logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2023
12m 12s

The Nile: A big dam problem

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Ethiopia says its huge dam upstream on the Nile will generate electricity for millions. But downstream countries like Sudan and Egypt are worried about what it’ll mean for their water supply.

We get the details from two BBC reporters: Kalkidan Yibeltal, in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa and Jaidaa Taha, in Egypt’s capital Cairo.

We also take a look at disagreements over the Mekong River in Asia. It runs through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Brian Eyler is from a foreign affairs think tank, the Stimson Centre, and has written a book on it. Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenters: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Alex Rhodes Editor: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Up next
Yesterday
Rare earths - The most important minerals you probably haven’t heard of
Rare earth minerals are vital to modern human life - but you probably haven’t heard of them. They’re in our phones, computers and cars. These minerals aren’t actually that rare, but they’re difficult to extract - and this process can be pretty damaging to the environment. Mining ... Show More
11m 48s
Jul 8
‘I replaced my therapist with an AI chatbot’
From drafting emails to planning trips, AI has become like a personal assistant for lots of people around the world. Now, the technology is playing a new role: therapist. Rather than waiting for an appointment or paying to see a professional, thousands of people are turning to AI ... Show More
14m 31s
Jul 7
Meet Velvet Sundown - the band that doesn’t really exist
The Velvet Sundown have become a viral hit. The band have over a million streams on Spotify and are generating much discussion across the music community. Except the band and its members don’t actually exist. After weeks of speculation about whether they were real or not, the ban ... Show More
11m 14s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2021
Why is this Nile dam so controversial?
One dam. Three countries. A big headache.Ethiopia couldn’t be more proud of it, but the Grand Renaissance Dam has proven controversial.The dam is being built on the Blue Nile River.When complete, it will be Africa's biggest hydroelectric power plant.Problem is: both Egypt and Sud ... Show More
15m 28s
Oct 2022
Iranian climber competes without headscarf, Nile dam dispute - Trending
Trending Middle East brings you the latest social media and search trends from the Middle East and around the world. On today's episode, in an apparent act of defiance, Iranian rock climber Elnaz Rekabi competes without a headscarf at the Asian Sport Climbing Championships. Media ... Show More
2m 4s
Jun 2023
What does an uprooted garden say about Egypt’s future?
Whether the motive is politics or profit, Cairo is in the midst of a construction boom that threatens what was already a commodity in short supply in Egypt — public and green spaces. Megaprojects such as a new capital city set to open this year have also severely strained the cou ... Show More
22m 23s
Oct 2019
Jennifer L. Derr, "The Lived Nile: Environment, Disease, and Material Colonial Economy in Egypt" (Stanford UP, 2019)
In October 1902, the reservoir of the first Aswan Dam filled, and Egypt's relationship with the Nile River forever changed. Flooding villages of historical northern Nubia and filling the irrigation canals that flowed from the river, the perennial Nile not only reshaped agricultur ... Show More
53m 53s
Feb 2024
River Nile
Snaking across 4,000 miles and 11 African countries, the River Nile is perhaps the most famous river on planet earth. The 80 billion gallons of water that flow through its banks each day give life to countless animals and ecosystems - from crocodiles and hippos, to rare species o ... Show More
54m 40s
Jun 2024
As famine looms in Sudan, the people fill gap left by the world
In Sudan, if nothing changes, it’s projected that 2.5 million people could die by September. Yet the international community has funded less than 15% of the aid that is needed. Aid that does arrive may be blocked or looted. So what are Sudanese doing to fill the gap?  In this epi ... Show More
20m 7s
Jun 2023
What Egypt Wants in Sudan
The conflict in Sudan between the country’s armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been a major source of concern for its northern neighbour Egypt. Cairo, a backer of Sudan's army, now faces both a humanitarian crisis that is spilling over into its borde ... Show More
44m 25s
Dec 2023
Ep.450: La grande fuga dagli stupri in Sudan (se ne va anche l’Onu)
Idriss è una ragazza di 22 anni sudanese che si è salvata perché aveva il ciclo. E ha salvato anche sua sorella perché ha convinto il miliziano che è entrato dentro casa loro che avesse l’Aids. In Sudan dal 15 aprile c’è una guerra e in una striscia sottile di terra nel sud ovest ... Show More
9m 22s