The Nile River flows over 6,800 kilometers (4,000 miles) before emptying into the

Mediterranean Sea. For thousands of years, the river has provided a source of irrigation
to transform the dry area around it into lush agricultural land. Today, the river continues
to be a vital freshwater resource for millions of northeast Africans who rely on it for
irrigation, drinking water, fishing, and hydroelectric power.

The Nile River, the longest river in the world, flows from south to north through
northeastern Africa. It begins in the rivers that flow into Lake Victoria (located in
modern-day Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda) and travels more than 6,800 kilometers
(4,000 miles) to the north, emptying into the Mediterranean Sea on Egypt’s coast. The
river’s three main tributaries are the Atbara, the Blue Nile and the White Nile. The entire
Nile River basin—made up of interconnected streams, lakes and rivers—threads its way
through 11 African countries: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

The Nile River was critical to the development of ancient Egypt. The soil of the Nile
River Delta between Cairo, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea is rich in nutrients, due to
the large silt deposits the Nile leaves behind as it flows into the sea. The banks of the
Nile all along its vast length contain rich soil as well, thanks to annual flooding that
deposits silt. From space, the contrast between the Nile's lush green river banks and the
desert through which it flows is obvious.

For millennia, much of Egypt's food has been cultivated in the Nile Delta region. Ancient
Egyptians developed irrigation methods to increase the amount of land they could use
for crops to support a thriving population. Beans, cotton, flax and wheat were important,
abundant crops that could be easily stored and traded.

The Nile River Delta was also an ideal growing location for the papyrus plant. Ancient
Egyptians used the papyrus plant in many ways, such as making cloth, boxes and rope,
but by far its most important use was in making paper. Besides using the river's natural
resources for themselves and trading them with others, early Egyptians also used the
river for bathing, drinking, recreation and transportation. Today, National Geographic
Explorer Raghda (Didi) El-Behaedi studies how ancient societies responded to a
shrinking water supply, particularly focusing on Lake Moeris and the Nile. Informed by
technologies such as remote sensing and GIS, El-Behaedi seeks to better understand
ancient landscapes and subsequently bolster cultural heritage preservation efforts in
Egypt.Today, 95 percent of Egyptians live within a few miles of the Nile. Canals bring
water from the Nile to irrigate farms and support cities. The river's water is a vital
resource for millions of people who depend on it for irrigation, drinking water, fishing
and hydroelectric power. The river has served as an important transportation route for
thousands of years. Today, some residents of Cairo have begun using private speed
boats, water taxis or ferries to avoid crowded streets.

Dams, such as the Aswan Dam in Egypt, have been built to help to tame the river and
provide a source of hydroelectric power. However, the silt and sediment that used to
flow north, enriching the soil and building the delta, is now building up behind the dam.
Instead of growing in size through the soil deposits, the delta is shrinking due
to erosion along the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, annual flooding no longer occurs
along parts of the Nile. These floods were necessary to flush and clean the water of
human and agricultural waste. As a result, the water is becoming more polluted.

The many habitats in the Nile River basin support biodiversity in the region. The basin is
home to a variety of animals, including the hippopotamus, the monitor lizard and the
fearsome Nile crocodile. The Nile River Delta is also a vital winter stopover for millions
of birds migrating along the East African flyway.

The rivers and lakes are filled with a variety of freshwater fish, including the sharp-
toothed tigerfish and the Nile perch, a large fish that can grow to weigh more than 79
kilograms (175 pounds). Fishing is a way of life for many inhabitants of northeast Africa,
who depend on it for food and a way to earn money. Today, however, the Nile River
system is threatened by pollution, as it harms the fish and other wildlife that live in its
aquatic environment. This pollution is also impacting the people who depend on the Nile
for their drinking water and for irrigating their crops.

With so many countries sharing and relying on the interconnected water resource that is
the Nile River basin, it is essential for them to cooperate in regard to its use.
Unfortunately, these countries do not always agree on how to manage the water supply.
One of the countries most impacted by pollution and water shortages is Egypt, which
gets 90 percent of its water from the Nile. As the country’s population increases, experts
say Egypt’s demand for water may soon exceed its supply. The United Nations predicts
that Egypt will face a water shortage by 2025.

This need for cooperation led to the formation of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) in 1999.
The NBI brings representatives from all 11 countries in the Nile River basin together to
discuss ways to manage and share the water. In 2010, one NBI initiative saw four
nations—Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda—enter into a Nile River water-
sharing agreement. The agreement, called the Cooperative Framework Agreement,
allows the countries to use the Nile River system in their borders to encourage
cooperation and sustainability. Kenya and Burundi later signed onto the agreement,
which remains in place today.

There are still disagreements over the management of the Nile's waters. Ethiopia
recently built its own dam, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, over the Blue Nile
tributary. The Blue Nile supplies most of the water that flows into the Nile River. This
has created conflict between Ethiopia and the two countries, Egypt and Sudan, that are
downriver. Egypt and Sudan depend on the flow of water from the Blue Nile.The dam,
however, is a big benefit to Ethiopia. It will allow all of its citizens to have access to
electricity. In 2015, the three "downriver" countries impacted by Ethiopia's dam—Egypt,
Ethiopia and Sudan—signed an agreement to cooperate as the dam was built and its
reservoir slowly filled. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is now Africa's largest
dam. It began producing electricity in 2022.