A new diplomatic and environmental dispute is swirling around the Nile River following recent flooding in Sudan. The flooding, which occurred after water levels along the Nile’s tributaries surged, damaging farmland and homes, resulted in speculation that Ethiopia’s massive new Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) was a contributing factor. Critics suggest that faulty turbine operations prevented Ethiopia from gradually releasing water from the dam’s reservoir, leading to a sudden, excessive discharge into Sudan. However, Ethiopia has countered this claim, asserting that its dam actually helped mitigate a potentially worse catastrophe by regulating the flow. This incident intensifies the long-standing tensions between Nile basin nations, with Egypt and Sudan consistently voicing concerns over the dam’s unilateral operation and its threat to their vital water rights.
AP
