JCC: DeNILE is a River in Egypt: The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, 2011: Egyptian Cabinet of Essam Sharif

APPROXIMATE COMMITTEE SIZE: 25 delegates

For much of the 20th century, Egypt has enjoyed near-unrestricted access to the waters of the Nile. Under a treaty signed in 1959, Egypt and its neighbor Sudan were the only two countries guaranteed access to the waters of the Nile. The treaty also granted Egypt veto power over development projects that could affect the river’s flow in upstream countries, something Egypt has used to prevent large-scale development of the river and maintain their water access. With the beginning of construction on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), however, this status quo is increasingly threatened. For Egypt, the existence of the dam is an existential crisis: the country sees an upstream dam as a tool to cut Egypt off from access to the river, which provides water for most of the country’s population. Consequently, Egypt has threatened a variety of means to halt the dam’s construction. The government has warned that every option, including military action, could be used if necessary. With Egypt possessing one of the continent’s most advanced militaries, that is not an idle threat. The Egyptian cabinet will have to consider how best to respond to the construction of the GERD, whether with diplomatic negotiation or military escalation. The government must also consider how to prevent future crises over the Nile and ensure their population’s access to a reliable water source in a world increasingly wracked by climate change. 

ISSUES TO CONSIDER

The Egyptian Revolution of 2011

Responding to the Construction of the Dam

Creating a Permanent Agreement on the Division of the Nile

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Understand the importance of major rivers like the Nile to the survival of countries that rely on those rivers, and how water access can lead to international conflicts.

• Learn about the international tools that can be used to manage water access, as well as access to other cross-border natural resources.

• Consider alternative options to ensure a population’s access to water in the context of the current climate crisis.

About the Chair

Manya Kodali is a student in the Class of 2025 studying Science Technology, and International Affairs with a concentration in Business, Growth, and Development and minoring in Philosophy. She grew up in Pittsburgh, PA but now lives in Frederick, MD. At Georgetown she is a member of Georgetown Fintech and works at a venture capital firm. In her free time, Manya loves going to the gym, making silly Spotify playlists and baking. This is her third NAIMUN, and her first time chairing a committee alone! She cannot wait for NAIMUN LXII.

About the Crisis manager

Christos Moustakis is a student in the School of Foreign Service’s class of 2027 studying International Politics with a concentration in International Law and a minor in Chinese. He grew up in Athens, Greece, and came to the United States to study. At Georgetown, he travels with the GUMUN team, and is involved with the Philodemic Society, the European Club, and the Hellenic Society. In his (horribly limited) free time, he enjoys exploring new restaurants with friends, watching movies, and writing. This is his second NAIMUN, and his first time as a Crisis Manager! Even though part of his job is predicting your ideas, he is delighted to know he will inevitably fail, and cannot wait to be continuously surprised during NAIMUN LXII!