Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Quote in Newsweek on Egypt's Irrigation

I am quoted in the September 28, 2009, issue of Newsweek on page 12 in a brief article titled "Egypt Parches Africa," or "Egypt Controls Most of Nile's Water" in the online, September 22 issue. The quote is:
"Egyptian officials work 'behind closed doors' to block funding for upstream projects, according to David Shinn, a former U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia."
This reference was in the context of Egyptian concern over large, new, upstream irrigation projects and not hydropower dams. Large irrigation projects divert water permanently from reaching Egypt. Hydropower dams only hold back water on a one-time basis. Once the lake behind the dam is full, the water flows again.