Aswan Dam Case Study

Question 1

Background of the Aswan Dam

Answer 1

Built on the River Nile, south of the city of Aswan in Egypt

2 dams - Aswan Low Dam and Aswan High Dam (completed in 1902 and 1970)

Question 2

Benefits of the Aswan Dam

Answer 2

flood and drought control - dams allow good crops in dry years, e.g. 1972 and 1973 in Egypt (reduces dependency on food imports)

irrigation - 60% of water from the Aswan Dam is used for irrigation and up to 4000km of the desert are irrigated

HEP - accounts for 7000m kW hours each year (45% of Egypt’s energy needs)

improved navigation upstream and downstream due to less seasonal variations downstream as the amount of water released is regulated (improved tourism on the river Nile)

recreation and tourism (dam itself is a tourist attraction)

amount of fishing behind the dam increased, supporting local fishing industry

building and maintenance of the dam created many jobs and taught local workers new skills

(estimated that the value of the Aswan High Dam to the Egyptian economy is about $500m each year)

Question 3

Costs of the Aswan Dam

Answer 3

water losses - dam provides less than half the amount of water expected

salinization - crop yields have been reduced on up to ⅓ of the area irrigated by water from the dam due to salinization

groundwater changes - seepage leads to increased groundwater levels and may cause secondary salinization

displacement of population - up to 100,000 Nubian people have been removed from their ancestral homes

seismic stress - earthquake of November 1981 is believed to be caused by the dam; as water levels in the dam decrease, so does seismic activity

channel erosion (clear water erosion) beneath the channel; lowering the channel by 25mm over 18 years

Increased sedimentation may put stress on dam, reduce lake depth, storage levels and preventing the nutrients from reaching farmland downstream

loss of nutrients - $100m worth of artificial fertilizers used annually to replace nutrients (alluvium) trapped behind the dam

decreased fish catches - sardine yields are down 90% and 3000 jobs in Egyptian fisheries have been lost

spread of diseases due to increased stagnant water