Ethiopia’s Completed Nile Dam Sparks International Tension: Egypt Calls It an ‘Existential Threat’

A Milestone Achievement Meets Regional Controversy

Ethiopia has announced the completion of its contested Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Nile, marking a key development in its ongoing dispute with Egypt, which views the project as an existential threat to its vital water supply.

The Dam’s Significance

The GERD, Africa’s largest hydroelectric project with a $4 billion budget, stretches 1.8km wide and 145 metres high. The dam is vital for Ethiopia’s electrification programme and can hold 74 billion cubic metres of water, potentially generating more than 5,000 megawatts of power.

Egyptian Concerns

Egypt, already facing severe water scarcity, relies on the Nile for 97 percent of its water needs. The GERD is expected to exacerbate Egypt’s water poverty and potentially derail the country’s agricultural development plans.

Diplomatic Tensions

Despite nearly 12 years of negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan, no breakthrough has been achieved. The Egyptians accuse Ethiopia of using the negotiations as a tool to buy time until the dam becomes an irreversible reality.

International Intervention

US President Donald Trump has vowed to work towards a quick resolution of the water dispute. According to Trump, ‘If I am Egypt, I want to have water in the Nile and we are working on that.’

Looking Ahead

The dam is scheduled for official inauguration in September 2025. Meanwhile, Egypt has begun implementing mitigation measures, including the construction of sewage treatment and seawater desalination plants. Some of the country’s agricultural expansion projects now rely entirely on treated water for irrigation.

As the GERD project nears completion, observers note that Ethiopia’s negotiating leverage has increased relative to Sudan and Egypt, raising global concerns about potential future conflicts in the Nile region.