ENERGY
Ethiopia finishes filling reservoir of disputed Nile dam
September 13, 2023 - Egypt has voiced anger after Ethiopia announced it had finished filling the reservoir at a highly controversial hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile river.
Related Graphics
View More
What to do with France’s unwanted killer whales?
Global coal consumption hit record high in 2024
Two Russian oil tankers wrecked in Black Sea
Significant wildfires plagued the world in 2024
Air pollution in Delhi soars to extremely severe levels
How lights on surfboards could deter sharks from attacking
Lahore pollution 120 times higher than safe levels
2024 on track to be 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels
Amazon deforestation falls to lowest since 2015
UN warns of “disastrous” 3.1°C temperature rise
World’s first paper bottle and cap enters production
Hurricane Milton batters Florida, destroying homes
Deadly hurricane Milton bears down on Tampa, Florida
Florida braces for arrival of Hurricane Milton
Experiment to refreeze Arctic sea ice deemed a success
Mothballed firefighting plane back in production
Global hotspots that topped 50°C in 2024
The summer of 2024 was the world’s hottest ever recorded
The shipwrecked Lego washing up on Europe’s beaches
Global shortage of cocoa beans
Iceland volcano spread sulphur dioxide across Europe
48,000 Europeans died from hot weather last year
July ends 13-month run of global heat records
World's biggest iceberg spins in ocean trap
Vital ocean current at risk of collapse
Jamaica braces for Hurricane Beryl
Earliest known category four hurricane barrels into Caribbean
City temperatures are rising around the world
Bid to curb rhino poaching
Huge emissions caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Ethiopia has been in dispute with Egypt and Sudan over the megaproject since its launch in 2011. Egypt relies on the Nile for nearly all its water needs.
Egypt’s foreign ministry said Ethiopia was disregarding the interests of the downstream countries.
Ethiopia says the $4.2 billion dam will not cut their share of Nile water.
Ethiopia believes the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) will double the country's electricity output, providing a vital development boost, as currently half the 127-million population lacks electricity.
The plan is to generate more than 6,000MW at the dam, which is about 30km from Ethiopia’s border with Sudan.
Egypt and Sudan argue that common rules for the operation of GERD must be agreed, fearing that energy-hungry Ethiopia may exacerbate their existing water shortages, the BBC said.