The Nile Water Agreement

The new state has not explained its position on the waters of the Nile, but analysts say it is likely to join East African allies in pushing to seal the new treaty, adding to fears in Cairo that the water shortage already envisaged in 2017 is coming even earlier. Finally, I would like to remind Your Excellency that Her Majesty`s Government in the United Kingdom has already recognized Egypt`s natural and historical rights in the waters of the Nile. I wish to state that Her Majesty`s Government in the United Kingdom regards the protection of these rights as a fundamental principle of British policy and to give Your Excellency the most positive assurance that this principle and the detailed provisions of this Agreement will be respected at all times and under any conditions that may arise. “To the Italian Government: the fact that you have reached an agreement and the fact that you have deemed it necessary to give us joint notification of this agreement clearly show that your intention is to exert pressure, and we believe that this immediately raises an earlier issue. This question, which requires prior examination, must therefore be submitted to the League of Nations. Agriculture is the largest consumer of water in Egypt and consumes about 85% of the available water. [22] Drainage water from agricultural fields contains pollutants such as pesticide residues, toxic organic and inorganic pollutants, salts and treated and untreated domestic wastewater. To the east – delta drains – Faraskour, Serw and Hadous, water samples contained a high proportion of hookworms and other intestinal helminthic eggs. [23] In villages where the only available water comes from irrigation canals, women use the water for domestic purposes and also discharge wastewater into drains. In some areas, low water levels do not reach waterways, so farmers illegally build water wheels to bring water into the canals to irrigate their land.

The lack of drainage channels and law enforcement by authorities to address these issues contribute to land and water pollution. Villagers who drink polluted water are affected by kidney and liver diseases. [24] Animal manure, dredged sediment from runoff and sludge destined for fertilizers are washed away and pollutants are a major source of pollution. The reuse of agricultural drainage water is used legally and illegally by farmers. Inadequate irrigation and lack of education on efficient irrigation methods and agricultural production contribute to crop failures and canal pollution. In areas where there is no formal operating structure to pump water from individual diesel pumps, end users typically do not receive enough water to preserve the plants. [25] These disagreements over the use of the Nile are not new and have a long history due to these countries` heavy dependence on the waters of the Nile. In 1929, an agreement was reached between Egypt and Britain on the use of water from the Nile – Britain is said to have represented its colonies in the Nile Basin. [1] The Anglo-Egyptian Treaty dealt with many issues related to the Nile and its tributaries. It is particularly important for this discussion that he has granted Egypt an annual allocation of water of 48 billion cubic meters and Sudan 4 billion cubic meters with an estimated average annual yield of 84 billion cubic meters. In addition, the 1929 agreement granted Egypt a veto over construction projects on the Nile or one of its tributaries in order to minimize any impact on the flow of water into the Nile.

Egypt, with rainfall close to zero, except along the Mediterranean coast and in parts of the Sinai Peninsula, derives nearly 90 percent of its water needs from the river. The dam is considered the largest hydroelectric project in Africa and the 8th largest in the world. It is designed to produce 6,000 megawatts of electricity. The reservoir can hold more than 70 billion cubic meters of water, which is almost equivalent to the flow of the Nile in one year. ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (Reuters) – Water resources ministers from Nile Basin countries will meet in Alexandria, Egypt, on July 27-28 to discuss cooperation and a coherent framework agreement on the Nile. The letters exchanged on 7 May 1929 reserved for England and Egypt “full freedom in all negotiations which might precede an agreement on Sudan and similar matters”. Egyptian statesmen can therefore reopen the Nile water issue and be able to discuss it without the sworn enemy of hunger looking them in the face. The CFA was ready to be signed on May 10, 2010; Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda have signed it; and the Ethiopian Parliament has ratified it. However, Egypt and Sudan argued that their “acquired rights” over the waters of the Nile would not be protected and immediately expressed their intention not to sign the agreement because they opposed the wording of Article 14(b): “The Nile Basin States therefore agree in a spirit of cooperation: […].