of the best (and I watch everything) I've ever had the pleasure to watch.

This conflict has been brewing for decades. I was at a lecture in the 1980s and even then this area was highlighted as potentially the first 'water war', simply because so many people are dependent on the Nile.

Thank you for covering this! Great video. One thing the video didn’t go into detail about, though… is what capabilities Ethiopia (and its allies) would have to retaliate against Egypt. Egypt is, after all, a long ways away. And, as noted, the Egyptian air force is significantly larger and more advanced. I don’t really see an Ethiopian army attempting to invade and conquer Sudan on its way to Egypt. Nor do I see any other options for retaliation by land forces… so, that leaves… what exactly? I don’t foresee any kind of meaningful naval action… so, then I’m confused as to what a war between the two nations would look like realistically.

Great video! I think Egypt would be in a much better position if they where more understanding and let Ethiopia build their dam from the beginning. Then they probably could have agreed on a good dispute resolution mechanism and they could have proper negotiations regarding the rate of filling the dam. That would've been better for all parties. I do think Ethiopia should have the right to build this dam and fill their dam in a reasonable time if they also try to cooperate and do what they can minimise the effects downstream.

Petroleum shaped geopolitics of the twentieth century. Access to and control of water will define geopolitics well into the twenty first century. FWIW: I joined Nebula because of high quality content creators like you. I encourage all who appreciate quality content like this to join.

You must have a great research team. So well informed and shared. I didn’t know the Nile flowed north and natural geography supplies it.

This was has been going on for awhile between my country and Egypt’s, glad it’s being shared. So happy to see this video having 2 million views

I side with Ethiopia since they are a completely land locked country. Ethiopia should be able to do what they need to do in their country. Both Egypt and Sudan have access to the ocean which they can desalinate. Yes desalination plants are expensive but it would also mean more jobs for the Egyptian and Sudan people. Maybe instead of buying fancy new jets from the USA and other countries Egypt should invest in desalinating water instead.

Great video. Scary situation because it seems like it can only end one of two ways (neither good).... 1) the slow death of Egypt. Either through economic collapse or uprising/civil war OR 2) A massive war in Eastern Africa that likely includes Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and possibly others. And I think the war is the more likely outcome. Probably by the late 2020's.

To be completely honest with you I’m embarrassed that I am only just now becoming aware of such a catastrophic conflict. Thank you for educating me on these issues.

I just read a paper linking Blue Nile volume to the El Niño oscillation. El Niño caused less water and La Niña caused more water flow. Well, during the last few years we've had La Nina, but now we are likely heading into an El Nino, which does not bode well for the pace of filling the reservoir and potential droughts.

If this conflict ever starts to seriously heat up as the second scenario suggests in the event of drought, I would wager it has the potential to facilitate diplomatic talks with South Sudan and Israel.

One thing that hits me like a ton of bricks is that Egypt should consider consulting the Saudis, who have managed to turn vast tracts of desert into farmland and also use desalination plants to get their water. Another idea would be to merge the economies of Egypt and Ethiopia, so that in using the same currency, they would both be negatively affected by each other's misfortunes, thereby making it a matter of mutual benefit to help each other. This could be done without either country relinquishing control of their respective governments. This has worked in the EU with the Euro. In fact, both solutions could possibly be used to some degree. The Saudis could also possibly teach the Ethiopians how to create better farmland, if they are experts in terraforming desert lands. I think it is far better for countries to share their bread and oil, instead of destroying each other. I will go one step further and suggest that since Sudan and Uganda are also involved in the flow of water in the Nile and their decisions will also affect their neighbors going forward, it would probably be a good idea to have them involved in the process also. It would possibly be helpful to see a regional currency develop in the area, where it may help to provide employment, supplies and an end to suffering of peoples in less fortunate areas of the Nile region. If it stopped war in Sudan, that would also be great. I am aware that there are a great many differences amongst the tribes and beliefs there, but I think Ethiopia should be considered a shining example of what happens when a government decides to allow and encourage a melting pot of cultures, instead of one culture oppressing all others. Some people reading this may resent my ideas, but ideas like mine might mean the difference between people they support living or dying. I am frankly tired of all of the suffering among African nations, largely due to ignorance and the strong exploiting the weak, always. Some people need to learn to live and let live.

