Addis Abeba — Ethiopia has dismissed accusations made by the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), calling them "falsehoods" and "misrepresentations."
In a statement released today, 4 October 2025, by its Ministry of Water and Energy, Ethiopian authorities said that "heavy rainfall in recent months would have caused historical destruction in Sudan and Egypt had the GERD not been in place." They argued that regulated water flow from the dam has reduced peak flood magnitudes and minimized damage downstream.
Citing data recorded in Sudan, the statement noted that prior to the GERD, peak floods in the months of August and September often exceeded 800 million cubic meters per day. In comparison, the average daily release from the GERD in the same months this year was 154.7 million cubic meters and 472 million cubic meters, respectively. According to Ethiopia, "the numbers speak for themselves," showing that the GERD has significantly lowered the risk of flooding.
The government also referenced official statements from Sudanese authorities, who attributed recent flooding in parts of Sudan not to Ethiopia but to an increase in the flow of the White Nile, shifting rainfall patterns linked to climate change, and damage to local infrastructure during the conflict. Ethiopia said these assessments directly contradicted Egypt's attempt to assign blame.
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Accusing Cairo of seeking to "mislead the international community and create a false narrative of victimhood," Addis Abeba reaffirmed its commitment to information-sharing mechanisms with Sudan and to operating the GERD at "the highest professional standards."
Concluding its statement, Ethiopia rejected what it described as Egypt's "delusions of hydro-hegemony in the Nile Basin," emphasizing that the GERD is not only a national project but "a source of pride for Africa and a symbol of shared prosperity."
Sudan is experiencing some of the worst Nile flooding in years, with experts warning that a combination of intensified rainfall, weak flood defenses, and the growing impact of climate change has created a dangerous reality for communities along the river, China's news agency Xinhua reported. Environmental expert Abdul Azim Haraka told Xinhua that Sudan's worsening flood patterns were linked to "intensified rainfall and the growing impact of climate change in recent years," noting that the crisis could not be attributed to a single cause.
In a recent report by Sudan Tribune, Sudanese Prime Minister Kamil Idris announced his government's plan to conduct a "detailed review" of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) with Ethiopia and Egypt. He said the move was intended to "avoid future disasters." Speaking at a press conference in Port Sudan on Wednesday, 1 October 2025, after returning from the United Nations General Assembly, Idris confirmed that the GERD review would be part of renewed engagement with both countries.
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At the same time, Ethiopia has defended the role of the GERD in mitigating flooding in Sudan. According to an Associated Press report, Addis Abeba argued that the dam had helped regulate flows and reduce damage even as speculation mounted over whether the GERD had contributed to the deluge. Sudanese authorities, meanwhile, issued a flood alert on Saturday after rising water levels were recorded along both the Blue Nile and White Nile. The Ministry of Irrigation said levels remained high for four consecutive days as nearby dams discharged excess water, warning that farmland and residential areas in Khartoum, River Nile, White Nile, Sennar, and Blue Nile states could be affected.
Ethiopia's Minister of Water and Energy, Habtamu Itefa Geleta, stressed that the GERD had played a "significant role" in lessening the severity of flooding. "The flood in Sudan could be from White Nile. If GERD was not there, the magnitude could have been devastating," he said. When asked why the dam's turbines were not yet operating, Habtamu did not give a direct response but stated: "We did not release the excess water."
