The Environmental Effects of the High Dam at Aswan

11 Pages 2804 Words

rease the number crops per year for existing
fields. In 1960 (with the help of the Soviet Union) constructions for an
additional dam, the high dam, at Aswan began. The dam was completed at 1967
while the Nile was closed around a temporary structure at 1965. The main aims of
the dam were the following:
1.To control the floods of the Nile.
2.To store water from each annual flood, achieving regulated releases of water
for irrigation etc.
3.To generate hydroelectric power. During the 31 years which have past since the
high dam was established, many environmental and sociological problems were
detected (in the reservoir area and downstream of the dam). These problems
questioned the Aswan dam project. (White 1988).
The dam's beneficial effects:
The high dam successfully controlled the flow of the Nile. Regulating the flow
had two main important impacts: floods were prevented and a the seasonal
fluctuation were minimized. As a result many lives and damage to the Egyptian
economy were saved, crops could be grown all year around and, navigation on the
waterway system downstream of the dam had improved and increased. In addition to
these direct benefits, the regulated flow incited the development of the
irrigation system. After 1965 irrigation water was extended to areas beyond the
earlier reach of canals by the construction of new canals, principally to the
west of the delta and to the northwest of Cairo. The irrigation cropping land
(counting land cultivated in each crop season separately) had increased from 9.3
millions feddans in 1952 to 11.2 millions feddans in 1982 (Egypt's statistical
year book 1983).
Additional economical benefit of the high dam is the electricity generation by
the released water from the dam. By 1986 all Aswan power was sold (producing 8
billion kilowatt-hour), more than one third of the Egyptian electric consumption
at that year (Egypt's statistical year book 1986)....