The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project is so important for the Horn of Africa country that it decided to finance the building of it by itself, after international lenders refused. The hydropower the Blue Nile dam will produce is critical in a country where more than half of the population is without access to electricity. But it’s not just about power of the electrical kind.
When talks about the dam broke down last month between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia, it wasn’t about sharing water resources. It was a case of regional rivalries trumping understandings about science and cooperation.