The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd) sits on the Blue Nile tributary in the northern Ethiopian highlands, from which 85% of the Nile’s water flows.

Gerd is Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam and is located 19 miles (30km) south of the Sudanese border. The structure is more than a mile long and 145 meters high. Although construction has not yet been completed, it has already taken 12 years.

A reservoir behind the $4.2 billion (£3.8 billion) dam covers an area the size of Greater London. Currently, 60% of Ethiopia’s population goes without electricity due to the dam.

The project is expected to provide businesses with constant electricity supplies and boost Ethiopia’s development by eventually doubling its electricity output.

Furthermore, it could provide electricity to neighboring countries such as Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Djibouti, and Eritrea. Most of Egypt’s fresh water comes from the River Nile, which has a population of about 107 million.

The country needs water for households and agriculture, especially for growing cotton.

In addition to filling Lake Nasser, Egypt’s hydroelectric power plant, the Aswan High Dam, uses Nile water.