Rivers Beyond Borders: Navigating the Politics of Transboundary Water Cooperation

Welcome back to my blog series on water and politics in Africa! In this blog, we explore the intricate world of transboundary water politics, focusing on the rivers that traverse national boundaries and serve as vital resources for multiple nations. With 60% of Africa's population living in transboundary river basins, these waterways, such as the Nile, Congo, Niger, and Zambezi, are not only lifelines but also sources of intricate disputes and the necessity for cooperative governance.

Figure 1 is a map illustrating the interconnected River Basins across the continent, indicating the importance of cooperative water management. Figure 2 shows that 71 Transboundary Aquifers cover 42% of Africa, underlying 63 transboundary river basins. (Altchenko and Villholth, 2013).

Figure 1. Major transboundary river basins in Africa (Chikozho, 2014)

Figure 2. detailed map of transboundary aquifers (Altchenko and Villholth, 2013).

The Nile Waters Agreements and Contemporary Disputes

The Nile River Basin is a prime example of transboundary water politics, it has a total basin area discharge of 3,200,000m³. The history of the Nile Waters Agreements, notably the 1929 Anglo-Egyptian Treaty and the 1959 Egypt-Sudan Agreement, has been a source of contention (Lulumba, 2007). These agreements, shaped in a colonial context, heavily favoured Egypt and Sudan, leading to disputes with other Nile Basin countries (Movik, 2011).

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) epitomises the geopolitical conflicts among Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. Ethiopia's unilateral action in proceeding with the dam's reservoir filling without a tripartite agreement has alarmed Egypt, which relies on the Nile for a significant portion of its water needs. The United States has indicated a possible withholding of development aid to Ethiopia to encourage conflict resolution (Mbaku, 2020).

Despite these tensions, Ethiopia asserts its right to use the Nile for its development, with the GERD serving as a symbol of its sovereignty and aspirations. Conversely, Egypt and Sudan express concerns about potential reductions in water availability, impacting their agricultural and power sectors.

The Nile's hydrology adds another layer to the dispute. Ethiopia contributes 85% of the annual flow of the Nile, primarily through the Blue Nile and River Atbara (Leyew et al., 2021). The challenge is balancing Ethiopia's contribution with historical agreements favouring Egypt and Sudan. Furthermore, early treaties during the colonial era, such as those in 1902 and 1906, involved fewer powerbrokers and did not consider the interests of all Nile Basin countries.

In the next blog, I will continue on the topic of transboundary water cooperation focusing on the quantification of cooperation and conflicts and the legal framework and international cooperation beyond and within Africa.