Ethiopia said construction of a mega-dam on the Blue Nile — work that has been at the center of a long-running dispute with Egypt and Sudan — is complete.
The $5 billion dam, Africa’s biggest hydroelectric project, is expected to more than double electricity generation capacity in Ethiopia, where around 60% of the population lacks access to power. But it has caused tensions with downstream neighbors Egypt and Sudan over concerns that the dam could reduce their water access.
“With climate change resulting in more unpredictable water flows, this could impact future political tensions, especially if Ethiopia were to divert or restrict the downstream flow of water during periods of drought,” Ahmed Soliman, a senior research fellow at UK think tank Chatham House, told Semafor. However, “after 15 years of stalled talks, there is little appetite or momentum to reach a successful deal.”