Damming The Nile


Damming The Nile

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At ten o'clock, Fiona Bruce will

have the full round-up of the news,

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but first, we look at the world's

longest river in this special

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programme Damming the Nile.

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The River Nile is the

world's longest river.

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It's where the world's first war

over water could be fought.

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The first of its two great

tributaries, the White Nile,

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flows from Lake Victoria,

but our journey begins in Ethiopia,

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following the Blue Nile

from Lake Tana as it sweeps

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through Africa's Grand Canyon

to where a dam is being built close

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to the Sudan border.

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Lake Tana, the source of the river,

is a place of myth and legend.

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It's the biggest lake in Ethiopia

and many of its 37 islands

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have their own monasteries.

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It's a very sacred place

for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians.

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This monastery dates back

to the 14th century.

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Some of these paintings

are more than 400 years old.

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The Nile appears in

the Old Testament and legend has it

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that the Ark of the Covenant

was briefly brought here.

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But all is not calm on these waters.

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The struggle for control of this

great river is dividing the three

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countries that shade it.

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-- share it.

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The Nile is the bringer of life,

from when it launches itself

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downstream it has the power

to bring peace or bring war.

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This is where the Blue Nile

begins its long journey.

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From here up in the Ethiopian

Highlands it will cut

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through caverns and canyons,

across plains through Sudan

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and Egypt and into a delta

of the Mediterranean Sea.

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Around 85% of that water comes

from here and that is why a vast

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new dam being built in Ethiopia

is dividing nations.

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This is the Grand Ethiopian

Renaissance Dam and it is driving

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Ethiopia's ambitious plans

for Industrial Revolution,

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to put its growing population

to work to power the region

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and to tame the river,

but it's also at the heart of a row

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that has sucked in Sudan and Egypt

and threatens peace

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in this part of Africa.

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When it's finished, this will be

the largest hydroelectric power

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station in Africa and one

of the biggest dams

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on the continent.

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It will not only power this country

but the surroundings

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countries as well.

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Ethiopia didn't even ask

the countries down the stream before

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it started building.

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That is the scale of this

country's ambition.

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After just five years of work,

it's almost two thirds complete.

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This project is a project

that is being built by Ethiopians

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and that will benefit other African

brothers, sisters

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and other countries.

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and other countries.

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and other countries.

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The project manager says

it is costing at least

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$4.5 billion and that is

probably an underestimate.

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He insists that downstream countries

shouldn't worry as it is not

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consuming any water.

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This is a hydroelectric project.

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It is a water-consuming scheme

project that is only dedicated

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to generate electricity.

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This shows how the government

of Ethiopia, how the people

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of the nations, are committed

themselves to eradicate our

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common enemy, poverty.

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The construction

works are impressive.

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This second dam sweeps

across a 5km valley,

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joining two mountains to create

the edge of a vast reservoir.

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All this and a lot

more will be flooded.

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Once finished and filled,

it will cover more than 1,800 square

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kilometres, larger than the size

of Greater London.

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It will flood the Blue Nile

for nearly 250km upstream.

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If it is filled too fast,

it will reduce the amount of water

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that flows to Sudan and Egypt.

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Thousands of people have already

been moved to make way for the lake.

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The power lines are ready

and waiting for the electricity

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the dam will provide.

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70% of Ethiopia -

that's 70 million people -

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don't have electricity.

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It is holding back the country's

grand plans for development

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and it is why people support

a project they are paying for.

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TRANSLATION:

If we had electricity,

we would be able to get

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what the village needs.

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For instance, the villagers

here make a living by farming.

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If we had electricity, we would be

able to create jobs on our own,

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including metal and woodwork.

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As well as that, we would also

be able to own TVs,

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a fridge and so many other things.

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Modernisation is already changing

life in the capital, Addis Ababa.

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This is East Africa's

first metro system.

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The amount of construction

going on speaks volumes.

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Ethiopia wants to pull

as people out of poverty,

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to create jobs and get

over its historic image

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of drought and famine.

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It's Africa's fastest-growing

economy right now,

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but with a population set

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to double in 30 years,

it needs to grow even faster just

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faster just to keep up,

hence the need for cheap

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renewable energy.

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But the cost of government

ambition is human rights.

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Freedom of speech and democracy.

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Protests across the country

are being crushed.

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To the government,

development is everything.

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It is one of the most important

flagship projects for Ethiopia.

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It is a project that

will transform the country,

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it's very important.

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There is money to spend

and the minister says that people

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will pay for the dam

through a lottery,

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contributions and taxes.

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He insists that despite its fears,

Egypt will get more

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rather than less water.

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It's not about control

of the flow, it's really

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about providing opportunity for us

to do the development.

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It has a lot of benefit

for the downstream countries.

