Environmental Effects of the Aswan Dam
The article by Gilbert White addressed concerns and effects of the Aswan Dam in Egypt. Written in 1988, it covers the second High Dam built in the 1960s. The dam was built using funding from the Soviet Union, in spite of warnings from Egyptian scientists and engineers of serious issues that could arise. The rapidly growing population demanded more resources and more energy, and pressure was on the Egyptian government to provide. The construction of the dam was meant to realize three goals: to control the natural flooding of the Nile by detention of water in the reservoir; to store water from the flood season to be doled out throughout the year; and to provide hydroelectric power. Implementation of the dam would create a reservoir area, and would flood areas around the Nile. The area flooded by the dam displaced shore-inhabiting Nubians, both in Egypt and in the Sudan. The reservoir itself would create fishing grounds, sailing channels, power sources, and irrigation sources. With the supply of power increasing with the addition of hydroelectric power, the price for electricity would decrease, as well as enabling access to more Egyptians. Controlling water dispersion and extending water access outside of the wet season would enable increased agriculture production, and possible changes in crop patterns and types.
The dam sparked concerns about negative effects from Egyptian engineers and international scientists. Many of the environmental concerns surrounding the Aswan Dam are consistent with the problems that were discussed in Environmental Management lecture and in the book “The Global Casino.” There were worries about erosion, sediment deposition, and heavy flooding if the rivers floo...
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... already being heavily felt; the ability and scope to plan for these effects as become more of a norm as environmental management becomes more and more of a focus during construction. Techniques regarding supplementation of fisheries in the reservoir in order to control overfishing could help with the threats to Tillapia fisheries in the area.
The environmental and social issues that became concerns with the implementation of the Aswan Dam are very similar to all of the issues that were provided as examples in class and in “The Global Casino” text. Soil quality, water quality, wildlife and local population were all effected by the implementation of the Aswan dam.
References
Middleton, Nicholas J. The Global Casino. Oxon: Routledge, 2015.
White, Gilbert. “The Environmental Effects of the High Dam at Aswan.” Environment 7 no. 30 (1988): 4-40.
The one feature common to the Hoover Dam, The Mississippi river and the three gorges dam is that they all tried to control nature’s swings, specifically in the form of flooding. Before the Hoover dam was built, the Colorado river “used to flood spectacularly…but after 1900 the Colorado provoked a vehement response” (Pg 177). The response was simple, but large. The U.S. built several large dams, including the Hoover dam, on the Colorado to decrease its flooding and increase power and irrigation. Unfortunately, just as human control of the Colorado’s flooding increased, its organisms and habitats were detrimentally influenced, and the water became more and more salinated.
The negative aspects of Glen Canyon Dam greatly exceed the positive aspects. The dam’s hydroelectric power supply is only three percent of the total power used by the six states that are served by the facility. There is a surplus of power on the Colorado Plateau and with more and more power-plants being created in the western hemisphere, Glen Canyon Dam’s power is not needed (Living Rivers: What about the hydroelectric loss). Although the ‘lake’ contains twenty seven million acre feet of water, one and a half million acre feet of water are lost yearly due to evaporation and seepage into the sandstone banks surrounding the ‘lake’ (Living Rivers: What about the water supply?). The loss of that much “water represents millions, even billions of dollars” (Farmer 183). If the government were to employ more water efficient irrigation practices, as much as five million acre feet of water per year could be saved.
Policies are often put in place without regards for the effect it will have on other areas, people, or wildlife. Several examples of these unintended consequences are shown in the documentary Salmon: Running the Gauntlet, which explains the effects that human activity, dams, and attempts to repopulate the salmon species have been implemented and failed. With proper evaluation at the onset of a major project, these severe consequences may be avoided.
The annual flood and abundant natural resources made the Nile River a life sustaining force of nature that directly contributed to the creation and survival of the Ancient Egyptian civilization. The Nile River (the “Nile”) played an integral part in shaping the lives and communities of Ancient Egypt. It provided food, transportation, and building materials which contributed to the economy and most importantly the continuity of the Ancient Egyptians.
