Reconsidering Benefit-Sharing Approach for Addressing Hydro-Political Stalemate in the Nile Basin

Abstract

The Nile River has been both an engine of development and a cause of controversy among its riparian states for millennia. This paradox took on an international dimension with the inception of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Using a qualitative research method, this paper investigates the GERD controversy and the role of a benefit-sharing approach in the Nile basin. The dam negotiations have been hampered by unjust colonial treaties, the hardline interests of Egypt and Ethiopia, politicisation, uncertainty about the consequences of the dam’s use and lopsided third-party intervention. The paper argues that the adoption of a benefit-sharing approach in the basin can sustain the Nile ecosystem, promote regional peace, increase water flow and decrease unnecessary expenses through modest intraregional cooperation. The resolution of the Nile basin conflict thus relies on identifying the potential of the basin and on integrated cooperative frameworks adopted by the technocrats of its riparian states and international experts.

Presenters

Asabu Alamineh
Student, PhD, Hong Kong Baptist University, Adis Abeba, Ethiopia

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

2025 Special Focus—Sustainable Development for a Dynamic Planet: Lessons, Priorities, and Solutions

KEYWORDS

Benefit Sharing; Hydro Politics; Nile River; Riparian Countries; Water Sharing