India, Feb. 27 -- The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)'s saddle dam, the largest and most critical auxiliary dam globally, is an active geohazard hotspot showing critical signs of instability. If breached could threaten downstream regions, threatening millions in Sudan and Egypt warned a study published in International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, March 2026.

The team at the Earth System and Data Solutions (ESSDS) lab in Chapman University (California), along with Yale University, conducted a comprehensive multi-sensor geohazard analysis of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) saddle dam and identified several warning indicators.

A critical 'auxiliary'

GERD, on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia, is complemented by a saddle ...