Egyptian Minister of Irrigation: The Renaissance Dam caused great harm to Egypt and Sudan

Dr. Hani Sweilem, the Egyptian Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources, accused the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam of causing “great damage” to Egypt and Sudan, considering that the Ethiopian side is responsible for this damage, for which “Ethiopia must be asked for compensation one day.”
These statements came during the plenary session of the Egyptian Senate, today (Sunday), as part of the discussion of two requests for a general discussion on water policy and climate challenges.
The minister explained that the damage resulting from the Ethiopian dam lies in deducting 38 billion cubic meters from Egypt’s historical water quota of 55 billion cubic meters annually.
He stressed that the Egyptian state made unremitting efforts to absorb this impact and prevent harm from reaching the citizen and the farmer, saying: “The state’s mission was to prevent harm from reaching the citizen, and we were able to ensure that the farmer was satisfied with the performance during this difficult period.”
Sweilem pointed out that the past years were critical to ensure that the farmer did not feel the negative effects, but he added, “This does not absolve the Ethiopian dam of responsibility for the damage that occurred.”
He stressed that the Renaissance Dam is “the first dam in history to be built on the Nile River of this size and with unilateral measures.”
During the session, the Minister of Irrigation discussed the ministry’s measures to confront internal challenges, noting that the state spent one billion pounds to clean and disinfect the Nile River, canals, and drains.
He revealed the preparation of a database for private watering areas, explaining that the Ministry’s role ends when the water reaches the beginning of the private watering area, and it then creates mechanisms to monitor the delivery of water to agricultural lands and protect farmers.
The Senate was discussing two general debate requests, one related to clarifying the government’s policy in confronting the challenges of climate change and flood management, and the other about the increasing spread of the water hyacinth plant in waterways and its negative effects.