Is the Blue Nile River facing a drought?

An official at the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation said that Egypt is not facing a water crisis, denying reports of a drought affecting the Blue Nile River or a significant decrease in flood levels in the coming period. The Deputy Head of the Nile River Water Sector at the Ministry, Sameh Abdel-Rahman, explained that the full picture of the flood season will become clear by the end of August, given the daily monitoring of climate changes and the ongoing Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dispute. During a phone interview with Ahmed Moussa’s show “By My Responsibility,” broadcast on Sada el-Balad TV channel, Abdel-Rahman noted that the Ethiopian and Equatorial plateaus experience three rainy seasons throughout the year. He emphasized that the end of August represents the period when the full picture of the flood season becomes clear, as these plateaus account for approximately 50 percent of the Blue Nile’s flow   No Water Crisis Abdel-Rahman assured that “there is no water crisis under any circumstances,” explaining that flood levels typically begin at a low level and then gradually increase during August and September. He added that the accuracy of forecasts improves as more climate data becomes available during the rainy season.   Daily Monitoring Abdel-Rahman explained that the Ministry of Irrigation’s forecasting center holds daily meetings to monitor developments in the rainy season and the state of the Nile River, in addition to monitoring global climate changes – such as the El Niño and La Niña phenomena – due to their direct impact on rainfall levels in several countries. Sudan Most Affected The Deputy Head of the Nile River Water Sector indicated that Sudan is the most impacted by any developments related to the GERD. He emphasized that Ethiopia is following any agreements coordinating the operation of the dam with downstream countries, which puts the management of shared water resources in an uncertain place. The post Is the Blue Nile River facing a drought? appeared first on Egypt Independent.