Geographical Location of the Source of the Nile River
The ultimate source of the Nile River has long been the subject of debate and exploration.Credited as the longest river in the world, the Nile is generally accepted to flow some 4,132 miles northwest from its start in Central Africa to the Mediterranean Sea. Although the exact location of the river’s start has been debated for centuries, many now agree that Burundi is the original source of the Nile.
The Kagera River has long been considered the start of the Nile, but after an exploration voyage in 1937, famous hydrologist John Moore determined that Rukarara, Kanyamagha, and Nyabarongo Rivers in Rwanda and Burundi are the headwaters of the Nile. These rivers flow together in Burundi near the town of Rutovu, forming the Umutara River, the official source of the Nile.
Analysis of the Nile River’s Length and Changes in Climate
Although the Nile River is widely accepted as the longest in the world, experts disagree about its actual length. Some experts contend that the length is closer to 6,650 miles, citing its rugged terrain and many tributaries which change the path of the river from year to year. The river’s length is affected by water levels in the Atbara and Blue Nile, which enter Lake Tana in Ethiopia, the first major point of the Nile.
The Nile’s tributaries are prone to much change year over year, as the most important of them, the Atbara and Blue Nile, depend on weather extremes in their surrounding environments. Major droughts have caused wide fluctuations in the river’s length, and brought on great changes in the climate of the regions, leading to drought and famine.
Nile’s Influential Matters
This mighty river has had a profound impact on the region’s development. Its waters have been a key source for irrigation since antiquity, enabling the development of cities, such as Luxor and Cairo.The annual flooding season, where the Nile overflowed its banks, created the fertile soil necessary for food production, particularly grazing lands and pastures for livestock.This flooding also offered the Nile Valley its necessary protection from the desert and provided the resources for material success and wealth.
In addition to traditional irrigation and agricultural practices, today the river is used to generate electricity, often through the construction of a variety of dams. In 1963, the Aswan High Dam was erected in Egypt, forming a major source of hydroelectric power for the country, dramatically decreasing the severity of annual flooding by the Nile.
Exploration of the Nile
Explorers, adventurers and scientists have been fascinated by the Nile River and its undisclosed origins. The German explorer, Adolf Schlagintweit, attempted the world’s first recorded journey along the Nile in 1862, but only reached the mouth of the river.
In 1867 an expedition led by British explorer John Hanning Speke became the first serious attempt since ancient times to find the source of the Nile. The team was the first to overcome the hazardous journey, in the process mapping the exact route of the river. This exploration made by Speke provided valuable information about the Nile and its surroundings, defining the river route and contributing to the development of the African continent.
Conflict Surrounding Nile Waters
Today, the Nile remains an area of contention in the African continent, as countries along its length disagree on water rights and usage rights. With more than 275 million people living along its banks and many millions more relying on it, the waters of the Nile could potentially cause conflict between nations, including Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan and Egypt.
The dispute over the sharing and use of the river has resulted in a number of proposals and agreements, such as the 1959 Nile Waters Agreement which allocated water quotas to different states.A more recent agreement, known as the Cooperative Framework Agreement, was finalized in 2015, establishing a unified approach to the allocation of Nile waters.
The Blue and White Nile: Tributaries of a Unified Source
The Nile River is made up of two main tributaries – the Blue Nile from Ethiopia and the White Nile from Central Africa. It is the merging of these two rivers that forms the Nile we know today. The White Nile is perhaps the most storied and turbulent of the two. Its headwaters are found in the Great Lakes region, wandering through the rainforest before emerging to head northward.
The Blue Nile begins at Lake Tana in Ethiopia, its journey taking it around half the distance covered by the White Nile before meeting in Sudan, near the border of Egypt. The headwaters of the Blue Nile have been a topic of great debate among hydrologists, with some experts believing it travels further west toward the Eritrean highlands.
Ethiopian Hydropower and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
The flow of the Blue Nile is heavily dependent on the weather in Ethiopia, making the hydropower potential of the country a hotly contested topic for nations across the region. To capitalize on this potential, Ethiopia has begun construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Once completed, it will be the largest hydroelectric dam in Africa, with the capacity to generate 6,000 megawatts of much-needed energy for Ethiopia and its downstream neighbors.
The dam’s completion will likely result in significant changes in the water flow of the Blue Nile, freshwater resources and the generation of electricity, impacting nations in the region. Egypt, in particular, is concerned that the dam may reduce the amount of water flowing through its section of the Nile, and as a consequence, its access to water resources.
The Economic Impact of the Nile
The Nile has had a significant impact on the development of the region, particularly in terms of its economic potential. Significant resources lie beneath the river and its tributaries, including over 500 million barrels of oil and over 500 trillion cubic feet of gas discovered in Ethiopian and Eritrean waters in 2011.
The discovery of these resources is expected to bring great economic development and prosperity to the region. The hydrocarbon resources could potentially fuel major economic development, creating jobs, boosting infrastructure and improving living standards for people in the area.
International Cooperation for the Future of the Nile
The future of the Nile is dependent on effective cooperation and cooperation among the countries of the Nile Basin in order to ensure the sustainable use of its resources. In order to reach a unified approach to the equitable and responsible use of the river’s water and hydrocarbon resources, and the establishment of the basin-wide legal frameworks, the Nile Basin Initiative was created in 1999, which aims to bring together the 10 countries of the Nile Basin along with international partners.
Such initiatives and collaborations have the potential to create new opportunities for shared development and economic growth, while avoiding competition and conflict over water and energy resources. Addressing issues of poverty, gender and youth in the region is essential to ensure the long-term stability of the river and its environments.
