The Nile: water and dams in the countries that dispute it
The countries in the dispute over the Nile are Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. Across Egypt, 98% of renewable water comes from other countries (FAO AQUASTAT, 2023); Global Dam Watch lists 14 large dams on the river and its main tributaries in these countries.
Source: WRI Aqueduct, accessed on 25 Oct 2026, aqueduct.wri.org (CC BY 4.0)2023Updated 25 Oct 2026
Egypt and Sudan signed the Agreement for the Full Utilization of the Nile Waters on 8 November 1959. It allocates Egypt 55.5 billion cubic metres a year and Sudan 18.5 billion cubic metres a year (1959), measured at Aswan. Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan signed the Declaration of Principles on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in Khartoum on 23 March 2015. Ethiopia began filling the dam's reservoir in July 2020 and inaugurated the dam on 9 September 2025, with an installed capacity of 5,150 megawatts (2025).
Drafted with AI from cited sources and reviewed by the editorMap. Arrow keys move the map, plus and minus zoom, N and P step through the countries with data, Enter opens the one shown, Escape clears the selection.
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Borders show who controls an area in practice, as drawn by Natural Earth. Disputed borders are dashed. Borders shown do not imply endorsement. How we treat borders
Countries in the dispute
| Country | Water stress, 1979–2019 | Projected water stress, 2050 | Renewable water from abroad, 2023 | Dams on the river |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethiopia | 1.0 | 1.4 | 0% | 4 |
| Sudan | 1.5 | 1.6 | 96% | 6 |
| Egypt | 4.9 | 4.5 | 98% | 4 |
Source: WRI Aqueduct, accessed on 25 Oct 2026, aqueduct.wri.org (CC BY 4.0)baseline 1979–2019; projection 2050Updated 25 Oct 2026
Source: FAO AQUASTAT2023Updated 25 Oct 2026
Source: Global Dam WatchUpdated 25 Oct 2026
Dams in Global Dam Watch
| High Aswan Dam | Nile | Egypt | 162 km³ | 1970 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tekeze | Tekeze | Ethiopia | 9 km³ | 2010 |
| Jebel Aulia | White Nile | Sudan | 3.5 km³ | 1937 |
| Roseires | Blue Nile | Sudan | 3 km³ | 1966 |
| Rumela | Atbara | Sudan | 2.7 km³ | 2016 |
| Merowe | Nile | Sudan | 1.9 km³ | 2009 |
| Khashm el Gibra | Atbara | Sudan | 1.3 km³ | 1964 |
| Sennar | Blue Nile | Sudan | 930 million m³ | 1925 |
| Finchaa | Finochaa | Ethiopia | 650 million m³ | 1973 |
| Rib | Ribb | Ethiopia | 234 million m³ | 2017 |
| Old Aswan Dam | Nile | Egypt | 200 million m³ | 1933 |
| Alwero | Alwero | Ethiopia | 75 million m³ | 1995 |
| Assiut Barrage | Nile | Egypt | 20 million m³ | 1902 |
| Nag-Hamady Barrage | Nile | Egypt | -99 million m³ | 1930 |
Source: Global Dam Watch (GRanD)Updated 25 Oct 2026