Case study (relationship between resource security and human wealthfare) NILE

Location and context?

• 6,700km long

• covers 2.9 million km2

• white nile source = Sudan

• Blue nile soure = Ethiopia

Issues linked to water in this region?

• arid country - recieves less than 80mm of rainfall a year = water scarce

• dependent on Nile for industry and irrigation

What positive impacts will the GERD have on electricity?

• GERD will quadruple Ethiopia’s electricity

• millions of Ethiopians will now have access to electricity

• will rise from 1,591 MW to 6,000 MW

What positive impacts will GERD have on employment?

• 12,000 jobs will be created

What positive environmental impacts will GERD have?

• will regulate flow of the Blue Nile

• building a reservoir = will help in times of drought

• will irrigate over 1.2million acres of lang

• formerly arid land becomes useful

What are negative impacts of GERD (Blue Nile)?

• Ethiopia will have full control over the Blue Nile

• flow into egypt could be cut by 15-25%

What are negative impacts of GERD (impact on other dams)?

• reduces the electricity production of the High Dam and the Ashwan Reservoir by 20%

What are negative impacts of GERD (environmental)?

• lowers water level

• destroyed millions of acres of agricultural area

• environmental degradation and an increase in pollution

• increased saltwater intrusion on groundwater sources

• if dam collapsed = Sudanese cities sunk