In April 2011, Ethiopia began the construction of a huge dam on the Nile. The dam is expected to produce as much energy as six nuclear power stations and could make one of the world's poorest states self-sufficient, but the population may pay a high price.
For Ethiopia, this "Renaissance Dam", as the Ethiopians have nicknamed it, brings the promise of irrigated agriculture and energy independence.
However, the project is controversial. Damming a river has implications for everyone who lives by and anyone who makes a living on the waterway.
Downstream countries -- Sudan, and especially Egypt -- also see the project as a threat. Although diplomatic tensions, which were high at the project's launch, have eased somewhat, the dam continues to cause concern.
Due to a lack of sufficient funding, work on the project -- estimated at 4 billion euros -- is delayed. Our reporters went to the site to see.
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