After a third unilateral filling, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) now holds 7bn cbm, says Abbas Sharaki — Professor of Geology and Water Resources at Cairo University.
Sharaki added on Monday that the water has approached the saddle dam and is only 100 metres away from the 602-metre-mark, after which the saddle dam will begin storing water, which is expected to happen in next year’s filling.
According to Sharaki, Egypt will not be affected by this filling in any capacity due to the presence of the Aswan High Dam and its water reserves.
On Friday 29 July, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a letter to the President of the UN Security Council to voice Egypt’s rejection of Ethiopia’s continued unilateral filling of the GERD’s lake, which is a violation of the 2015 Declaration of Principles Agreement and a clear violation of international agreements.
Egypt also described the acts as a violation of the presidential statement of the Security Council that was released in 2021, the recommendations of the summits held under the auspices of the African Union in 2020, and the rules of international law.