If for whatever reason Egypt decides to go to war with Ethiopia over the Nile River, I will happily and proudly die for Ethiopia. Egypt has been benefiting from the Nile without any interference for centuries and now Ethiopia decides to build the damn to help its population, and Egypt wants to make a big deal. This is about power for Egypt with the help of the Arab league.

Fantastic video, I look forward to checking out your other content. Very organized and informative Great job!

Thanks for the effort and for making these videos! So important for everyone to see! Many thanks !!! ❤

Hydro can be developed as run-of-the-river, with some minor River modifications there would be no large reservoirs and little disturbance of Downstream flow. Still have the same amount of water flow going Downstream, but run-of-the-river Hydro is much less disruptive. You have a turbine could be Underground partially divert part of the river through it and it comes out the other end

This is so interesting because, to me, this feels like a global development for the benefit of all people in the Sudan, Ethiopia, and Egypt. Storing water is only a net positive for all countries, and assuming Ethiopia is a good actor, it will allow Ethiopia to give water when neededs. It's also only one of two sources to the greater Nile. It seems like the real problem here is that Ethiopia will be gaining power and Egypt doesn't like that. Nationalism has the potential to ruin the global development.

As an Egyptian I really hope our brothers can fulfill their country's needs and their people. The nile belongs to all of us but certainly to Ethiopia first. I up for that GERD development as long we get some then it's cool with me :DDD

Oh! I wrote a paper on this very recently, in like November or so. One point you didn't mention really is Sudan's interesting part in the conflict. Historically, Sudan sided with Egypt, citing similar claims of historic rights and fears of water insecurity. However, Sudan experiences deadly seasonal flooding from the nile, and around 2013ish the country figured that the dam could actually help prevent future floods, which for context, in 2020 alone killed over 100 people and affected 875k others, and led to tons of infrastructure and crop loss. The GERD may also allow Sudan's many smaller hydroelectric dams to produce of to 36% more energy and reduce maintenance costs for them. However, this posititivity towards the dam has stopped since the Al Fashaga border dispute has escalated. Another huge issue in the conflict is that the two countries have not come to a consensus on the downstream consequences of the dam, making any policy very loose with no real meaning. Egypt wants a binding policy that ensures fixed water release; Ethiopia doesn’t. Egypt believes the 20th-century agreements are still valid; Ethiopia does not recognize them as such. Egypt believes the U.S. and the UN should be involved (who, btw, have historically sided w Egypt); Ethiopia advocates for AU involvement (which, btw, is headquartered in Ethiopia). The two countries couldn't even agree on the conduction of IPoE and ESIA assessments to establish a foundation of scientific knowledge. The governments of both countries have also both advocated for an all or nothing mindset, and there is little to no trust between them. In order to reach a compromise, both parties must be willing to make concessions and cooperate in ways that current ideological views are not conducive to.

If vast shallow lakes could be created and covered with a transparent material, the Sun could evaporate the water quickly due to the rays being trapped (infra red) by the transparent covering, the water could be condensed and collected. The bottoms of these lakes should be black in order to assist heat absorption. An engineer would have to design an efficient way to condense and collect the water. The salt could be collected periodically. These lakes would have to be immense and many would be needed. The covering would need to be supported by columns spaced across the lakes. This would be expensive to create, but the pay off would be worth the investment. If a vacuum could be created within the lake/transparent covering, the evaporation rate would be increased. Solar power could generate electricity to run the vacuum machines.

I would be interested in seeing how much of the current situation in Sudan is indirectly linked to the power struggle between Egypt and Ethiopia and their backers. A Sudan more aligned to Egypt is in their favour, but a Sudan controlled by those with backing from Russia may play to Ethiopia’s favour

Thank you very much for the knowledge you shared and now we know exactly what has been happening between Ethiopia and Egypt.

