THE Egyptians are ready for battle to
protect what they consider their nature-
al right over the river Nile. The threat
comes from neighbouring Sudan,
which shares the river and has declared
its plans of blocking it.
The Nile travels 6,695 km from its
remotest headstream in Burundi to the
Mediterranean Sea. Faced with rapidly
growing populations, not only Sudan
but several other Central African countries that once ignored Nile are seeking
to tame the river. "There is quite simply
not enough water in the Nile basin for
all these countries to develop," contends Robert Engelman, director of the
population and environment programme at the Washington-based
Population Action International. And
Egypt which has been completely
dependent on the river from time
immemorial, is loathe to share it.
If other nations lay claim to the Nile,
the Egyptians will have to prepare
themsel @es to see a smaller Nile and
would probably be forced to change
their livelihoods. Egypt's population of
59 million'w'ill top 100 million in just 30
years, et the country is already
approaching what experts say is too little water for too many people.
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