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Ethiopia Storing 7 Billion Cubic Meters of Nile Waters

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and its reservoir. (EPA)
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and its reservoir. (EPA)
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Ethiopia Storing 7 Billion Cubic Meters of Nile Waters

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and its reservoir. (EPA)
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and its reservoir. (EPA)

Ethiopia has stored around 7 billion cubic meters of water since starting the third round of water collection from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Addis Ababa began building the GERD on the Blue Nile River in 2011, raising tension with the downstream states, Egypt and Sudan.

Abbas Sharaki, Egyptian water resources expert and professor of geology, revealed Monday that since starting the third filling operation this year, Ethiopia managed to store up to 7 billion cubic meters of water at 597 meters above sea level.

It has so far amassed 15 billion cubic meters in the Renaissance Dam lake.

Ethiopia is carrying out the filling for the third straight year. Water is usually collected during the flood season that runs from June until September.

On July 26, Egypt said it received a letter from Ethiopia saying Addis Ababa would continue filling the GERD reservoir during the current flood season - a move opposed by Cairo that it believes is a breach of the obligations imposed by international law.

Sharaki revealed that during this week, half a billion cubic meters of water are being stored every day, while about 70 million cubic meters continue to flow from the two drainage holes towards Sudan and Egypt with an increase of 70 cm in the lake’s level.

Egypt will not be affected by Ethiopia’s filling due to its Aswan High Dam and its water reserves, he assured.

However, he added: “This does not give Ethiopia the right to impose a fait accompli on the two downstream countries. On the contrary, this filling increases Egypt’s commitment to its water rights.”

The Egyptian government is currently working to inaugurate a number of projects to address the country’s water crisis.

Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel-Aty said on Monday work is underway to rehabilitate water canals in Upper Egypt with an aim to raise the efficiency of the infrastructure of water facilities.

Meanwhile, Eng. Mohamed Ghanem, the spokesman for the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, said that Egypt produces only 60 billion cubic meters of water, while its needs 114 billion cubic meters per year.

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Arab World

Lebanon’s War Losses Double Compared to 2006

Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)
Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)
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Lebanon’s War Losses Double Compared to 2006

Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)
Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)

A comparison of the current human and material losses from the ongoing Hezbollah-Israel conflict with those from the July 2006 war shows that current losses have doubled.

Experts warn that the reconstruction funds and aid pledged to Lebanon 18 years ago may have limited impact once the war ends.

Total Losses

Mohammad Shamseddine, a researcher from Information International, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the death toll has risen from 900 in 2006 to 2,865 in the current conflict (as of October 31, 2024), with the number increasing daily. The number of wounded was 4,000 in 2006, but it has now exceeded 13,047.

In 2006, 600,000 people were displaced, while today that number has surpassed 1.2 million. Of these, 189,174 are in shelters. A total of 358,133 Syrians and 172,604 Lebanese have fled to Syria, and 120,000 have sought refuge in other countries.

Lebanese Economy and Trade Minister Amin Salam estimated that Lebanon’s total economic losses from the current conflict have reached $20 billion. However, economic associations report direct losses between $10 billion and $12 billion, covering damage to key sectors, homes, buildings, and infrastructure.

These figures align with estimates from Shamseddine, who believes direct and indirect losses are around $10 billion.

Of this, $4 billion occurred from October 8, 2023, to September 17, 2024 (when the conflict was mostly limited to the south), and $7 billion from September 17 to October 31, 2024, after Israel expanded the war. For comparison, losses during the 2006 war totaled $5.3 billion.

In 2006, infrastructure damage was valued at $900 million, higher than the current war's $570 million in infrastructure losses.

Housing losses in 2006 totaled $2.2 billion, while they have now surpassed $4.26 billion. Mohammad Shamseddine points out that commercial losses were similar in both conflicts, at $4.7 million.

Agricultural and environmental losses in 2006 were $450 million, but now exceed $900 million. Indirect economic damages were $1.2 billion in 2006, while they have now surpassed $3.38 billion.

One notable difference is the number of airstrikes: from October 8, 2023, to October 31, 2024, there were 11,647, compared to just 3,670 during the 33-day 2006 war.