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Construction on the dam

is going on around the clock,

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such is the urgency to get this

build and generate power,

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but because Ethiopia didn't consult

with Egypt or Sudan before starting

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starting construction work

during the Arab Spring, talks

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with countries keep collapsing.

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A new political order is emerging

and Egypt doesn't like it.

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I've spoken to senior people

in Ethiopia who have said

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that they are afraid of a war

with Egypt over water.

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That they might bomb it down.

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That's the level of anger.

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What do you think about that?

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I don't think so.

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These kind of extreme

ideas are not welcome.

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This will not happen

in this region, I am sure.

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There is no record in history of war

erupting because of water.

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The water belongs to all of us.

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We have to develop it

in responsible ways,

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not thinking about war.

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But whatever he says,

the Blue Nile can now be controlled

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by Ethiopia and that is a big

concern for Egypt when so much

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of the water that reaches

Cairo comes from here.

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Sudan, however its next top,

likes the look of the cheap

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electricity heading its way.

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The waters of the Nile

bring life to Sudan,

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One of the world's biggest

irrigation schemes was created

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here more than a century ago to grow

cotton for Britain's

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Britain's Industrial Revolution,

but now it is the gulf states

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who need what Sudan can grow.

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The Blue Nile heads north

through these vast irrigated lands

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to join the White Nile before

meandering through a desert

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steeped in ancient history.

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We are following it to ask

if a row over who controls

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its flow could lead to war.

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It's here in Khartoum that the Blue

Nile and the White Nile meet

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and merge and then head

north to Egypt.

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The river has travelled

about a third of its way

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from its source to the sea

and is growing and strengthening

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in size.

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So what does Sudan, this vast

country now emerging

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from years of US sanctions,

think about Ethiopia

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building this dam upstream?

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Well, it thinks it's a great idea.

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Land is not in short supply

and with the power of the sun

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and the waters of the Nile,

Sudan's agricultural

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potential is huge.

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This is alfalfa, top-quality cattle

feed, and this farm can cut five

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-- nine harvests a year primarily

for callous but also

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for export

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to the Middle East.

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Sudan has the right to take billions

of gallons of water every year

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through old treaties with Egypt,

but claims it hasn't been

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using its full allocation.

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The suggestion it now might

is a source of tension

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with its northern neighbour.

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This farm is owned by a massive

private company that is everything

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from agriculture to mining,

from cars to health care.

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Its owner is Sudan's richest man,

who designed his own golf course.

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For Sudan, it is wonderful.

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It is the best thing that has

happened for a long time and I think

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the combination of energy

and regular water levels

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is a great blessing.

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is a great blessing.

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Cheap electricity can be used

for a lot more than just keeping

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your cows properly air-conditioned.

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It can bring faster development

to Sudan, which is just emerging

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to take advantage

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from decades of crippling

US sanctions and wants

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to take advantage

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of the opportunities.

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What do you think about

the row between Ethiopia

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and Egypt about this dam?

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The Nile is the lifeline of Egypt

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so for them, I wouldn't

say they're paranoid,

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but they are very concerned

about anything to do

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with that water.

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And the Nile is a lifeline

to Sudan as well.

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Welcome to the first-ever

festival of music and

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culture in this village.

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This village is about half a day's

drive north of Khartoum.

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It was abandoned 20 years ago,

the mud houses left without roofs

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as the villagers moved away

from the river banks to avoid

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catastrophic flooding.

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This woman remembers to huge floods

from when she was a child.

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Her father was the mayor.

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This is their house.

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TRANSLATION:

Is an image from my

life I will never forget. When the

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1976 flood hit, it was hardest, some

people use boards. It has lasted

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three weeks.

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people use boards. It has lasted

three weeks.

The whole village left,

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but now a dam upstream regulate the

flow of water so doesn't flow as

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high, meaning they can hold

festivals here and people can move

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back to this village, especially if

it is cheap electricity on the way.

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It's a time of change in Khartoum.

With the lifting of sanctions, there

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is a strong cafe culture where

issues of the day I discussed -- are

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discussed. Most people here are in

favour of the dam.

On experience

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shows that it is a blessing to

downstream countries especially if

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the intention is power generation.

Do you think there is politics

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between the changing fortunes of the

three countries?

Water in general is

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becoming politicised not only in

this region but elsewhere, but I

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think there will always be a

political case involving the three

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countries, I think it will work out.

He's diplomatic, but this is far

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from resolved. Talks between the

three countries have collapsed and

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tensions across the whole region are

growing as a result of it. The

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rivalries go back to the time of the

pyramids. The Sudanese pediments. --

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pyramids. This is more than 2000

years old. The empire ruled Egypt

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from here. This was their capital.

Powers rise and fall but all are

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linked by one great river.

