Egypt is a vast country spreading over a million square kilometers but numbers
can be deceiving only about 3% of the country's land mass is actually
habitable whereas the rest of it is a seemingly endless desert
if you take a look at satellite pictures you'll see a thin green ribbon wriggling
through a vast expanse of Sahara sand the River Nile is practically the only
source of water for the country which is why it's often called its lifeline
it's banks are home to almost the entire population of Egypt for thousands of
years the river has been a source of irrigation that transforms the dry area
around it into lush agricultural land
the bustling mega city of Cairo is considered by many to be the capital of
the Arab world for its population of over 20 million the Nile is the only
source of water but the origins of this waterway are to be found beyond Egypt's
borders the headwaters of the Nile are almost 7,000 kilometres south where the
sources around Lake Victoria and the Ethiopian highlands feed the white and
the Blue Nile around 60% of the river Niles waters
originate here in the simian Mountains in Ethiopia
but Egypt's lifeline is under threat the farmers living along its riverbanks are
struggling where the Niles waters used to flow unabated Lee thus irrigating
local farmlands the canals are slowly drying up
there's very little water from the Nile in winter the situation is a bit better
but in the summer months we don't get any water as a result Egypt's government
wants its farmers to use more efficient irrigation systems and plant crops that
need less water Waga but the river draining into
non-existence is nothing new to the Nile region
let's go back in time ten thousand years ago the panorama looked like this
vast grasslands rivers and lakes filled with water life was blooming everywhere
was lush and rich
but over time conditions became hotter and drier
humans and animals had to resettle leaving behind these cave paintings
portraying an old forgotten way of life
maroa was the capital of the ancient kingdom of cush
these small pyramids were the blueprints for the monumental tombs of the Pharaohs
once a vibrant trading hub for ivory and gold around the 3rd century AD the city
of Moreau a was lost in the sands of time
around 1,500 kilometers to the west in northeastern chad is the Eneida plateau
10,000 years ago this place had a subtropical climate with enough rain to
sustain large lakes and the yellow nile the third main tributary to the river
nile which has now disappeared what's left are a few subterranean caverns
filled with water like the famous guell 'te of RK the water source for thousands
of camels and the last resort for several animal species in the region
including the West African crocodile
old cave paintings dry wadays and abandoned ancient cities serve as a
warning sign for modern Egyptian communities the fear that this pillar of
life could crumble and whole societies vanish is imprinted on the nation's
cultural memory apart from the current water scarcity problems in Egypt an
additional geopolitical dispute has come into play in 2011 Ethiopia launched a 5
billion dollar project called the grand Ethiopian Renaissance dam GERD as it is
called is set to be the largest dam in Africa putting an end to decades of food
power and water shortages in Ethiopia
additionally the sale of surplus electricity to other countries in the
region could bring in 1 billion dollars a year in badly needed revenue the
project is fully supported by all of its neighbors but is heating up fears in
Egypt GERD can only begin to achieve the benefits promised to Ethiopia by
creating a vast reservoir holding back River water that would otherwise pass
down the Nile Egypt now fears that their farm lands could dry out even further
the source of life is becoming a source of conflict to an extent that some
leaders have even issued saber-rattling threats many news and media platforms
have even spread their concerns of a water war brewing over the Nile dam
fortunately the conflict has toned down a bit over recent months with mediating
help of Sudan in the USA Ethiopia and Egypt are now trying to find diplomatic
resolutions Ethiopia could minimize the immediate downstream damage by
lengthening the time it takes to fill the reservoir Egypt on the other hand
has to do its part by investing in innovative farming and irrigation
methods which would help reduce its demand for water like all major
waterways the River Nile is a delicate ecosystem that needs to be protected by
all the countries surrounding it