Water Geopolitics & Transboundary River Flashpoints: The Nile (GERD), Mekong Cascades, Indus, Aral Sea & Lake Chad Depletion

On which tributary of the River Nile has Ethiopia constructed the massive Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)?

Which downstream North African nation relies on the Nile River for over 97% of its renewable freshwater supply?

By what name is the upper course of the transboundary Mekong River known in China where extensive mega-dams have been built?

The desiccation of the Aral Sea in Central Asia was caused primarily by the diversion of which two major rivers for agricultural irrigation?

Which shrinking water body in the Sahel region is shared by Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon?

In hydrological accounting, what is the term used to describe the precipitation that infiltrates the root zone of soil and is absorbed by crops and natural vegetation?

Which Ethiopian lake is the primary geographic source of the Blue Nile River?

What is the term coined by Professor Tony Allan to describe the volume of freshwater embedded in the global trade of agricultural commodities?

In which Southeast Asian country does the Mekong River terminate into its massive agricultural delta before emptying into the South China Sea?

With reference to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dispute, consider the following statements: 1. The dam is constructed on the Blue Nile, which provides over 80% of the Nile's flow during seasonal floods. 2. Egypt claims water rights based on colonial-era agreements from 1929 and 1959, which upstream countries did not consent to. 3. The dam will completely prevent all water from ever reaching downstream Sudan and Egypt. Which of the statements given above are correct?

Consider the following statements regarding the Mekong River basin: 1. The Mekong River flows through six countries: China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. 2. Tonle Sap lake in Cambodia experiences an annual flow reversal driven by the monsoon flood pulse of the Mekong. 3. China is a full permanent signatory member of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) established in 1995. Which of the statements given above are correct?

With reference to the Indus Waters Treaty (1960) between India and Pakistan, consider the following statements: 1. The treaty allocates the waters of the Eastern Rivers (Sutlej, Beas, Ravi) to India for unrestricted use. 2. The waters of the Western Rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) are allocated to Pakistan, subject to permitted run-of-the-river hydroelectric uses by India. 3. The World Bank is a signatory to the treaty and facilitates dispute resolution mechanisms. Which of the statements given above are correct?

Consider the following statements regarding the environmental disaster of the Aral Sea: 1. It was formerly one of the four largest inland lakes in the world. 2. The shrinkage of the Aral Sea exposed toxic salt flats, giving rise to the newly formed Aralkum Desert. 3. The desiccation of the Aral Sea led to a milder, more humid local climate with increased annual rainfall. Which of the statements given above are correct?

With reference to the concept of 'Virtual Water Trade', consider the following statements: 1. It allows water-scarce nations to conserve domestic water by importing water-intensive food crops from water-rich nations. 2. India is a major net exporter of virtual water due to large-scale exports of agricultural products such as basmati rice and sugarcane. 3. Virtual water trade is calculated by measuring the actual physical water molecules transported inside metal shipping containers. Which of the statements given above are correct?

Consider the following statements regarding the 1997 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses: 1. It enshrines the principle of 'equitable and reasonable utilization' of shared transboundary watercourses. 2. It obligates riparian states to take all appropriate measures to prevent causing significant harm to other watercourse states. 3. All sovereign nations that border international rivers have formally ratified this convention. Which of the statements given above are correct?