Literature as a Hydro-political Discourse

Egypt, an entirely Nile-dependent country, adopts a "historical right" to the waters of the Nile which is rooted in their long history of dependence and which is reiterated in the colonial treaties of 1929 and 1959. Ethiopia on the other hand, produces over 86 percent of the Nile waters, but as the least beneficiary of the river's bounty, depends highly on rain-fed agriculture and is bound to be hit by recurrent drought and famine. And thus Ethiopia adopts the "natural right"; it demands a "fair share" of the river. This book focuses on the comparative analysis of the hydro-political communication of the two riparian states of the Eastern Nile Basin. Ethiopian and Egyptian poetry are discussed as hydro-political discourse. The two countries being the source and receiver of the waters of the Nile respectively have long years of relationship which is reinvigorated by their strong religious tie. Logical consideration of the poems of the aforementioned countries is also justified by the long-standing contention of water politics which has always been and will probably continue to be the greatest paradox of the basin. This book seeks the root cause of this paradox and the key thereof.