The Hydropolitics of Africa

As we come to the end of this blog series, I would like to reflect a little on the ideas that I have output over the past 8 weeks. We have tackled hydropolitics across transboundary rivers within the Nile and Chad Basins, addressing the conflicts surrounding water resources both on an international and regional scale. I have made my best attempt at picking away at the many complexities surrounding water politics, ranging from transboundary management of water sources to the potential manifestation of a water war. Although my blog has exhibited many melancholic examples and suggested that the future is bleak, that is very much not the case. We have seen how mega projects such as the GERD can exacerbate already existing tensions between countries, however, infrastructures like the GERD will prove to be vital in providing millions with water access across every state boundary along the Nile.  With new knowledge of the local hydrology systems within the wetlands and greater emphasis be...

F ollowing on from last week's blog post , we will continue our analysis on the regional case study of the Sudd Wetland.  --- Jonglei Canal: Renewed hope or destined failure? With many observers of the media believing that Egypt has only two choices in regards to the filling and operating of the GERD: a military intervention with Ethiopia or an alternative water source, many eyes are turning to resort to the latter in a bid to avoid conflict ( Al-monitor, 2021 ). The situation looks dire. In the Sudd Wetland, much of the water used here is often wasted due to extremely inefficient irrigation techniques and downright destructive mechanised agricultural practices ( Sullivan, 2010 ). These mechanised agricultural practices have cascaded into causing deforestation, land erosion and salinization of waters. The country is blessed with water resources and yet has poor management of its resources. Water treatment for example is almost unheard of in the region and much of their water is be...

  H aving explored both the Nile and Lake Chad Basins, this blog has focused on the hydro-political conflicts on an international scale. While many of these case studies feature heavily in the news and in academic discourses, it is pertinent that we do not ignore the local scale hydro-politic dynamics. The Sudd Wetland provides a perfect example of regional-scale conflicts over water resources, and how managing smaller scale wetlands like these can in turn alleviate water  scarcity issues at a broader scale. --- The Sudd Wetlands: An introduction While wetlands are a common feature in all the Nile Basin countries, the Sudd is unique in that it is one of the most valuable and unique ecosystems on the planet. It is located in South Sudan, formed by the White Nile's Bahr al-Jabal section. Its width varies from 10 to 40km and spans over 650km long ( Rebelo and McCartney, 2012 ). The Sudd is also the largest freshwater wetland in the Nile Basin, which stretches over 30,000km square...