Maxar Technologies has recently collected new satellite imagery of northwestern Ethiopia that focuses on the status of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the Blue Nile River.
This massive construction project (nearly $5 billion USD) that has been under construction since 2011 will become the largest dam in Africa and affect Sudan and Egypt, as the river flows north from the dam and, ultimately, becomes the vitally important Nile River.
Maxar’s most recent satellite imagery collected on July 12th reveals that a large reservoir has started to fill behind the dam. Some estimates claim that it may take as long as 5-7 years to fill the reservoir completely.
In the recent Maxar satellite images, significant changes can be seen in the area over the past two weeks as the water levels begin to rise and the reservoir begins to form.