03 November 2015

Lecture at Boston University about the Sacred Blue Nile

A professor at Boston University gives another spin on the Blue Nile, one of two major Nile tributaries that contributes the majority of water to Sudan and Egypt downstream. Part of the University Lecture Series, Professor James McCann spoke about the spiritual essence of the Blue Nile from his personal experience and understanding of regional history. It is not common to hear the angle of spiritual and emotional importance of the Blue Nile in lecture halls, but this does not mean that these aspects of the Blue Nile are lacking. Quite the contrary - the Nile in general is hugely emotional, spiritual, and personally important for everyone in the region. He includes the topic of the Renaissance Dam as yet another iteration of the visions and dreams associated with the sacred and important river resource.

The Blue Nile is described as an incredibly unique place, yet it has been poorly explored, defined, and described. Once the Renaissance Dam is finished and water begins to fill the valley behind the wall, much of its sacred mystery - the species, the gold, the history - will be under water indefinitely. The reservoir will be one of the largest of its kind on the continent - taming the wild river fluctuations, destructive floods, and high mineral and nutrient-rich sediment upstream of Sudan and Egypt (in what will be most likely called, the Meles Zenowi Reservoir).


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