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Water resources are considered one of the most important natural resources, as it is necessary for the continuation of human life and other living organisms, for this aim, many large dams were built. The dam is a wall built on the course of the river from rocks or concrete, as it prevents the flow of the flood waters, where artificial lakes arise behind it. They are called reservoirs that are used for the purposes of generating electricity, providing water for irrigation and drinking, and other purposes. Cross border dams are built on international rivers, where construction is subjected to a set of laws regulating the use of water. The large dams on the African continent led to the displacement and resettlement of millions, in addition to increasing social and economic problems in the displaced communities that had to be removed to make way for these dams. A good example is the Akosombo Dam project on the Volta River in Ghana. Water represents the essence and source of human interdependence in any country around the world and a source of life for African countries, especially in sub Saharan Africa, where transboundary rivers abound, and in which many countries, share benefits from fisheries, hydropower, tourism and other common economic interests. River water resources are among the most basic resources that transcend borders. Transboundary waters extend hydrological interdependence across national borders, linking water users in different countries through a common system, and managing this interdependence is undoubtedly one of the major challenges facing the African continent. Now the African continent faces many problems related to the management of transboundary waters as an increasing and central issue and even a matter of life and death in the dialogues between riparian countries. As a direct result of the increasing competition on water, there will be a lot of repercussions on the affected human development across borders due to the tension between neighboring countries, which in turn will affect peace and security issues around the transboundary rivers. Hence, the riparian countries must choose to settle these differences through cooperation and benefit-sharing, away from individual hegemony or control over water resources.
Water depletion often occurs in the same basins as transboundary rivers, as the risk of pollution become very high, while expected to increase with the construction of dams, which exposes many organisms to the risk of extinction. The construction of dams and diversions of water courses that is carried out in many basins should lead to a sincere commitment to improving guidelines for the construction of new dams, designing multi-purpose dams, and enhancing dams that work with the aim of maximizing human benefits and minimizing negative impacts on the ecological, economic and other systems. Therefore, the urgent question remains: Are dams being built in the African continent after studies of the positive and negative impacts and surveys? Are the dams being built after consulting experts in the country? What is the extent of commitment to the value of prior notification to downstream countries before starting the construction of the dam? The research has been divided into First- The purpose and effects of dams; Are dams built with the aim of sequestering water or generating energy and these two objectives differ in terms of the height of the dam and the required capabilities, Second- Settlement and its problems, Third- The implications of local and regional dams, Fourth- Sharing the benefits of resources and the division of borders on cross-border rivers between countries in terms of utilization of water and energy resources.
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