This video is really interesting and informative. A bundle of thanks from my side as I didn't know about this issue before.

This was excellent. I learned so much about an issue that I am willfully ignorant about. Thank you for educating

I love these vids, cause they are important - for nave persons to understand the world; with it's conflicts and etc, is not as straightforward as one may think. Things.. no matter what is more complicated than you would think,

24:19 The point about blowing a dam with a level of 74 km3 of water behind it is suicidal to both Sudan and Egypt. It's like a small sea but flooding like a tsunami. we all know that when the Nile overfloods it destroys everything until it reaches Mediterranean, now imagine a whole lake doing so. Blowing a dam so that a lake larger than lake tana would flow right above me is the stupidest solution! even worse than thirst!

I love geopolitics because it is very simple. It always goes like, two countries hate each other because British designed them that way.

Seems like the ultimate problem is Egypt's insane overpopulation (which is an issue in almost every country in Africa). Fertile though it is, the Lower Nile simply cannot support 100+M people -- maybe half that and the rest as farmland. Ethiopia is also overpopulated. Birthrates are falling in most countries to the point even pessimists expect world pop. to peak before 2100, if die-offs caused by drought and/or war don't do it earlier. Long term, fewer humans is the best thing.

Without pretending to know all the nuisances, it seems like adjusting the fill rate to maintain a consistent minimal stream flow in Egypt makes most sense. That is, establish the minimum stream flow rate needed to maintain Egypt, then continuously adjust the rate that the reservoir is filling to ensure that the minimum downstream flow is reaching Egypt.

This seems political and personal and historical but what I can gather is that Ethiopia seems to want to gain control to improve conditions within their country which is admirable but to put whole countries at such a disadvantage seems extreme, HOWEVER, I feel Sudan and Egypt should’ve had a plan c-z in the event water supply is cut for any reason especially being aware it could happen at any time. I hope a peaceful resolution is reached.

This is why self sufficiency is key to global peace. Don't ask others to forfeit rights that are most geologically fundamental to it's citizens. That doesn't mean that commerce, trade can't financially compensate losses according to amicable agreements which self sufficiency generally and typically, commonly sustains

Unfortunately for Egypt, Ethiopia has every moral right to build and operate the Gerd however it wishes. A person can open up a shop to feed their family, even if it means it will put their competitor's shop out of business. Every government's first priority is and will always be its own people. The US withholding funds is only further incentive for Ethiopia to focus on self-sufficiency, as foreign sources of funds and resources is proven to be unreliable. A military option is also not tenable - Ethiopia will only reinforce its air defences, and resume building of the Gerd, and this time, they won't let a drop of water past the dam ever.

The Sahara did not historically act as a barrier to commerce as you so phrase it. In fact, West and East Africa were home to sprawling trade networks the spanned from the Senegal all the way to India and the furthest reaches of the Islamic world. The Sahara is a barrier only to those who cannot or refuse to deal with it. Bedouins were and still are quite literally “built different”, and they took advantage of their unique position to facilitate that desert-defying commerce.

I hope they both nations find a common ground.. I ve never been to africa, but, I know I am of african descent, so I hope some day i can visit the continent where my ancestor came from

Old maps indicate that the whole of Africa was originally called Ethiopia and the west side of Africa/Ethiopia even had an ocean named after them, Ethiopia Ocean and later RENAMED Atlantic Ocean!

All parties should go for a win-win situation regarding the Renaissance dam. If Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan and the other Nile countries would embark on a sustainable energy transition. With large scale solar and wind farms and establish a unified power grid connectivity, across the 11 countries. Adding that it will mean sharing of countries’ resources, investments, keeping the goals of energy security and affordability in mind. This could lead to operating the Renaissance dam in synergy with solar and wind power.

Cairo isn’t the largest urban area in Africa. It’s 2nd to Lagos, Nigeria. Look it up, it’s the biggest city in Africa. What i find really interesting is that these two countries with the most urban populations are also the wealthiest in Africa so that had a part in their economies. Nigeria has the highest GDP in Africa & Egypt has the 2nd.

