Ethiopia, Egypt trade accusations over GERD’s role in Nile floods
October 4, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – Ethiopia and Egypt have exchanged sharp accusations over the management of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), with each country blaming the other for recent severe flooding along the Nile River.
The dispute escalated after Egypt on Friday accused Ethiopia of “reckless” dam management, claiming that abrupt water releases after the dam’s September inauguration triggered a “man-made flood.”
In a statement, the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation alleged that Ethiopian operators, after rapidly filling the reservoir for a “media snapshot,” suddenly discharged massive volumes of water, estimated at 2 billion cubic meters, throughout September. According to Cairo, water releases surged from 485 million cubic meters () on September 10 to a peak of 780 million on September 27.
Egypt claimed this surge inundated farmland in Sudan and its own Nile Delta, putting “the lives and resources of the populations of the two downstream countries… at risk.”
On Saturday, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water and Energy fiercely rejected the claims, labelling the Egyptian statement as filled with “falsehoods, riddled with contradictions, and misrepresentations.”
Addis Ababa contended that the GERD, far from causing damage, has been essential in preventing a more catastrophic flood. The Ethiopian ministry argued that without the dam’s regulation, historical peak flows of over 800 million would have caused “historical destruction” following recent heavy rains. It stated its average release in August and September was significantly lower than historical surges.
Both countries presented conflicting explanations for the severe flooding observed in Sudan.
Egypt stated that Ethiopia’s actions inflicted severe losses on Sudan, forcing operators of the Roseires Dam to pass most of the water through to protect its structure and citing UN reports of floodwaters encircling districts in Khartoum.
Conversely, Ethiopia asserted that Sudanese authorities have attributed the flooding to other causes, including increased flow from the White Nile—a tributary not originating in Ethiopia—shifting rainfall patterns from climate change, and conflict-damaged infrastructure.
The competing narratives reflect the deep political rift over the dam. Cairo condemned Ethiopia’s “unilateral” management of an “illegal dam that violates international law,” warning that its “chaotic and reckless management represents a constant and ongoing threat.”
Ethiopia retorted by urging Egypt to “give up their delusions of hydro-hegemony” and dismissed Cairo’s appeals to “historic rights” as a “vestige of colonial thinking.”