Ethiopia Announces New Dams and Claims Control Over Nile Flows

Ethiopia's water and energy minister, Habtamu Itefa, has reignited the dam debate by announcing plans to construct three additional dams to boost the country's Nile water utilization and electricity generation, asserting that downstream flows will be under Ethiopia's control.

Minister's statements and reactions

Speaking at a recent press conference, Itefa highlighted that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, whose construction began in April 2011 and was inaugurated in September 2025, will improve food security and expand regional power interconnections. He added that Ethiopia intends to build new dams with capacities ranging from 40 to 50 billion cubic metres each, strengthening its leadership role in the Nile basin.

An Egyptian official responded that claims of controlling river flows clash with international water law, emphasizing that the Nile belongs to all riparian states and must be managed according to their rights.

Technical analysis

Professor of geology and water resources at Cairo University, Abbas Shraqi, noted that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam's storage is limited; once the reservoir reaches capacity, spillway gates are opened to release excess water without generating power. He explained that water passing through the turbines eventually flows downstream to the Blue Nile, then to Sudan and Egypt, meaning dam operation does not halt downstream flows.

Shraqi warned that constructing three large dams simultaneously poses significant technical and economic challenges, with each project potentially costing around $3 billion. He stressed the need for joint technical studies and data sharing among Nile basin countries before launching new projects.

Background of the dispute

Since the dam's construction began, tensions have persisted among Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. Cairo and Khartoum seek guaranteed water flows for their needs, while Addis Ababa aims to harness the Nile for economic development. Despite numerous marathon negotiations, no final agreement on dam operation and water allocation has been reached.

International calls for a comprehensive settlement continue, with concerns that Ethiopia's recent statements could further test the resilience of regional cooperation in the Nile basin.