A contender to Natural Flow Theory is the Doctrine of Reasonable Use. This theory states that water can be used as long as it does not cause unreasonable damage to the flow. While there will be some loss of water to evaporation in GERD reservoir, it is predicted to be minimal compared to other dams in the region [1] . The threat from the irrigation projects can also be mitigated by developing more efficient techniques, which is a high priority of the Nile Basin Initiative [2] .  [1] Water Technology ‘Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Project’ Data accessed 12/12/13  [2] ‘Nile Water: Downstream versus upstream countries’ 27 May 2010