Researchers warn of Ethiopian dam’s impacts on Egypt

Egyptian researchers in the US have published a study warning of a further threat that may affect the North African country as a result of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam’s (GERD) construction.

The study, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, led by Egyptian researcher Essam Heggy, warned that inaction in the face of the potential water deficit due to the dam’s construction on the Blue Nile, and reaching a joint agreement on filling and managing the dam, may cause serious effects on the Egyptian economy.

According to the study, the average total annual water budget deficit expected for Egypt during the filling period may reach about 31 billion cbm per year. This takes into account factors such as water intrusion in the fractured rocks below and around the GERD’s reservoir.

The figure may exceed a third of Egypt’s current water budget, in the absence of potential mitigation efforts by the relevant Egyptian authorities.