Egypt is insisting that Nile water security is an uncompromising national priority, with the country’s leadership rejecting any attempts at political bargaining on its access to the river. The latest remarks, delivered by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly at the conclusion of the 8th Cairo Water Week, reinforce Egypt’s longstanding position regarding the tense dispute over the management of the Nile’s resources and the construction of Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Prime Minister Madbouly characterized the Nile as a “matter of existence” for Egypt, underscoring that its historical and legal water rights cannot be conceded or subject to negotiation. He insisted that cooperation and mutual benefit among the Nile Basin countries remain the only legitimate foundation for shared development projects. Water security, Madbouly added, should not be politicized or used as an experimental arena for testing regional power or negotiating leverage.
Water Distribution and Basin Dynamics
While the Nile Basin receives a vast amount of rainfall—over 1,660 billion cubic meters annually—Madbouly highlighted that only about 84 billion cubic meters, or roughly 5 percent of the river’s total resources, make it downstream to Egypt and Sudan. This stark disparity is central to Egypt’s concern over its continued access and underscores the country’s vulnerability downstream.
Egypt called out what it described as “unilateral rhetoric” and “erroneous concepts” regarding ownership of the Nile water. Although Ethiopia was not explicitly named in Madbouly’s statement, the criticism clearly refers to ongoing efforts by Ethiopia to advance its hydroelectric project, the GERD, without binding agreements on water allocation. Egypt contends that such unilateralism contradicts international law and basic principles of transparency and cooperation, risking harm to countries lower along the river’s path.
Madbouly reaffirmed that international law upholds both the right to development and the duty not to inflict significant harm on other states. Egypt maintains that any Nile project—including large-scale dams—must be founded upon legal frameworks that safeguard the interests of all basin nations, especially those most dependent on the river for survival.
The GERD Dispute: Demands for a Legally Binding Agreement
Egypt, supported by Sudan, continues to demand that Ethiopia sign a legally binding agreement to guarantee fair management and water sharing from the GERD project. Ethiopia, however, maintains its sovereign right to utilize Nile waters within its borders, resisting calls for external restrictions. This fundamental disagreement remains unresolved despite years of negotiations and regional mediation attempts.
Egypt’s renewed statement signals that its position has not shifted: the country will defend its Nile water rights “by all legitimate means” and will not accept any arrangements that could reduce its share or undermine its water security. This dispute certainly highlights both the complexity of cross-border resource management and the centrality of water rights to geopolitical stability in northeastern Africa.
