Does the Fula Dam in South Sudan pose a new threat to the water supply of Egypt and Sudan?

While the two downstream countries in the Nile River Basin (Egypt and Sudan) are still trying to resolve many outstanding issues with Ethiopia regarding the management and operation of the Renaissance Dam in a way that does not affect their share of the water, South Sudan has announced a new challenge that the two neighboring countries may face in the coming months, after the Minister of Energy and Dams in South Sudan, Agok Makur, brought the issue of the “Fula” dam back to the forefront.

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Agok announced in his country’s readiness to proceed with plans to build the dam, considering this project to be part of South Sudan’s right to develop its water resources.

The statement sparked controversy, perhaps because it came amid the ongoing crisis surrounding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. However, this is not a project that is appearing for the first time this year. The Fula site, near the city of Nimule in Eastern Equatoria State in South Sudan, has been proposed for years for generating hydroelectric power.

A delegation from the European Union and the Ministry of Energy and Dams in South Sudan visited the potential dam sites in March 2026. Therefore, the important question is not whether Juba will build the dam or not, but the more difficult question is: what will happen to the water after the Nile passes through the Fula Dam, and could its effects reach Sudan and then Egypt?

Where is the new dam located?

Before proceeding to elaborate on that answer, Dr. Peter points out that the planned location for this project is in the Fula region, near the city of Nimule, where the Nile enters South Sudan coming from the Lake Albert region of Uganda, and the waterway there is known as the "Mountain Sea".

He explains that the importance of this location for Egypt and Sudan lies in the fact that the water passes through Fula to continue its journey north into South Sudan, then enters Sudanese territory, and meets the Blue Nile in Khartoum, before the unified Nile heads towards Egypt.

Documents from the Nile Basin Initiative describe the region as part of the Bahr al-Jabal basin, which extends from the outlet of Lake Albert to Lake No for a distance of approximately 1,000 kilometers, with a significant elevation difference that provides potential for generating electricity from hydropower.

Accordingly, the Fula Dam is located in the upper part of the river's course in South Sudan, that is, before Sudan to the north and Egypt in the direction of the water flow.