Case study - Water conflicts - The River Nile

Question 1

How long is the River Nile?

Answer 1

6,700 kilometres long

Question 2

What percentage of the African continent does the Nile cover?

Answer 2

About 10%

Question 3

How many countries compete for the Nile’s water?

Answer 3

11

Question 4

What is the flow of the Nile and how does this compare to the other great rivers of the world?

Answer 4

The Nile has a flow of 84 billion cubic meters.
The Nile has a very modest discharge compared to other great rivers of the world.

Question 5

The White Nile provides what percentage of the flows measured at Aswan, Egypt?

Answer 5

30%

Question 6

Give some factors which influence the flow of the Nile?

Answer 6

• Seasonal variations in weather
• El Nino and La Nina cycles

Question 7

What percentage of its flow does the White Nile lose between entry and exit from the Sudd Swamp?

Answer 7

50%
This leads to early summer shortfalls in Egypt and Sudan when flows from the Blue Nile are at their pre-monsoonal low point.

Question 8

Describe the Jonglei Canal Scheme?

Answer 8

• The scheme was designed to speed up the flow through the Sudd, in order to reduce evaporation losses
• The scheme began in 1979 but remains unfinished to this day due to deteriorating relations between Egypt and Sudan
• It is being revived as part of the latest Nile Basin Initiative

Question 9

How many people currently live within the Nile Basin?

Answer 9

Over 300 million

Question 10

How many people will live in the Nile Basin by 2030?

Answer 10

600 million

Question 11

Egypt is dependant on the Nile for what percentage of its water needs?

Answer 11

95%

Question 12

Describe the 1929 Nile Waters Agreement?

Answer 12

• 48 billion cubic meters of water was given to Egypt, 4 billion was given to Sudan
• 14% of the water was given to other African countries
• Egypt was given the right of veto on any modifications in the use of the Nile’s water in the other nine nations

Question 13

Describe the 1959 Nile Water’s Agreement?

Answer 13

• 55.5 billion cubic metres of water was given to Egypt
• 18.5 billion cubic metres of water was given to Sudan
• The agreement was signed by the colonial powers on behalf of the upstream countries
• Ethiopia refused to recognise the legitimacy of the agreement

Question 14

What is the Nile Basin Initiative?

Answer 14

A riparian (countries located along the path of the river) led process of joint decision making called the Nile Basin Initiative emerged during the 1990’s.

Question 15

What does the treaty signed in 2010 by the riparian nations state?

Answer 15

The treaty states that all riparian countries should have equal rights to use the Nile waters.
Egypt and Sudan have not signed the agreement.

Question 16

What impact is China having in the Nile Basin?

Answer 16

Dam construction in Ethiopia is being driven by Chinese neo-colonisation.