By the way half of the white nile water that goes to egypt is from in Ethiopia by the river we called Baro and the other called it akobo but the real amount of the nile water reached egypt averagely is around 87% is from Ethiopia and the other is from white nile from lake victoria

i know it would be hella expensive, but couldnt theoretically Egypt do the same that Israel is doing with turning the salt water into a drinkanble one (desalination)? but i guess they would need much MUCH more than Israel is currently desalinating

Egypt could use Lake Nasser to mitigate any water "losses" for the short period of time it takes to fill the GERD. They could request international aid if a hypothetical drought occurs. They could come to the table peacefully, without threatening Ethiopia. They've done none of that. They've thrown tantrums over water they don't control. War has never solved Egypt's problems, but it seems to be the only solution they've ever considered.

a lot of people's response to this situation is "why didn't they do this or do that" which doesn't change the future and what's coming. as an Ethiopian i might say Egypt monopolised on the river while ignoring the rest of african nations suffering in starvation and poor development but i know that Egypt is not one person. what one egyptian leader did in the past should not be used to give a bad name to the country. i assume egyptian people want everyone to benefit too. so the best way to solve it to think about the future and how that solution benefits both parties. like you said the Ethiopia trying to take longer to fill the dam creates a lot of problems since the country spent billions of dollars on the project and already long past the schedule of completion creating more costs and loans that need to be paid back which can not wait that much if the country takes more time without using the dam. also this could create a proble to Egypt interms of draughts since the country already placed in a desert area. one of the best solutions is trying to change Egypts dependacy and reliance on the river at least in half percent. projects like the new capital of egypt can help. also since the country already has better economy than Ethiopia and share a border with the Mediterranean sea they can afford investing in desalination of the Mediterranean sea water like the Saudi does. Egypt is also blessed with having a long border to a sea which can be invested to make more money to the country to afford buying clean water too. while Ethiopia doesn't have those advantages other than not being in a desert area. it could have been good for both countries talk in how to build the dam and all that before it was built but talking about the past can't change anything and the dam is already built so unless Ethiopia find another miracules way to pay back all it's investment and debts on the dam and find another way to give it's people an electricity that was supposed to be produced by the dam which is impossible considering the countries lack of big ecenomy and choices, the country can not stop or slow down now. so i belive investing in Egypt would be a better solution and then create a way for Ethiopia to sell clean water to egypt in discounted rate or something like that. but the already happening involvement of Egypt in the Ethiopian civil wars is creating more problems to the possibility of both paries working together. the involvement of Egypt in a war that killed thousand of people in ethiopia already made a lot of people and politicians in Ethiopia more angry and feel hateful against Egypt so much that most Ethiopians would care less if Egypt starves because of the dam. creating possibly long lasting hatred and racisim between Egyptian and Ethiopian people.

Ethiopia is pushing it's luck, I really will not be surprised if Ethiopia's current tensions have Egypt in it's shadow, not only they get their chance to build the grid, they could prevent conflict by playing time, but they rather anger one of the most unstable powerful countries in Africa, with tensions rising domestically, I wouldn't be shocked the Egyptian government pulls an Amarican and started blasting.

Egypt could always throw their lot in with the Russia-China alliance. Having funded the dam, China is in a great negotiating position and would LOVE to get some level of power over the Suez canal... Unfortunately, this would be a very bad situation for the west

I hope someone's working on a more efficient and economical way to desalinate large quantities of seawater. California needs this right now. Many countries could prosper and grow.

Please make us a video about linking the Congo river to the Nile 😊

Thank you for discussing this topic 🤙🏾 Ethiopia all of a sudden has caught the attention of everyone because of this dam. Smh people hate to see a poor country try and pick themselves up. Even the man who designed this dam was assassinated, RIP

Has Egypt looked at filling the empty Qattara Depression, which is below sea level, forming a lake, and hydro electric plant? The water of the lake created will precipitate rainfall. It will also be a transport artery using boats.

If Egypt blows a dam holding the water from several years, won't they risk damaging their dam with the excess water? Also, the areas along the Nile would be flooded?

