“We are dealing here with a hydroelectric dam, we are not building a nuclear plant” : A case study of securitization processes in water cooperation contexts

Abstract: In 2011, Ethiopia began the construction of the “Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam” (GERD) in the Blue Nile and in 2020 the first filling took place which escalated tensions in the shared waters and provoked concerns from Egypt and Sudan. The aim of the thesis is to broaden the understanding of water sharing issues by conducting a case study of the GERD developments between 2011 and the beginning of 2022 with a focus on securitization processes. Specific focus is on what characterizes securitization processes in water cooperation contexts and what consequences it has for cooperation. To research this, securitization theories as well as concepts of water security, human security and hydro hegemony will be applied. The method used is a content analysis of, primarily, letters addressed to the UN from the three countries. What emerged from the material was a securitization process portraying the dam as an existential threat and detrimental to water security and human security while Ethiopia is denying the idea of the GERD as a threat and portrays it as a necessity for the country’s development and survival. The study also concludes that securitization in many cases obstructs cooperation.