A satellite image has revealed Ethiopia’s preparations for the fourth filling of the Renaissance Dam, with the country opening the western gate of the dam and leaving the eastern gate to drain around 50 million cubic meters of water. Dr. Abbas Sharaki, an Egyptian expert, explained that there could be 20 damages to Egypt and Sudan as a result of Ethiopia’s insistence on the fourth filling without coordination. These include various types of damage, such as legal, political, environmental, and water loss. Shraki also explained that the damages of the fourth filling could result in confusion of the Egyptian agricultural policy due to the lack of accurate knowledge of the amount of storage, leading to a reduction in the cultivation areas of rice, sugarcane, and bananas in Egypt. Moreover, there is likely to be a shortage of electricity production from the High Dam as a result of the decrease in the level of Lake Nasser.
Renaissance Dam (archives from France Press)
After a recent satellite image revealed Ethiopia’s preparations for the fourth filling of the Renaissance Dam, where the image showed that Ethiopia opened the western gate of the dam, and left the eastern gate to drain about 50 million cubic meters of water, an Egyptian expert explained that there are 20 damages to Egypt and Sudan.
Egyptian expert Dr. Abbas Sharaki told Al-Arabiya.net that there will be damages that Egypt and Sudan will have to face in the event of the Ethiopian insistence on the fourth filling without coordination, and these damages can be limited to 20 items, adding that the damages of the fourth storage vary between water, political, legal and environmental.
He also made it clear that among these damages is the imposition of a de facto policy and the Ethiopian domination of international rivers, and its freedom to determine the quantities of storage and operation in the coming years without any coordination with any country, as well as the possibility of Ethiopia building its future water projects in the same manner as the Renaissance Dam.
water loss
He also mentioned that the damages of the fourth filling include the possibility of other upstream countries following the same Ethiopian approach when establishing water projects on the tributaries of the Nile, and the existence of a water loss equivalent to the total that was stored during the previous three years, which is 17 billion cubic meters, and the lack of this amount from the High Dam reservoir. Stressing that the damages also include a shortage in the production of electricity from the High Dam as a result of the decrease in the level of Lake Nasser, and the loss of about 10% of the stored water, at least as evaporation and leakage under the surface of the earth.
The Egyptian expert revealed that the other damages resulting from the fourth filling include the confusion of the Egyptian agricultural policy due to the lack of accurate knowledge of the amount of fourth storage, and the reduction of the cultivation areas of rice, sugar cane and bananas in Egypt, explaining that the weight of the main renaissance dams and the saddle constitutes a new weight on the region by about 150 million tons in addition to To about 30-35 billion meters billion tons, which is the weight of the total water that is stored this summer, which activates faults and cracks and the possibility of earthquakes in the region.
of the. Abbas Shiraqi
Decomposition of trees and some organisms
Shraki added that the damage also includes an increase in water pressure on the Sarg Dam, which will hold water for the first time, and the decomposition of trees and some living organisms that affect the quality of the Blue Nile water, as well as a change in biodiversity in the dam area, a decrease in temperature and a possible change in Area rain
He explained that the damages of the fourth filling include the sinking of some mining areas that include quantities of gold, copper, uranium and platinum, the transfer of some associated heavy elements to the waters of the Blue Nile, and the seizure of large quantities of silt and the deprivation of agricultural lands of it in Sudan, which reduces agricultural productivity, indicating the existence of other damage. It is Sudan’s shift towards the use of agricultural fertilizers to compensate for silt retention, which increases the cost of agricultural production and the shift from organic to chemical farming.
Shrinking farmland
The Egyptian expert revealed that the damages of the fourth filling also include the shrinking of the flooded agricultural lands on both sides of the Blue Nile, and the rise in the groundwater level in the Sudanese lands on the Blue Nile and the land of the island, in addition to confusion in the operation of the Roseires and Sennar dams due to Ethiopia’s lack of cooperation in consulting in filling and operating.
He also indicated among the damages as well the migration of about 30,000 Ethiopians, some of them to Sudan, as a result of the sinking of their lands and homes under the Renaissance Dam Lake, and confusion in the operation of the Roseires and Sennar dams, due to Ethiopia’s lack of cooperation in consulting in filling and operating.
The crisis is escalating
It is noteworthy that a few days ago, Ethiopia announced again that it had finished building 90% of the dam, amid the escalation of the crisis with the downstream countries Egypt and Sudan due to the lack of agreement on filling and operation, and Addis Ababa taking a unilateral decision to act without advice or coordination with the two countries.
In turn, the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, confirmed earlier that his country has the right to defend the capabilities and interests of its people, and takes disciplined positions that take into account all considerations and relations, saying: All options are open in the Renaissance Dam crisis, and all alternatives remain available, and Egypt has its capabilities. And its external relations and its capabilities.
He also indicated that his country takes disciplined stances towards the Ethiopian “intransigence”, and Egypt’s impact on the filling of the Renaissance Dam stems from technical matters governed by policies and estimates related to accurate sciences, stressing that they are closely monitoring and following the situation about what was reported about Ethiopian preparations for the fourth filling.
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In conclusion, the potential damages of Ethiopia’s fourth filling of the Renaissance Dam are numerous and far-reaching, affecting not only Egypt and Sudan but also other upstream countries and the environment in the region. The lack of coordination and consultation with downstream countries poses a significant threat to their water security, agriculture, and energy production. The crisis is escalating, and all options remain open as Egypt seeks to defend its interests and find a resolution to the issue. The situation remains closely monitored, and it is essential for all parties involved to come together to find a sustainable solution that benefits everyone.