Abstract
From the late Eocene up to the late Middle Pleistocene, Egypt was a wet country due to the rainfall and rivers running through it. Out of the 1660 BCM/y of water that falls within the Nile basin, Egypt receives only 55.5 BCM/y representing about 97% of the renewable water resources in Egypt. This is in addition to the groundwater, domestic wastewater, rainfall, and desalinated water. The Blue Nile, the Atbara and the Sobat, all of which rise in Ethiopia, contribute approximately 85% of the Nile waters that reach the Aswan High Dam (AHD). The White Nile, which obtains its water from Lake Victoria and its tributaries, constitutes 15% of the Nile waters. The annual average flow of the Nile waters is 84 BCM/y, as measured at the AHD. Lake Nasser with a storage capacity of 168.9 BCM was created 5 km upstream of Aswan city in Upper Egypt, after the construction of the AHD. In addition, several barrages were erected to control the water level and discharges into the river. Serious efforts must be made by authorities in the Nile basin countries to develop strategies and plans for mitigation and adaptation as the threat of the expected climatic changes might adversely affect the amount of water resources in the Nile basin.