Egypt Mismanages Water, Reservoirs Face Major Evaporation Losses, Says Former GERD Negotiator

Addis Ababa, Sep 1, 2026 (ENA)  — Water stored in Egypt’s downstream reservoirs suffers from high rates of evaporation due to the country’s hot desert climate, according to Fekahmed Negash, Chairperson of the Advisory Team on Transboundary Water and GERD at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water and Energy.

Fekahmed, a former member of Ethiopia’s GERD negotiation team and former Executive Director of the Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO), emphasized that Ethiopia’s deep and narrow highland gorges provide far more favorable conditions for water storage. 

Storing water in these cooler highland areas, he argued, could ultimately benefit the entire Nile Basin countries.

He contrasted these conditions with the Aswan High Dam, whose vast reservoir lies in Egypt’s hot desert environment and is exposed to substantial evaporation losses.

Fekahmed estimated that the Aswan High Dam loses about 15 to 16 billion cubic meters of water annually through evaporation.

“Storing water in Ethiopia, where the gorges are deep and narrow and the temperature is ambient, can minimize this evaporation,” he said.

He said shifting a greater share of water storage upstream to Ethiopia could save a significant volume of water that would otherwise be lost to evaporation, increasing the amount eventually released downstream.

“This will definitely save a large part of the water lost to evaporation and increase the amount of water released downstream,” Fekahmed said.

According to Fekahmed, the potential benefits of Ethiopian highland storage extend beyond reducing evaporation.

He identified reduced sedimentation as another major advantage for downstream countries, particularly Egypt.

Large quantities of silt transported from the Ethiopian highlands accumulate in Lake Nasser behind the Aswan High Dam, gradually reducing its storage capacity.

“The construction of dams in Ethiopia can reduce the amount of silt arriving at the Naser Lake thereby extending its useful life,” he said.

By trapping sediment upstream, Ethiopian dams could reduce the amount of silt reaching downstream reservoirs and help preserve their long term storage capacity, he added.

Upstream storage could also provide downstream countries with greater protection against extreme flooding, Fekahmed said.

Although severe floods are relatively infrequent, he noted that extreme events can pose serious risks to downstream infrastructure.

He recalled that during a major flood event in 2005, Egyptian engineers opened the Western Spillway and diverted billions of cubic meters of water into the Toshka Valley.

Greater storage capacity in Ethiopia could help regulate extreme flows within the basin and reduce the pressure of major floods on downstream infrastructure, according to Fekahmed.

The benefits of Ethiopian reservoirs are not limited to water conservation, he said.

Fekahmed said cascade hydropower development in Ethiopia could generate electricity beyond domestic requirements, creating opportunities for downstream countries to access clean and affordable energy.

“The fourth benefit is access to cheap and clean electricity from Ethiopia,” he said.

Such energy cooperation could provide an additional basis for economic integration among Nile Basin countries, he added.

Fekahmed also linked increased upstream storage to the Nile Basin’s ability to cope with climate change.

He said climate change is increasingly manifested through flooding, drought and variability in river flows.

“Construction of cascade dams in Ethiopia will increase the storage capacity in the basin,” he noted.

Water stored in Ethiopia could then be released downstream when needed, helping countries manage periods of excessive or reduced river flow, he added.

Fekahmed further said studies indicate that shifting water storage toward Ethiopia’s highland gorges could save substantial quantities of water currently lost through evaporation.

He estimated that evaporation from dams in Egypt and Sudan amounts to about 20 billion cubic meters annually.

Fekahmed said the potential benefits of upstream storage highlight the need for greater cooperation among Nile Basin countries.

He argued that water storage should be considered from the perspective of the entire basin rather than solely through the interests of individual countries.

Ethiopian highland reservoirs, he said, can simultaneously contribute to reducing evaporation losses, controlling sedimentation, regulating floods, generating clean energy and strengthening climate resilience.

“For this to happen, there is a need for trust and confidence to be built among the nations,” Fekahmed said.

His comments come amid renewed debate over Ethiopia’s plans to develop additional dams on the Abay (Blue Nile).

Fekahmed’s assessment presents upstream storage as an opportunity to improve water management across the Nile Basin, arguing that the favorable storage conditions of Ethiopia’s highlands could generate benefits extending well beyond Ethiopia’s borders.