Infographic: Wealth of the Nile — Basin’s Countries, Dams, and GDP per capita
Controversy over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which will become the largest dam in Africa when it is completed in 2017, stems from a long history of disputes along the Nile River’s 10 countries.
The Nile — the longest river in the world — flows 6,853 kilometers (4,258 miles) from Africa’s central heartland north to the Mediterranean Sea through 10 countries: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Through arid Egypt and Sudan, the river forms a green valley in the vast desert landscape before fanning out into the fertile Nile Delta.
The construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) along the Blue Nile has increased competition between Egypt, the wealthiest country along the Nile, and Ethiopia, one of the poorest in terms of GDP per capita, over the right to use the Nile’s water resources. Click the image below to learn more.
Joanne (Yuan) Yao, a PhD student in International Relations at the London School of Economics (LSE), is currently reporting for the Circle of Blue news desk. She holds degrees from the University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins SAIS. Her dissertation focuses on cooperative institutions that govern transboundary rivers. Infographic by Codi Yeager-Kozacek, Circle of Blue’s Hawaii-based reporter. This infographic was made to accompany Yao’s article, Super Dam: Egyptian Concern for Nile Water Security Spurs Cooperation Over Ethiopia’s New Dam.
A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek
By systematically blocking and sabotaging irrigation and water projects in Ethiopia, millions are put to death in starvation, hanger and touristy. Even if Ethiopian floods to Egypt and Sudan because of that, they torched them to death. Ironically, they still block and sabotage irrigation and water projects in Ethiopia. We will never forget that.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam may be 6,000 MW, if it is ever completed, but the largest dam in Africa will be The Grand Inga Dam will make this project look small. The Grand Inga is wholly within a single country, avoiding nationalistic tensions. With a projected installed capacity of 39,000 MW, the Grand Inga could produce 250 TWh annually, effectively increasing Africa’s annual electricity production was by a third.