LINK FOR ARTICLE The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Formerly known as the Millennium Dam and sometimes referred to as Hidase Dam, is a dam recently built on the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia. Egypt, which depends on the Nile for 90 percent of its irrigation and drinking water, sees it as an existential threat. Ethiopia has Ignored Egyptian warnings against cutting off its water supply, as Ethiopia begins to cut off Egypt’s water supply by filling GERD.