Beyond Egyptian’s Historical Narrative: The Completions of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and Its Hydro-political Implications on the Nile Region

Year 2026, Volume: 1 Issue: 9, 27 - 45, 31.01.2026

Melak Mehariw

Abstract

Abstract
The main objective of the paper is to assess the historic narrative of Egypt over the Nile River and the positions of Ethiopia against it, and how the completion of GERD challenges a historic narrative and a shift in the hydro-political landscape of the Nile region. To meet its objectives, the study mainly employs a descriptive and explanatory approach under the qualitative research methodology. In doing so, the study utilizes primary and secondary sources of data from books, journal articles, legal and document analysis, media sources, and open sources like websites. The GERD, located in Guba, Benishangul-Gumuz regional state, is the largest African hydro-electric power. It symbolizes the determination, resilience, and unity of the Ethiopian people, who financed the project by their own contributions, including buying bonds and preparing fundraising campaigns. In celebrating the completion of the GERD, the media outlet like print media, digital media, broadcasting media, and other social media echoes the “impossible made it real”, which signifies the reality is there beyond Egyptian’s historic narrations; and it became the de facto changes of the existing status quo in the Nile region. The completion of the GERD remarks as a historic milestone for reshaping the broader Nile basin region, and a new approach of hydro-politics analysis in the area. The accomplishment of GERD is a game-changer or shift of power dynamics that creates new emerging water-sharing by substituting the existing status quo in the region.

Keywords

Historical Narrative , GERD , Hydro-politics , Nile region

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