Since having some digestion issues recently, I cannot help but find the dam name GERD super funny 😅 I have Nebula primarily for companion videos of RealLifeLore.

It's Ethiopia's resource, within its borders. If Egypt feels so strongly about it, then it should compensate Ethiopia for billions lost in delaying to fill the reservoir. The Nile outside Egypt is not Egypt's, countries upstream own their own parts of the Nile.

So far the prognostications of doom from Ethiopia’s dam filling have been total bunk. Of course if Egypt were to bomb the dam Ethiopia could simply build more dams on the Nile and protect them with air defenses. They could stop the flow of the Nile altogether. An extremely horrible idea to war over the Nile.

Solar desalinisation plants for Egypt, and millions of solar panels on homes and businesses in both Egypt and Ethiopia might help to mitigate the situation. There are many people who could be lifted out of despair just by having a reliable source of safe fresh water, and some power for homes and workshops. Throw in a well-made bicycle and for many who are struggling, their upwards mobility happens really quickly.

Ok. Is there a way to limite or store the water rather than letting it drain into the medtralian every day? My understanding is that most of the water ended up there.

You have to feel for both sides here! I have a feeling this won't go well in the near future it is a disaster waiting to happen .

GO ETHIOPIA! We are with you, onward and upward! How can Egypt tell another country what to do in this own land.?!?

The dam took 9 years to build. Wouldn't there have been a way to start filling the dam in stages while it was being built, spreading the filling time over a long period?

Excellent documentary. Ethiopia certainly has every right to use Nile for its development. But Egypt certainly is right to be concerned. Really needs diplomacy of great skill so both countries And the Nile will benefit. Whist Hydro power seems a great way to produce power, the conflicts over water rights and environmental/economic impacts, adoption of Nuclear Power may just be the answer despite obvious drawbacks re cost, time to build and nuclear waste, but certainly needs to be considered.

As an Egyptian, I really wish well for Ethiopia and its people as I wish for my people and the whole world, and I really thank you for clarifying many facts that Ethiopian government hides from its people and this is what I noticed from my discussions with them, which is that the real problem isn't that Egypt against the dam, but rather the problem is in making decisions that affect other countried unilaterally and refusing any discussion or obligation not to harm them or even mitigate the damage that will affect millions of lives, as long as this was their life from thousands of years before industrial creep and interference with nature, this is what worries me about the intentions of this government.. (evolution is a wonderful thing, but certainly not with the harm of others), peace

The majority cause of the territorial water disputes is European colonisation. Had they not drawn arbitrary lines on a map in Africa in order to enrich their own rulers, these modern day conflicts would likely not exist. Colonised workers of the world unite, we have nothing to lose but our chains.

Maybe someday somebody will make a video about how the Roman empire was based on water resources.

I never heared any country to order other country not to use its water resource with in its territory. Ethiopea is known for its shortage of food to supply for its own ppl. And when Ethiopea tries to use its own water, Egypt says stay starving so I keep my oasis green. If you dom't have it, you don't have it. Creat some thing, like desalinating sea water, or make a polite agreements with Ethiopea. The 1921 agreement was between Egypt and Little Britain. Ethiopea was ignored.

That was a really good lecture 😊

Well, the military option now to strike the dam is really not an option with the massive amount of water it holds behind, if destroyed will bring great and deadly floods onto our neighbor Sudan, and not sure if their dams could hold the huge amount of water floodings and debris, moreover lake Nasser could not take it, and would be under the risk of destruction, so the Ethiopian great dam has become now a water bomb! As an Egyptian, I hope this threatening conflict gets resolved peacefully.

