Posts

Last Blog: Reflections

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As my blog comes to an end, I would like to reflect back on what I have covered. As I began writing, I realised how complex the world of hydropolitics is and how many different factors, growing urban population, relationship with other states and existing water stress, contribute to the decisions achieved by different African states in regard to water management. There is also an influence from other countries, such as the US and the UK, and pressure to create the same system as them in order to achieve a safe access to water resources. However, what works for one country does not necessarily mean it would work for the other. Therefore, new approaches and cooperation between the countries are needed, that would take into consideration people’s needs and the environment in which they live above personal profit and authoritarian position. And while I wasn’t able to cover all the important topics that arise in the sphere of water and politics on the continent of Africa, I hope that my blo
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Water security, urbanisation and privatisation

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Following my COP27 post, I would like to take a look at the water security within Africa and how global climate change, urbanisation and privatisation affects it and the governments decisions on water management to provide sustainable water access for the citizens of African states.  In 2021, The State of the Climate in Africa report put particular focus on water. It revealed that already 250 million people are affected by high water stress and by 2030 more than 700 million would suffer in water security. Security risks due to climate related changes heighten social, economic, and political challenges across the world, and with water being the most precious natural resource, without which no living creature can survive, it could lead to water conflicts and geopolitical tensions (such as the Nile Basin tensions). Many regions in Africa are particularly vulnerable to those changes, such as Horn of Africa , which suffers from extreme droughts, and Central Africa , with extreme weather c
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COP27 and Africa

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  The COP27, which took place in Egypt, was the first climate conference since 2016 to be held in Africa, hosting almost 200 countries. The Egypt’s presidency of the COP27 focused on moving from negotiation of changes to combat climate change to implementation of them into the countries. The main goals were concentrated on the 4 main themes: Mitigation - to maintain 1.5 degree target and limit global warming below 2 degrees by implementing the Glasgow pact, Adaptation – to place global action on adaptation on the forefront following the 2015 Paris Agreement and the Glasgow pact, Finance – to provide transparency in the flow of finance to accommodate developing countries (particularly in Africa) and mobilise funds for achieving the Paris Agreement goals, and Collaboration – to ensure cooperation between governments, the private sector and civil society. (COP27 2022 Egypt) This year, COP for the first time included water on the official agenda . As climate change affects the water cycle
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GERD, Aswan High Dam and Politics

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Despite having a massive water source, Ethiopia suffered from underdevelopment and lack of electricity. Due to urbanisation and expansion of urban areas, the demand for clean water has significantly increased and therefore, countries like Ethiopia, explore different options for developing new water infrastructures to utilise the water available to them at the Nile basin. Therefore, the construction plans for Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) were proposed back in the 1960s , however, due to economic and political reasons the build was postponed. However, in 2020 the dam has been completed and started generating 375 megawatts , delivering it to the grid. Thus, the country relies heavily on GERD to provide energy and enhance its economy.  Egypt, as a downstream country, considers itself vulnerable and fears disruptions to its access to the Nile’s water resource, as they believe GERD would have a profound negative impact on the country. Egypt has used its colonial era agreements to
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Hydropolitics of the Nile

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‘The only matter that could lead Egypt to war again is water’ – Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, 1979  This quote reflects how integral water is in the world of politics and specifically how it plays critical role in the power dynamic and authority over water allocation of the Nile basin. The river Nile, the longest river in the world, has been a major source of freshwater for over 250 million people . For decades, clashes over Nile waters have been frequent between Egypt and Ethiopia resulting in transboundary water conflicts over hegemonic power of management of the Nile.  During Egypt’s colonial time, in 1929, an Anglo-Egyptian treaty was concluded between Great Britain and Egypt to establish water management of Nile basin, giving Egypt a hydro hegemony over the Nile and control of the majority of Nile water, with the right to reject any reservoir construction in other states. Then in 1959 a new bilateral treaty was issued between Egypt and independent Sudan, which provided them ac
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Introduction. Does distribution of freshwater brews conflicts and war?

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  Hello everyone!  Welcome to my blog, where I am going to research and educate myself, and hopefully the reader, on the topic of water and politics within the vast continent of Africa.  Water plays a fundamental role in all parts of the world and is one of the natural resource’s humans are unable to sustain life without. Freshwater systems are one of the largest in the world on the African continent and contribute to the balanced working of water, carbon, and energy cycles across the world. In the past decades, the topic of water has become a major concern as pressure from expanding urban areas, climate change, low investment, corruption, government weakness and poor management of water resources reduces availability of water supply.  On one hand, lack of management, political tensions between the governments and unilateral actions from the states continues to increase the risk of conflicts. On the other hand, already existing water stress and pressure due to urbanisation, trying to
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