Skip to main content

The Nile River Basin

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Nile River Basin

Abstract

The Nile River basin is one of the transboundary river basins that is in the forefront of water resource challenges of the century. As the basin’s population is growing, water demand is increasing. Focus on basin hydrology, climate change, and water management is critically needed. The Blue Nile subbasin is relatively more efficient in generating runoff contributing most of the flow to the Nile compared to the White Nile. This makes flows susceptible to changes in the watershed. The basin’s high rate of population growth is putting stress on natural resources including water. In 25 years, the population of the 11 Nile countries is projected to reach 726 million. A 64 % increase in water demand is projected in the Nile basin countries without factoring increase in per capita water demand. The link between river and watershed is becoming vivid as demand for water and power grows and becomes a source of conflict.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abdel-Latiff AF (1984) Lake Nasser (Egypt). In: Kopetsky JM, Petr T (eds) Status of African reservoir fisheries. FAO, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Abtew W, Melesse A, Desallegne T (2009) Spatial, inter and intra-annual variability of the upper Blue Nile basin rainfall. Hydrol Process 23:3075–3082

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Appelgren B, Klohn W, Alam U (2000) Water and agriculture in the Nile basin. Nile Basin Initiative Report to ICCON. FAO, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Chebud YA, Melesse AM (2009) Modelling lake stage and water balance of Lake Tana, Ethiopia. Hydrol Process 23:3534–3544

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conway D (2000) The climate hydrology of the upper Blue Nile River. Geogra J 166(1):49–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Degefu GT (2003) The Nile historical legal and developmental perspectives. Traffford Publishing, Victoria

    Google Scholar 

  • Eggermont H, Damme KV, Russel JM (2009) Rwenzori Mountains (Mountains of the Moon): headwater of the White Nile. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans T (1994) History of Nile flows. In: Howell PP, Allan JA (eds) The Nile a scarce resource. The Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (1997) Irrigation potential in Africa: a basin approach. FAO, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Grand ERenaissanceDProject (2013) http://www.gerd.gov.et/web/guest/baro-akobo-basin. Accessed 30 Mar 2013

  • Hasan G, Elshamy M (2011) Application of hydrologic models for climate sensitivity estimates of the Atbara sub-basin. In: Melesse A (ed) Nile River Basin hydrology climate and water use. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoering U (2006) Ethiopia’s water dilemma. International Rivers People, Water, Life. June 1:2006 online

    Google Scholar 

  • Karyabwite DR (2000) Water sharing in the Nile River valley. UNEP/DEWA/Grid, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Kebede S, Travi Y, Alemayehu T, Marc V (2006) Water balance of Lake Tana and its sensitivity to fluctuations in rainfall, Blue Nile basin, Ethiopia. J Hydrol 316:233–247

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khan SI, Adhikari P, Vergara H, Adler RF, Polecelli F, Irwin D, Korme T, Okello L (2011) Hydroclimatology of Lake Victoria region using hydrologic model and satellite remote sensing data. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci 15:107–117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohamed YA, van den Hurk BJJM, Savenji HHG, Bastiaanssen WGM (2005) Hydroclimaatology of the Nile: results from a regional climatic model. Hydrol Earth Sci 9:263–278

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohamed YA, Savenji HHG, Bastiaanssen WGM, van der Hurk BJJM (2006) New lessons in the Sudd hydrology learned from remote sensing and climate modeling. Hydrol Earth Sci 10:507–518

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Negussie H, Melesse B, Tsunekawa A, Tsubo M, Meshesha D, Balana BB (2012) Reservoir sedimentation and its mitigating strategies: a case study of the Angereb reservoir (NW Ethiopia). J Soils Sediment 12(2):291–305

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Omar MH, El-Bakry MM (1981) Estimates of evaporation from the lake of the Aswan High Dam (Lake Nasser) based on measurements over the lake. Agr Meteorol 23:293–308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peggy AJ, Curtis D (1994) Water balance of Blue Nile basin in Ethiopia. J Irrig Drain Eng 120(3):573–590

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piper BS, Plinston DT, Sutcliffe JV (2009) The water balance of Lake Victoria. Hydrol Sci J 31(1):25–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rientjes THM, Perera JBU, Haile AT, Gieske ASM, Booij MJ, Reggiani P (2011) Hydrological balance of lake Tana, upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia. In: Melesse A (ed) Nile River Basin hydrology climate and water use. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Robelo LM, Senay GB, McCartney MP (2012) Flood pulsing in the Sudd wetland: analysis of seasonal variations in inundation and evapotranspiration in South Sudan. Earth Interact 16:1–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stanley JD, Krom MD, Cliff RA, Woodward JC (2003) Short contribution: Nile flow failure at the end of the old kingdom, Egypt: strontium isotope and petrologic evidence. Geoarchaelogy 18(3):395–402

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sutcliffe JV, Parks YP (1999) The hydrology of the Nile. IAHS, Special Publication No. 5. IAHS Press, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Tesemma ZK (2009) Long term hydrologic trends in the Nile basin, Thesis. Cornell University

    Google Scholar 

  • Wale A (2008) Hydrological balance for Lake Tana upper Blue Nile, Ethiopia, Thesis. International Institute for Geo-Information Science and observation, Enschede, Netherlands

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wossenu Abtew .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Abtew, W., Melesse, A. (2014). The Nile River Basin. In: Melesse, A., Abtew, W., Setegn, S. (eds) Nile River Basin. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02720-3_2

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics