Various oral literatures have thrived for centuries both in the upper and lower streams of Abbay River appreciating and admiring its water and its values. Numerous traditional and modern Ethiopian vocalists have also expressed their admiration for the river’s water through their mesmerizing and lyrical songs. Writers have also written thousands of poems in multiple languages to describe their mightiness.
Anthropologists proved that the Nile basin is the genesis of human civilization and until now huge populations in both Sudan and Egypt reside in the river basin water harvesting and irrigation have been practiced since time immemorial through traditional technology, which relied on human and animal labor.
The renowned Ethiopian poet and playwright, Laureate Tsegaye Geberemedhin also proved by his studies that the ancient civilization of Egypt emerged from Ethiopia and the human settlement in the bank of the river Abbay down to the lower riparian countries played its own role in the expansion of the civilization.
Though Ethiopia is the source of the Nile, no evidence is recorded regarding the practice of irrigation in the Nile Basin inside Ethiopia’s territory. However, as an ancient country, agriculture has a long history that stretches to the time even before the birth of Christ. Ethiopia is the source of the Nile and contributes about 86 % of the river’s total water volume.
The flow of river water in the deep gorges also hampered farmers to pump water to the plateaus where farms were cultivated. The ruggedness of the Nile Gorge also made practicing irrigation very difficult and expensive. At the dawn of the 20th century, it is believed that the absence of technology, finance and poor economic development inhibited Ethiopian rulers from harnessing the Abbay River.
On the part of Egypt, after the brief occupation of Napoleon from 1798 to 1801 the then Egypt ruler, Mohamed Ali Pasha strived for the establishment of a strong central government, for water harvesting, the development of irrigation farms and dams in the vast areas of the river basin. Later his strong army invaded the territory up to the borders of Ethiopia and Uganda to control both the source of white and Blue Nile. However, his incursion was deterred by Emperor Tewodros II.
In the succeeding decades, the coming to power of the members of his dynasty, Seid Pasha, and Kehdive Ismael and the occupation of Egypt by Britain from 1882 to 1921 radically changed the situation. Seid Pasha who ruled Egypt from 1854 to 1863 permitted the French Engineer to build the Suez Canal in the last decade of the 19th century, which connected the Red Sea with Europe, India and the Far East.
This phase further enhanced the magnitude of the value of trade and shortened the long-distance trade from Europe to Asia through the Atlantic Ocean via the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. This new development can be said to have motivated European powers to exert their influence in the region. The establishment of the Suez Canal enabled Egypt to earn huge revenue from vessels, which in turn helped to modernize its military institutions and import hardware. In addition, it enabled Egypt to maximize its political leverage to influence the region and bypass its neighboring countries economically and technologically.
The economic growth further made the Egyptian rulers to be more ambitious not only to exploit the water resources but also to control the water source by military means. Then Khedive Ismael to realize his grandfather’s dream with the help of the Turks controlled Massawa and Swakin by 1865 and later occupied northern Somalia up to Harar and fought Ethiopia. He was successively defeated by the Ethiopian King Emperor Johannes II at the battle of Gura and Gundet.
After the second half of the 19th century onwards, Egyptians with the support of the colonial powers to maximize their water grid devoted their substantial military and political capacity regardless of the interest of the upper riparian countries. The opening of the Suez Canal also later paved the advent of the British, French and later Italian colonial powers to the coastlines of the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean to control east Africa.
Of course, during the colonial era from the last quarter of the 19th century up to the second half of the 20th century except Ethiopia, all the upper riparian countries were under the yolk of colonialism and let alone to determine the Nile, they had no right to assert their future. Hence the then colonial power in the Horn of Africa, Great Britain with its African allies and colonial rivals many times could impose their interest on the Nile utilization by disregarding the upper riparian country’s economic and development aspiration.
The 1902 and the 1929 agreements between Britain, Egypt and Sudan can be mentioned as the case in point. The 1902 treaty between Great Britain and Ethiopia stipulated that Ethiopia would not construct dams on the Blue Nile, Lake Tana or Sobat rivers without agreement from Britain and Sudan.
The 1959 Nile Waters Agreement between the Sudan and Egypt provided for full control/utilization of the Nile waters. This agreement included: The controversy on the quantity of average annual Nile flow was settled and agreed to be about 84 billion cubic meters measured at Aswan High Dam, in Egypt. Sadly still the current Egyptian Politicians did not give up this nostalgia and their ambition to impose the monopoly over the Nile water usage.
In the 1930s when fascist Italy prepared to invade Ethiopia, the neighboring colonial powers Britain and France endorsed the occupation but stipulated that Italy should not construct a dam on the river Nile and Lake Tana. They did this in violation of the sovereign rights of Ethiopia and how colonial powers dared to compromise on Ethiopia’s sovereignty as long as their economic interest was intact.
During the reign of Emperor Hailesellasie I, research for the development of the Nile basin had been conducted with the support of American companies paving the way for the construction of about 32 small hydropower dams. Because of various reasons, it did not come true. During the reign of the military Derg regime, the relationship between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan was in trouble. The upper Nile countries’ efforts to utilize the water source for development were negligible.
There was no mutual trust and covert activities were common among the riparian countries and due to its inherent problem, Ethiopia did not get sufficient time and finance for the development of its water resources.
Currently, the ongoing construction of the GERD could defuse the past mistrust between the upper and lower riparian countries and the continued negotiations are expected to bring trust among the riparian countries.
Up on completion, the GERD will generate more than 6,450 Mega Watts of hydropower and the export of electric power to the neighboring countries has laid the ground for regional economic integration.
The construction of the GERD will bring multifaceted benefits to the downstream countries. The dam is located relatively at a mild altitude, which reduces the evaporation rate of the water as compared to the dams constructed in the downstream countries. It also protects the dams from siltation and sedimentation which prolongs the life span of the hydropower dams located in the lower riparian countries.
Ethiopia’s struggle for the proper and equitable utilization of Abbay River’s water is a feat of many centuries that has passed through many trying steps. Throughout the times, the country has passed through many difficulties, conflicts and other diplomatic challenges to finally realize its ambition. The GERD is a living example of unreserved efforts to ensure one’s rights to utilize natural resources.
BY ABEBE WOLDE GIORGIS
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 2 APRIL 2025
