Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources has drawn several scenarios to address the Nile River’s flooding in the upcoming rainy season.
Addis Ababa is expected to start the third phase of filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam’s (GERD) reservoir during the rainy season in July, with or without an agreement with the Nile Basin countries.
The ministry said on Monday that its agencies are monitoring in “real time” the rates of rainfall in Blue Nile.
They are also determining the quantities of water reaching the Aswan High Dam lake and discussing different scenarios for the coming flood.
Egypt suffers from a scarcity of water resources and needs about 114 billion cubic meters annually, while the available water resources amount to 74 billion cubic meters.
The Nile water accounts for more than 90 percent of Egypt’s needs or 55.5 billion cubic meters.
It is expecting a shortage in its water share as Ethiopia begins operating the dam.
Cairo and Khartoum maintain that they are seeking a legally binding agreement over the operations of the dam, which Addis Ababa says is crucial to its economic development.
Cairo bases its demands on international agreements that indicate its “historic rights to the international river.”
Egypt’s Permanent Committee for Regulating the Revenue of the Nile River held its periodic meeting on Monday to follow up on the procedures for achieving optimal management of water resources.
The meeting was chaired by Irrigation Minister Mohamad Abdel Aty, who reviewed the current water situation in the country’s various governorates, as well as the status of work progress in the irrigation, drainage and mechanics departments.
He directed the ministry’s departments to raise the level of readiness to ensure the provision of water and review the rehabilitation of canals and drains to ensure the ability of the waterways network to provide the water needs.
