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Hydropolitics in Transboundary Water Management: Conflict, Cooperation and Governance along the Nile River
Abstract
The historical inter-state dispute over the allocation and utilisation of the Nile River waters has endured ever-evolving patterns of intra-basin relationships, multi-level dynamics of water policy making and fluctuating intensity in conflictive and cooperative interactions. The transboundary nature of the Nile waters reveals the interconnectedness of the Nile states, which rely upon the Nile ecosystem not only for the satisfaction of econom-ic, social and cultural needs, but also for the maintenance of peace and security in the region.
The absence of an effective integrated mechanism for the management of the Nile flows has resulted in the persistence of asymmetries among the riparian countries over the control and use of an essential re-source: thus, whether the conflict potential of the Nile waters could turn into a driver for potential cooperation represents the core issue of the present research. This study explores the processes that have led to the current status quo of the Nile hydropolitics, in the search for alternative interpretations to the mainstream perspectives emerging from the existing Literature.
The case-study methodological approach aims at unveiling new empirical insights over the dynamics of transboundary water management in the Nile Basin, through the application of an original theoretical frame-work, which is built upon a multi-disciplinary focus that combines theories of International Relations and Environmental Studies. In particular, the critical assessment over inter-state power asymmetries uncovers the relational process of compliance and contestation to the consolidated hydro-hegemonic regime in the Nile Basin, providing an original analysis over material and discursive structures that constitute both hegemonic and counter-hegemonic mechanisms of water control. In so doing, the investigative process formulates assumptions over the complex dynamics that shape the current Nile hydropolitics, while at the same time tracing historical processes of intra-basin negotiations over the management of transboundary water resources, as well as exploring possible future scenarios in terms of both geophysical projections and policy recommendations towards an effective integrated management of the Nile flows.
Finally, providing new elements for the analysis of conflict, cooperation and governance in international river basins, this study also contributes to the theoretical development of the emerging field of critical hydropolitics.
... The desecuritization of the water issues in the Nile basin holds great benefits for all the basin countries. It can promote cooperation and economic interdependence in the basin countries, thus producing more economic potential than the actual benefit that can be reaped by securitizing the Nile issue (Grandi, 2016). The call for the Nile river governance regime change intensified from scholars as well as development practitioners in the recent past. ...
... The call for the Nile river governance regime change intensified from scholars as well as development practitioners in the recent past. Indeed, many people are seeking alternative governance for transboundary water regimes in the Nile basin because the current regimes are not effective in efficiently using water or protecting the water and its surroundings from potential threats to the basin's water resources (Kimenyi and Mbaku, 2015;Grandi, 2016). ...
This article aims at exploring the need for a sustainable transboundary water management policy regime in the Eastern Nile Basin. It tries to show factors that necessitated the path toward a transboundary policy regime in the Eastern Nile Basin. It also attempts to explain the deficiency of the existing unilateral water management policy regimes, which neither address the issues of sustainable utilization and conservation of the Nile water resources nor the water management issues at the transboundary level. The study employed a qualitative research approach and data were collected through key informant interviews. Different secondary sources of water issues that are transnational are also consulted. The data were analyzed based on thematic analysis method. The key finding of this research indicates that the existing water resource management policy regimes are inadequate, and that there is a clear void in the policy regime hampering sustainable utilization and management of the shared Nile waters among riparian countries. The article finally suggests pathways for replacing the existing Nile water management policy regimes and establishing comprehensive sub-basin-wide policy regimes in the Eastern Nile Basin. A new pathway should satisfy the water needs of the ever-increasing populations and the ever-expanding development requirements in each of the riparian countries through collaboration that enables the countries to deal with the common challenges that are otherwise difficult to address.
