| Smart Searching for Practical Cooperative Management of the Nile |
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Kevin Wheeler—Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford |
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ABSTRACT |
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The construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam presents a unique situation of two major over-year storage reservoirs in two different countries, but so far there are no agreements or plans in place regarding how they may be coordinated. This will become particularly critical when a multi-year drought returns, similar to that which caused a humanitarian crisis in the region during 1980's. Now populations are greater and the stakes are higher, but the options to manage it are greater as well. To address this challenge, a RiverWare Model of the Eastern Nile is coupled with the BORG evolutionary algorithm to explore potential strategies to reach agreements on the operation of the GERD, alongside modifying the current operations of downstream reservoirs in Sudan and Egypt. The product is a process and that can be used to facilitate transboundary negotiations on the Nile. The results clearly show that benefits can be created for all countries, but only if the political will for an agreement exists. |
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Click HERE for a PDF version of the presentation slides. |
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