On the River Nile, a Move to Avert a Conflict Over Water

By Fred Pearce, Yale Environment 360

Ethiopia’s plans to build Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam on the Nile have sparked tensions with Egypt, which depends on the river to irrigate its arid land. But after years of tensions, an international agreement to share the Nile’s waters may be in sight.

Will Huge New Hydro Projects Bring Power to Africa’s People?

By Fred Pearce, Yale Environment 360

A giant new hydro project on the Congo River is only the latest in a rush of massive dams being built across Africa. Critics contend small-scale renewable energy projects would be a far more effective way of bringing power to the hundreds of millions of Africans still without electricity.