Foremost in dealing effectively with water conflicts is comprehensive analysis. The global surge in water conflicts, coupled with the imperfect success of solutions, initiatives, and policies, calls for a critical reevaluation of the paradigms that guide approaches to water conflicts. The approach taken—conflict management, resolution, or transformation—has a decisive impact on addressing water conflicts, from the initial analysis to the crafting of policies and their practical implementation. Iran is a prime example of this, with water conflicts increasing at various scales despite concerted mitigation efforts. This paper, through a qualitative content analysis of 159 peer-reviewed papers collected via a systematic review, aims to delineate the prevailing approach to water conflict analysis within Iran's academic discourse, thereby partially shedding light on the shortcomings in both policy and practice. Water conflict resolution, and its respective models such as game theory and optimization–simulation, is the predominant approach in Iran's literature on water conflict analysis, thereby marginalizing attention dedicated to conflict management and transformation. This reflects an overarching focus on techno-economic functions to deal with water conflicts, often overlooking the myriads of managerial and societal factors. The adoption of water conflict transformation can be vital to rectify these deficits in conflict analysis, potentially with subsequent impacts on policy and practice.
ويتناول الكتاب دراسة العلاقات المصرية الإثيوبية وفق اقتراب الإطار الديناميكي لتفاعل المياه العابرة للحدود( Dynamic Transboundary Water Interaction Framework of )، لزيتون وآخرين ( 2017 )، من حيث وجود ركائز مختلفة ( قوة عسكرية ، اقتصادي، قانونية، أيدولوجية، موقع جغرافي، مكانة دولي) لإثيوبيا كدولة منبع، ولمصر كدولة مصب ، ترتكز عليها عبر استراتيجيات وتكتيكات وآليات مختلفة (قسرية، نفعية، قانونية، أيدولوجية)، لتحقيق الهيمنة أو تحديها ،وفق إطار ديناميكي تفاعلي ، قد يؤدي في النهاية إلى بقاء نظام الهيمنة الراهن “المصري" مع إدخال بعض التعديلات عليه لصالح الطرف غير المهيمن “إثيوبيا"، أو تغييره كاملا وإيجاد نظام بديل تتبدل فيه المواقع والأدوار بين الدولتين.
ويعد هذا الكتاب من أوائل الكتب العربية التي تناولت موضوع سد النهضة الإثيوبي من خلال هذا الإطار الديناميكي ، وهو يحاول الإجابة عن سؤال رئيس هو: هل ما تقوم به إثيوبيا، من خلال بناء سد النهضة، يدخل في إطار تحدي الهيمنة (Hegemonic Challenge)، بمعنى السعي لإحداث تغيير محدود داخل نظام الهيمنة المائية المصرية الحالية، أم يدخل في إطار الهيمنة المضادة (Counter-Hegemony)، حيث تعارض إثيوبيا الوضع الراهن من خلال تركيزها على الجوانب القانونية لتغيير قواعد الهيمنة بصورة أكبر، أم هو الرغبة والسعي في التغيير الكامل للنظام المهيمن (Change Hegemony)؟
صدور كتابي الثالث بعد فترة إعداد وتحكيم وتدقيق استمرت عاما ونصف وهو من أوائل الكتب العربية التي تناولت الصراع في حوض النيل في إطار نموذج التفاعل الديناميكي حول الهيمنة المائية لوارنر وآخرين " 2017" وخلص الكتاب إلى أن إثيوبيا تسعى لأن تحل محل الهيمنة المصرية
This chapter summarizes the key information and findings for the book Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam versus Aswan High Dam: A View from Egypt. Also, the major conclusions and recommendations are provided. Some findings from a few recently published research work related to the covered themes as an update for the information covered in the book are reviewed and presented. Also, the main current challenges facing Egypt due to the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) due to the probable improper operation without cooperation with Egypt and Sudan are provided. The chapter is meant to provide a brief synopsis of some of the issues that have been identified in the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) including how these will impact the existing Aswan High Dam (AHD) and Egypt’s water resources and the society as well. Varieties of negative and positive impacts of both GERD and AHD are summarized. Modeling analysis of these impacts into the future is also characterized and assessed. For instance, it has been shown that, depending on its initial impoundment plan and operational policy, GERD can have significant impacts on the downstream, for which the associated costs have not been taken into consideration. In particular, operating GERD solely for hydropower energy maximization involves extremely high risks for the downstream, particularly Egypt which depends almost on the water coming from the Nile. Based on the information, investigation, analysis, findings, and writings throughout this book, a set of conclusions and recommendations are presented.
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