I think the answer is very simple. Ethiopia just needs to fund the imports of resources Egpyt would require as a trade off for the construction and completion of the dam. Ethiopia is risking further poverty so their pullback and resistance in being cooperative is somewhat understandable but the benefits from it could just as much benefit Egypt economic. Egypt could tax Ethiopia for their livelihood

This is where HAARP comes in with their cloud seeding. Which many countries are in favor of geothermal manipulation. During the right weather conditions, cloud seeding can drastically increase the amount of rainfall in an isolated region. Of course, the ongoing struggle Sudan is currently moderating between rsf and government will further spur difficulties in negotiations. Especially if Egypt uses those forces to engage proxy skirmishes to intimidate Ethiopia. Or vise versa. I assume the mineral deposits will dramatically decrease as well, massively affecting agricultural yields even through flooding. I wasnt aware of the high dam, which sorta makes Egyptian policy hypocritical. Using hydro electrical power also discourages mining fossil fuels for alternative fuel, devastating Ethiopian landscape, as electric is a more clean environmentally friendly power source. Then again, if Russia completes construction of its naval base in Sudan to continue to export all that gold...it'll surely be the end for that entire frontier. Those political African powers need to ban together and form their own NATO and keep all other countries nose out of the situation. A peoples democracy should reform to preserve the natural order. And in turn, ban all foreign policies from engaging, thus ending the need to make capital to compete with the modern world. A grand philosophy of live and let live, collectively implementing tarrifs from the sueze canal in order to finance modernization, I believe wind power and solar energy would be critical to satisfying all parties. Though no profit to gain from outsourcing, it will be a slow and gradual progression while also safe guarding the sanctity of diverse lives and cultures living off the land in harmonious equity.

I suppose it's time for a new Nile river treaty? Maybe something like. Ethiopia builds their dam, but for the duration of time it takes to fill the reservoir Egypt gets some of the electricity, enough to replace the loss from their own hydro dam. And should there ever be a large drought causing a lack of drinking and farming water, Ethiopia releases more water from their dam to compensate. Ethiopia gets their dam, and can fill it fast, but Egypt gets enough water when they need it.

Thank for this bro! Even with the likes of the Young Turks, Al Jazeera, and Democracy Now, I learned more from 3 videos than anything from the better news outlets!

In order to come up with a solution that benefits everyone, both nations must be willing to make compromises. The only way to avoid a potentially disastrous confrontation is to make this difficult decision. Ethiopia have a clear right to build the GERD. Under international law, countries have the right to use their natural resources for their own development. This right is clearly stated and upheld by both the UN Charter and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. But on Ethiopia's part the utilization must be equitable and reasonable. Egypt, however, first needs to accept that "The 1929 Nile Waters Accord" has no logical or legal meaning under contemporary international law. The treaty excludes Ethiopia and was signed by Egypt and the United Kingdom. The quasi-contract is belligerent and downright illogical. The same must be true of the United Kingdom's participation in the treaty. The African nations around the Nile should have a say in the situation, not the defunct European Empire. Secondly Egypt needs to stop making threats since starting a war is bad for both countries and becomes even worse for their nation if any form of conflict is prolonged. So to avoid conflict, the two countries must engage in meaningful negotiations, consider the interests of other Nile Basin countries and reach an agreement that is acceptable to both countries.

Surely the biggest threat to Egypt is uncontrolled population growth. In 30 years it’s population has virtually doubled! 1993 61.3m Today 112.3m. Projected to be 150m by 2050. Interesting to see where they will get the water for all these people! PS: The population growth in Ethiopia is even more alarming but I’m sure they’ll find the water for 211m people by 2050.

Also Egypt need to consider to implement ways to bring shadow over the Naser Lake, to reduce evaporation! The most effective way used in fresh water like this is using plastic balls filled with air to float over the water

Ethiopia isn't obligated to negotiate with downstream countries but it would be wise for them to to avoid conflict with those countries

Well I mean let’s get real here..due to its ancient culture that adores by many countries, I don’t think any country able to attack Egypt without getting jumped by other countries

The problem with Egypt is they entered negations with a superiority complex. The whole "This is our water" talk is crazy way to ask for a favor, when the water legit starts in Ethiopia no one and i mean no one would let a stranger tell them what they can and cannot do with their property why should Ethiopia let Egypt dictate what they do. Egypt needs to come with a proposal to either pay a service fee or some economic pact between the two countries because stopping does not benefit Ethiopia so why would they without and equal trade.

