Water & Energy Ministry categorically rebuts Egypt’s ‘misleading and riddled’ claims on GERD
Addis Ababa, October 4, 2025 (FMC) — Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water and Energy has strongly rejected recent statements by the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the Abbay River, describing them as “riddled with falsehoods, contradictions, and misrepresentations.”
In an official statement issued today, the Ethiopian ministry said the Egyptian claims are “malicious and baseless” and can be easily refuted by historical water flow data.
The ministry highlighted 93 years of recorded Abbay flows in Sudan, showing that peak floods exceeded 800 million cubic meters per day in August and 750 million cubic meters per day in September before the GERD’s construction. By comparison, the GERD’s regulated outflow in August and September 2025 averaged 154.7 million and 472 million cubic meters per day, respectively.
“The numbers speak for themselves,” the ministry said, emphasizing that the GERD has significantly reduced peak floods and minimized damage, while safeguarding lives and property in downstream countries.
The statement noted that without the GERD, recent heavy rains in the Ethiopian highlands could have caused historic destruction in Sudan and Egypt.
The ministry also criticized Egypt’s “patronizing tone” and attempts to speak on behalf of neighboring countries.
It cited statements from Sudanese authorities indicating that recent floods in Sudan were primarily caused by increased flows from the White Nile—a tributary unrelated to Ethiopia—shifting rainfall patterns linked to climate change, and infrastructural damage during past conflicts.
“Such statements, intended to mislead the international community and create a false narrative of victimhood, will not deter Ethiopia from pursuing its legitimate developmental objectives,” the ministry said.
Ethiopia reaffirmed its commitment to cooperation with Sudan through established information-sharing mechanisms, ensuring the GERD continues to mitigate potential flood risks.
The ministry underscored that Ethiopia’s extensive experience in hydroelectric dam construction guarantees professional and responsible operation of the GERD.
The statement further called on Egypt to abandon its “delusions of hydro-hegemony in the Nile Basin” and embrace regional cooperation for shared prosperity.
Ethiopia stressed that the GERD is a source of pride for the country, the Nile Basin nations, and Africa as a whole, representing a milestone in the continent’s development.