Egypt must change attitude over Nile water (By Joseph Mayton)

(bikyamasr, Apr 20th, 2011)--Burundi’s Environment and Water Minister Degratias N’Duimana told me last year that his nation, and other upstream countries

“are struggling to improve our infrastructure and agriculture sectors because we can’t develop industries or irrigation lines from the Nile because Egypt won’t let us and there is no money for these projects.” The trump card falls to Cairo. 

With desalination however, Egypt could provide a sustainable amount of water along the Red Sea coast that would end the transport of water from the Nile to the coast, hours away.

Khaled AbuZeid, director of the Egyptian Water Partnership, agreed. “There needs to be a look into desalination projects in Egypt, because that would give the country another source,” he began, “because it could really be a huge boost to Egypt’s water needs.

It is expensive, but in the long run, it might make these discussions easier if Egypt is seen as looking for alternatives.”

The World Bank could help fund such projects. And at the same time it would show that Egypt is willing to come to terms as the region’s leader. 

By compromising and establishing alternative solutions, the partnerships that Egypt could help create along the Nile would go a long way when those deadly water shortages come.

It could avoid potential war. By negotiating and developing a new treaty that would give upstream nations greater access to the world’s largest river, Egypt would signal a new era of partnership and understanding in a region fraught with anger and frustration. If they fail, the region could quickly turn toward violence and posturing.

There must be a new way along the Nile and Egypt must make an effort to resolve the crisis before it becomes unmanageable. Nations are angry and Cairo must make amends, or face the consequences of upstream nations going it alone.

That could me more dangerous to Egypt’s “national security” than finding a solution now. If Egypt is to show the world, and the region, that a change in regime is a real change, revamping and compromising over Nile water would be an important first step.
Source: BIKYAMASR