The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: Prospects for Cooperation amid Threats of Conflict.

DAM failures; DAMS; WATER rights; DROUGHTS; WATER management; POTENTIAL energy

EGYPT; EAST Africa; SUDAN

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has the potential to transform energy access in East Africa, but Egypt and Sudan have threatened war if the dam infringes upon their historical water rights. Over a decade of negotiations, the riparians have repeatedly failed to reach an agreement for the GERD's management, particularly mechanisms that would mitigate the downstream impacts of drought or dam failure. Yet despite the supposed zero-sum nature of resource competition, the GERD presents opportunities for positive-sum outcomes of water management if parties can overcome cooperation barriers, leverage incentives for coordination, and bargain effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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