The Foreign Policy Research Institute published on 17 September 2025 an analysis titled "The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: A Regional Destabilizer or a New Model for Development?" by Charles A. Ray.
Given that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is now a fact, the issue going forward is one of fairness in sharing the water throughout the Nile Basin.
The South China Morning Post published on 14 September 2025 an article titled "Will China Step in as Egypt and Ethiopia Spar Over Beijing-backed Nile Mega Dam?" by Jevans Nyabiage.
China has close relations with Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan. Beijing played an important role in financing some aspects of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam infrastructure. Egypt, a downstream user of Nile water, continues to be displeased with Ethiopia, an upstream user. It is not likely, however, that China will engage in an effort to mediate Nile water differences between Ethiopia and Egypt.
Aljazeera published on 9 September 2025 an article and two and one-half minute video titled "Ethiopia Inaugurates GERD Dam Amid Downstream Tensions with Egypt, Sudan."
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on 9 September in the presence of the leaders of Kenya and Somalia. Leaders of Egypt and Sudan continued to express their fears that the dam will threaten their country's water security.
The Nanyang Technological University posted on 29 July 2025 an article titled "Ethiopia Wraps Up Construction of Africa's Largest Hydro Project."
Ethiopia has completed construction on the Blue Nile of the $4.2 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Africa's largest hydroelectric project. In addition to meeting domestic demand for electricity, Ethiopia is now selling it to Kenya, Sudan, Djibouti, and Tanzania. The article comes with an excellent picture of the completed dam.
Comment: This article makes the same mistake that most reporting makes on this topic by stating that the Blue Nile provides 85 percent of the Nile River's total flow. The Blue Nile contributes closer to 55 percent of the Nile River's flow. A combination of the Blue Nile, the Tekeze that feeds directly into the Nile, and the Sobat that feeds into the White Nile contribute about 85 percent of the Nile River's flow. The Blue Nile is the single most important source of water for the Nile. All three of these rivers originate in Ethiopia. Their names change as they cross international borders.
Financial Afrik published on 6 July 2025 an article titled "Ethiopia Completes the Grand Renaissance Dam: $4 Billion Funded 'On Its Own'."
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on 3 August that the $4 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has been completed and will be inaugurated in September. It is the largest hydropower dam in Africa and was funded by the Ethiopian government through national bonds and contributions from patriotic campaigns and deductions from civil service salaries.
Global China Pulse posted on 22 May 2025 a commentary titled "After Access: The Complexities of Reflexivity in Global China Fieldwork" by Robert Wyrod, University of Colorado Boulder.
This is a fascinating account of interviewing Chinese managers of Chinese-funded projects in Uganda by a privileged, white American, male academic during a period of deteriorating US-China relations. It underscores the challenges of doing academic research in difficult circumstances.
Freeman's Africa and the World posted on 13 June 2025 an article titled "Completed Ethiopia Dam -- GERD Can Power East African Nations" by Lawrence Freeman.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is scheduled to be inaugurated in September, making it the largest hydroelectric dam in Africa and the 17th largest in the world. It will have the capacity to generate 5,150 megawatts of electricity. In addition to providing power for Ethiopia, it will sell power to Djibouti, Kenya, Sudan, and possibly Tanzania.
Reuters published on 20 December 2023 an article titled "Egypt Says Talks over Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Have Failed - Statement."
Egypt issued a statement on 19 December that the latest talks with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) have failed, adding it would monitor the process of filling and operating the dam. Egypt said it reserves the right to defend its water and national security interests in case of any harm.
Aljazeera published on 15 March 2021 an article titled "Sudan Formally Requests Four-Party Mediation in GERD Row."
Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has formally requested that the UN, EU, and US join the AU in mediation of the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile near the Sudanese border. Sudan says it fears the GERD will increase the risk of flooding in Sudan and will affect the operation of its dams on the Blue Nile--Roseires and Sennar--and possibly the Meroe further downstream on the main Nile.
Sudanese concerns about the GERD's impact on flooding are somewhat perplexing in that the GERD has the potential to regulate frequent flooding in Sudan caused by the Blue Nile during the heavy rains. When there was no GERD, as was the case for thousands of years, Sudan was periodically impacted by flooding of the Blue Nile with no ability in Ethiopia to help control it. While there certainly needs to be an understanding between Sudan and Ethiopia on release of water from the GERD during strong rainy periods, the GERD should be seen as a positive development for controlling flooding in Sudan. The Carnegie Middle East Center published in February 2021 a useful analysis titled "The Dam that Broke Open an Ethiopia-Egypt Dispute" by Sherif Mohyeldeen that makes this point.
