Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Project Controversies: Understanding the role of worldviews and nexus

Abstract

This paper examines the complex interplay of worldviews, siloed thinking, and the 'nexus approach' in shaping the controversy on Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project. Using a worldview-nexus framework and data from 38 key informants, government documents, and secondary sources, the study identifies Egypt's water security-centered worldview and Ethiopia's development-centered policy as key drivers of conflict. Sudan, meanwhile, navigates a middle-ground position shaped by its unique hydrological and historical context. The study also reveals that Ethiopian and Egyptian worldviews illustrate mutually exclusive thinking, neglecting the interconnectedness of water, energy, food, and environmental security across sectors and borders. In both countries' worldviews, the GERD is perceived from an existentialism and securitization view which contributes to the prevailed zero-sum game politics. Furthermore, Ethiopia's development-centered worldview has also transformed the traditional narratives around the Abbay (Blue Nile) River within Ethiopia. Conversely, Egypt's water security-centered worldview reinforces Egyptian traditional views linking the Nile to its national identity. The study suggests that adopting a nexus approach to water resources development can help reconcile the conflicting worldviews and resolution of the conflict over the GERD.