The map at 9:58 shows Ireland as part of Britain, but Ireland gained independence in 1922, and the map is from 1929.

I can not imagine how arrogant the Egyptian gov't has to be, to think Egypt by all means has to always get the amount of water it has been getting for thousands of years for eternity and also has the guts to try to stop Ethiopians use the water similar to how Egyptians themselves are using it for, While the water actually originates and comes from Ethiopian territory.

If Egypt faces drought they need to be prepared to reserve drought protection efforts in waters and produce or even prepare on population control instead of doubling & triple its population.

Funny how in CoD Black Ops 3, there's a faction called the NRC Nile River Coalition between Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya against the Egyptians that are fighting against them over the Blue Nile . That's interesting.

Hope they can reach a mutially beneficial agreement for any droughts

Egypt an Ethiopian and Chad somalia other saharn countries need to get together and hire the rain makers to help through the drought

Egypt gives a certain amount of money to Ethiopia based on how slowly they want Ethiopia to fill the reservoir, given the numbers here, I’d suggest half a billion every year for 10 years, therefore they would save 6 billion dollars compared to not offering anything and Ethiopia doing a 5 year fill. Something like that could possibly solve the problem.

Blowing up a dam that large upstream of all of Egypt's population centers and agriculture would be suicidal due to the amount of water in the reservoir behind it. It seems far more likely Egypt would try to seize control of the dam instead.

I just watched the Nebula documentary about The Tigray War and am furious I never heard about this before. You didn't really tie it in with the big dam though. (Nebula doesn't allow comments.)

Kind of a question? The Nile, after quenching Egypt, flows into the Mediterranean non-stop so , historically the leaders of Egypt are worried about water level or the fertile soil that it takes?

The solution is more simple than you think. By using rare earth magnets instead of ceramic magnets the dam would produce 7 to 8 times the power. Then if they build a smaller man made reservoir that would be all they need to run the dam. And Egypt would not miss hardly any of the water.

So is our first water war going to be in the Tibetan plateau? Over the grand renaissance dam? Or in the central Asian republics, where they are already skirmishing?

Mara river in my beloved country Tanzania is a part of Nile, i wish one day having money and build a damu as Ethiopia done well done Ethiopia government good job.❤❤❤

Blowing up even a half-full dam will produce a giant pulse of water going downstream in a very short timeframe. Dam failures generally cause major flooding and potentially kill a lot of people downstream. It would be a very risky move for Egypt to blow up a mostly-full dam upstream of them. Almost everything in Egypt is along the Nile and or its delta. They'd be looking at massive infrastructure damage, agricultural damage, people losing their homes. The distance between Egypt and the dam is large enough you should be able to get people out in time - although I really wouldn't want to try evacuating Cairo and environs and their, what 20 million people. And then rebuild everything afterwards, while fighting a war with Ethiopia. If Egypt is going to blow up that dam, they need to do so sooner rather than later. This may have already passed the point where they can blow it up without severely damaging their own nation - which does reduce the likelihood of them blowing it up at all.

What a fantastic job, thank you so much.

Egypt's population has increased 10 fold in the last 100 years. They really need to check their numbers. Evaporation from Lake Nasser It has been estimated that the water losses from the lake ranges from 10 to 20 BM3 a year!

The fact that Egypt assumes Ethiopia would not account for a drought seems unreasonable. It also makes sense Ethiopia rejecting binding '3rd party' decisions, since we know how they could be persuaded. The reality is a lot of water just empties into the Med, unused. I believe Ethiopia will be just in taking advantage of Mother Nature and still releasing plenty of water for Egypt. The shorter time frame would benefit all parties anyway, if also done justly.

It should also be realized that the GERD is being financed and highly supported by the Ethiopian people. In reality the dam is the property of the Ethiopian people as a whole. Thus, any attempt to change the current Ethiopian government cannot stop the construction of the dam on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia, it may disrupt for some days, if at all that happens but no one stop the construction altogether, until it's completion.

Excellent work to create this such informative videos by this forum