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This is Egypt, the next stop on our

trip and what a way to see it. We

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are flying in a hot air balloon over

Luxor. The sun is just coming up,

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it's a stunning way to see this

country. The reason we're here is to

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understand and get an explanation of

why it is Egypt is so opposed to

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this dam that Ethiopia is building

way up the Nile. Even though Egypt

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built the dam for its own

development, it is angry with

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Ethiopia's plan. From Luxor, we will

follow the river to Cairo and onto

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the Delta, the heart of the

country's agriculture where water is

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everything. The Pharaohs used to

worship the river as a god. Egypt,

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they said, was the gift of the Nile.

Civilisations flourished here on the

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banks of the river. These temples

represent thousands of years of

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wealth and power. The -- they are

proud of the culture.

The ancient

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Egyptians considered the Nile as

lifeblood. It was life itself. Why?

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Because they use the Nile for

everything. The Nile was alive and

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still is alive for Egyptian people

in Egypt.

And decades ago, Egypt

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decided the best way to protect its

interests was to build a dam. Work

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on this dam began in 1960 and took

ten years. It created the giant lake

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Nasser, nearly three times bigger

than the new Ethiopian reservoir

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will be. It regulated the flooding

of the Nile, generated power and a

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agricultural lands to be indicated.

Tens of tens of thousands of people

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were forced from their homes and an

ancient Egyptian temple had to be

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moved brick by brick but it was a

symbol of great pride, a national

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project, rejecting power for

revolutionary post-colonial Egypt.

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It has been good for this man, who

at 60 has been a fisherman on the

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Nile for 40 years. Just like his

father and grandfather before him.

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TRANSLATION:

Our life and livelihood

depends on the Nile. We as a family

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lived by the river. We fished, we

grow crops on the islands in the

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Nile. Our cattle are fed from the

Nile. All our food is from the Nile.

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He has heard about the dam in the

Egyptian media. Ethiopia wants to

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control the Nile and its floor will

be affected, but he's sceptical --

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its flow.

The water would be affected, but

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only God knows what could happen if

the dam the river there will be wars

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and fighting.

And there are even

bigger concerns downstream in

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chaotic Cairo. Egypt relies on the

Nile for almost all its water but

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the population is growing fast. The

United Nations is warning there will

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be water shortages by 2025 because

of wastage and pollution. But the

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Government argues it is already

recycling water, using it

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efficiently and importing wheat

rather than using water to grow it.

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Egypt's water Minister says one big

threat is climate change.

It is

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unilateral action in upstream

countries, it will have severe

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impacts downstream and this is a

coordinated one.

How angry are you?

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I am extremely angry because we are

responsible for our nation which is

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100 million. One of the key things I

would mention to you, if the water

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coming to Egypt is used by 2%, what

does this mean? We lose about

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200,000 acres of land. One acre at

least. If one acre makes one family

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survive, the average family in Egypt

is five persons, so it means 1

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million will be jobless. He says

that means more migrants

heading to

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Europe and more people to be

recruited by terror groups.

Europe

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and Egypt are suffering from what is

happening in Syria and Libya and

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other countries so what if Egypt is

added to these countries? What will

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happen? It is an international

security issue.

Experts say Egypt

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has the right to be angry. A dam was

being discussed but Ethiopia started

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building without telling Egypt

judging the Arab spring. The impact

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on stream has not been properly

assessed and although the

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Renaissance Dam would extract water,

filling it to quickly will reduce

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the flow downstream and it is a

trust issue. Ethiopia can now

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control the river.

It is very much a

game changer. Now if Ethiopia is

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combining the physical power of

being upstream country that can in

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one way or another control the Nile

flow and the economic power of being

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able to construct the dam depending

on its own domestic resources, so

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yeah, it's an indication, it is a

manifestation that the power balance

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is changing in the region, economic

way, politically and strategically

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as well. -- economic Delhi.

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The last stretch of the Nile is

where its famous Cotton is grown

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alongside crops like rice, a

notoriously thirsty crop. Irrigating

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fields by flooding them is one

reason why so much water is wasted.

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The Delta is silting as the dam

stops being replenished. The reason

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the Nile flood plains were so

productive to begin with. It is now

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polluted and fish are dying and

people are getting poorer. Saltwater

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is moving gradually upstream. It is

sad to see how this great river ends

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up. This is it, this is where the

River Nile reaches the end of its

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long journey. This behind me is the

Mediterranean Sea. You can see the

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waves coming in, this is now

saltwater. Whatever Egypt says it

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does, Ethiopia is building this dam.

It's not an idea or a plan, it's a

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thing. You can already control the

flow of the River Nile. Egypt has

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was been strong enough to dominate

the countries upstream but that is

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changing. Talk of war is a foolish

thing to do to solve political

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prices and every one we have spoken

to, nobody thinks that is going to

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happen, but this is a really serious

problem and needs to be sorted out

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quickly. The Nile is the place were

the world's first war over what can

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be avoided. This could even become a

model of how countries can learn to

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share great rivers. But for now,

it's up to Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt

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to navigate tensions on the world's

longest river.

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