The Blue Nile Falls & The Conflict Churning Downstream

Lake Tana is the source for the Blue Nile, the main tributary of the historic Nile River, the longest river in Africa. The falls are one of the main sites to see near Bahir Dar. We arrived at the end of the rainy season, so they were at their best.
You drive through farms and villages on what I would call a rough road. There is a lot to see and enjoy on the way. Best of all, it's a good hike up to the falls on a trail the locals use for commerce, and to try to sell you everything from trinkets to help with pictures. Kids beg for pens "for school." Adults ask for money for school or just in general. A musician plays a traditional instrument at the end of the trail. That I paid for.
I don't enjoy the touts, but nobody does. We were warned they will walk along and try to help you over parts of the trail, then demand payment in the end. I did let a guy take a few pictures. He was unhappy about his tip at the end. This is the part of traveling I don't enjoy. I know people need the money, but I prefer to give in more systematic ways to try to make more of an impact.
My colleagues Hilarie, Jill and Merouane were joined by Johannes, a student in Merouane's Department, and an official guide. It may have been a bit of a challenge for some, but worth it for all.

The churning river foreshadows the political/legal controversy downstream. Water rights are always a potential for conflict. Even more so in a future with climate change creating more uncertainty in weather and the possibility of crop failures, not to mention sufficient drinking water for a growing population. Although this controversy has been covered well globally in sources like Al Jazeera, and of course locally, I doubt much of the Western World is in tune to it.
The Blue Nile provides over half of the water in the Nile, Egypt's water supply, as well as a source for Sudan. So Ethiopia's nearly finished hydroelectric dam on the Sudan border has caused a source of dispute between the countries. The dam can make Ethiopia an energy exporter in the next couple of years. But Egypt is concerned it will pay for this with insufficient water for its needs. For more information FanaBC's story from October 8, 2019: 
Ethiopia Says Egypt’s New Proposal On GERD Crossed Red Line
The map above helps provide some helpful context. You can find it here.
I am finding there are other conflicts on the Blue Nile here, including industry pollution. Hopefully there will be a project created around this.