Ethiopia dam project has negative impact on Egypt water supply: Analyst

A political analyst says the construction of a dam on the Nile River by Ethiopia will have a negative impact on Egypt’s water supply, Press TV reports.

“It is clear that the construction of this dam will have a negative impact. The water’s share, which is already limited, will be lessened and this is the real challenge. We are approaching a major problem, which is water shortage,” Ayman Abdul Wahab told Press TV on Wednesday.

Last month, Ethiopia said it had begun diverting the flow of the Blue Nile for the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance dam.

On June 6, a senior Egyptian government aide said Cairo would demand Addis Ababa stop the construction.

“Demanding of Ethiopia to stop construction of the dam it intends to build on the Blue Nile will be our first step,” said Pakinam el-Sharkawy, the Egyptian presidential aide for political affairs.

On the same day, Egyptian presidential advisor Ayman Ali also warned that “all options are open” if the dam affects Egypt’s water supply.

“It is Egypt’s right to defend its interests. Other people have a right to seek their own interests. But there must be guarantees that the Ethiopian dam will not harm Egypt, otherwise all options are open,” Ali stated.

On June 2, Egyptians gathered outside the Ethiopian embassy in Cairo, calling for a halt to the construction of the dam.

Egypt faces a water crisis as its population increases. In the 1960s, the average water share per person was 2,800 cubic meters. Now, the figure has dropped to 600 cubic meters, much below the poverty line, which is 1,000 cubic meters per person. 

Source PressTV