Ethiopia this week launched a massive new hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile. It can produce the power of three nuclear reactors. The project has the potential to be a major boost for the African nation’s economy. But the dam is also raising fears among Ethiopia’s neighbors. They fear it could curb the water flowing through their deserts. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) started producing power in 2022. It went fully operational on Tuesday with six turbines now online. The event was marked with a parade, fireworks, and speeches. “To our brothers, Ethiopia built the dam to prosper, to electrify the entire region and to change the history of black people,” Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed told the crowd. “It is absolutely not to harm its brothers.” Abiy was saying that for the leaders and people of Egypt and Sudan. Both countries fear the dam could be a threat to their way of life. Egypt depends on the Nile River for nearly all of its water needs. The Blue Nile feeds into the Nile. “Whoever thinks Egypt will turn a blind eye to its water rights is mistaken," Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said last month. "Giving up our water share would mean giving up our life.” Ethiopia claims the electricity produced will help much of the continent. That dam is 550 feet tall and 1.2 miles wide. That makes it one of the world’s largest. And it could double the country’s electricity output. It can produce power for millions of homes and businesses. That would mean it could supply power far beyond Ethiopia’s borders. Egypt and Sudan want legal guarantees from Ethiopia. They are concerned about how the dam will work. They are concerned about safety measures. And they are very concerned about water flow. Reflect: How do you think people should decide what’s more important when one project helps some people but might hurt others?
