The Aswan High Dam is a large embankment dam located on the Nile River in Egypt, completed in 1970. It was built to control flooding, provide hydroelectric power, and facilitate irrigation in the region, profoundly impacting the economy and agriculture of Egypt while also raising important environmental and social concerns.
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The Aswan High Dam creates Lake Nasser, one of the largest man-made lakes in the world, which holds about 132 billion cubic meters of water.
The dam has a total installed capacity of 2.1 gigawatts of electricity, significantly contributing to Egypt's energy needs and economic development.
Construction of the dam led to the displacement of over 100,000 people, raising issues of social justice and economic impact for those communities.
While the dam has helped prevent annual flooding of the Nile, it has also disrupted sediment flow downstream, affecting agriculture and natural ecosystems.
The Aswan High Dam plays a key role in regulating water supply for irrigation in Egypt's arid climate, allowing for expanded agricultural production.
Review Questions
How does the Aswan High Dam impact both the economy and environment of Egypt?
The Aswan High Dam significantly boosts Egypt's economy by providing hydroelectric power and controlling water supply for irrigation, which has increased agricultural productivity. However, it also poses environmental challenges, such as disrupting natural sediment flow, which affects soil fertility downstream. This dual impact illustrates how infrastructure development can create both opportunities and challenges within a country's ecosystem.
Evaluate the social implications of building the Aswan High Dam, particularly regarding community displacement.
Building the Aswan High Dam resulted in significant social implications, particularly due to the displacement of over 100,000 people from their homes. This created challenges related to resettlement, loss of livelihoods, and cultural disintegration among affected communities. The social justice concerns surrounding this displacement highlight the importance of considering human impacts when undertaking large-scale infrastructure projects.
Assess the long-term effects of the Aswan High Dam on agricultural practices in Egypt and their relationship to climate change.
The long-term effects of the Aswan High Dam on agriculture include enhanced irrigation capabilities that have allowed for year-round farming in an otherwise arid region. However, with climate change causing alterations in rainfall patterns and increasing temperatures, reliance on stored water from Lake Nasser poses risks. Farmers may face challenges due to potential water scarcity or changing conditions that could affect crop yields, indicating that sustainable agricultural practices are essential to adapt to these evolving environmental factors.
Related terms
Nile River: The longest river in the world, flowing through northeastern Africa and crucial for the agriculture and economy of Egypt.
Hydroelectric Power: Electricity generated by harnessing the energy of flowing water, often used in dams to provide a renewable energy source.
Reservoir: A large natural or artificial lake used to store water for human use, irrigation, or hydroelectric power generation.