The Ethiopian government has announced its plans to proceed with the fifth filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) reservoir this month, despite ongoing negotiations with downstream nations failing to reach a consensus on its operational protocols. Along the banks of the Nile River, where approximately 95 percent of Egypt’s population resides, the Nile serves as the lifeblood for nearly all Egyptians, supplying essential water. Cairo remains apprehensive that the dam’s implementation could diminish vital Nile water flow essential to Egypt’s sustenance, while Sudan has voiced concerns over Ethiopia’s independent initiatives potentially jeopardizing its own dam infrastructure. “Illegal” Fillings In its initial phase, the reservoir of the GERD accumulated 4.9 billion cubic meters during its first filling conducted in July 2020]. Subsequent fillings saw volumes of three billion and nine billion cubic meters. As of the fourth filling, finished on 10 September 2023, the reservoir holds a total of 41 billion cubic meters, with water levels reaching 625 meters above sea level. The 2015 Declaration of Principles, signed in Khartoum by Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan, outlined crucial provisions: firstly, the GERD should not inflict substantial harm on any of…