Water is the foundational basis of life on Earth. Ecosystems, society and humans are completely dependent on it, and as the world population continues to grow, there will be more mouths to feed, and those people will need water to continue their daily lives. However, shortages and poor management leads to the destruction of natural habitats and human suffering. Desertification of land in China is ever-increasing, turning green, lush land into desert. However, this is due mainly in part, because of human activity, and global warming (Wang, Yang, Dong, & Zhang, 2009). The United States could experience a crisis similarly to China’s, but for now they have averted such a catastrophe, because of heavy regulation of water. Though there are water shortages in many parts of the world, it is unwise to export water from the Great Lakes to those regions. Two major reasons why diverting the Great Lakes is a terrible idea, one: it allows for waters wars to start on the basis of who is allowed to access it and for commodification purposes. Two, diverting water on such large scales could have cataclysmic effects on the local residents as well as the environment.
the dam. Because of his actions towards the West, Nasser was forced to turn to the
Ancient Egypt is very well-known as a barren desert in the geography of Africa, yet it is also acclaimed as the “breadbasket of the world.” This grandiose name is often associated with the river Nile, which is strongly believed as one of the most prominent factors for the vivacity of ancient Egypt. Moreover, many historians confidently conclude that the river Nile perhaps is responsible for not only breathing life into this once uninhabitable piece of land, but also for manipulating the behaviour and culture of its people. Therefore, it can be surmised that the river Nile remains one of the most significant and influential factors in the agriculture, trade, and culture of ancient Egypt.
Since the 1920's, when the dam was first proposed, the Three Gorges Dam has been a topic for debate in the People's Republic of China. The construction of the world's largest hydro-electric project on the Yangtze River would be a detriment to the native flora and fauna, submerge rich farmlands, destroy archaeological sites, and force the evacuation of millions of people. Faced with international, as well as domestic, criticism about the ecological and social havoc the Three Gorges Dam would cause, the government of China has remained unnerved and has started construction on this highly questionable project. In December of 1995, Chinese Premier Li Peng officially launched the project at a construction site at Sandouping. However, the fight is not over yet since it will take close to twenty years to finish this massive water project.
It is the longest river in the world. The most important thing about the Nile River provided was its fertile land the soil is rich and good for growing crops. The river’s disadvantage was the flooding it sounds bad at first but it was important because the flood brought rich black soil which is good for growing crops. Sometimes we ask ourselves why ancient Egyptians built pyramids? They were built as burial places and monuments to the pharaohs, deep inside the pyramid the pharaoh would be buried with all items and treasure that he may need to survive in the
In Egypt, almost 68 percent of the landmass is covered with sand. This vast area of space goes on for many acres. The Nile river is a resource that many nomads and farmers rely on in order to survive. The first major migration project to places in 3100 BC created under the rule of Kingman. In ancient Egypt dams and canals were used to divert flood waters of the Nile River. However problems regarding the unbalanced flow of the Nile was being recognized. “During low flows, the land did not receive water and no crops were able to grow”. (Document 1) Change was needed to be done in order to prevent dikes from being washed away and villages from being destroyed. In order to terminate the situation that they were facing, the Egyptians used the irrigation system. This system was of great significance to the early
Pottinger, Lori. "Environmental Impacts of Large Dams: African Examples." International Rivers. N.p., 1 Oct. 1996. Web. 04 May 2014.
IYER, R.I. (19X9) "Large Dams: The Right Perspective.' Economic and Political Weekly, 14, 107- 116.
Yahia, Mohammed. 2013. Leaked Report Sparks Disagreement Between Egypt and Ethiopia Over Dam. July 11. http://www.nature.com/nmiddleeast/2013/130711/full/nmiddleeast.2013.99.html.
Egyptians began to settle along the banks of the Nile River, Starting as far north as to the city of Alexandria all the way down south to Aswan. They developed into a well-structured society as Far East to the Red Sea and west to Dakhia, Oasis among many (Figure 1.). The Nile River reached far lending a hand in creating a well-known civilization that consisted of building pyramids and producing crops for their pharaoh. Evolving from hunters and gatherers into agriculturalists throughout history, Egypt has claimed to be one of the earliest and most spectacular civilizations of ancient times. One could wonder if, what led to the collapse of this great society resulted from the Egyptians interaction with the environment by overusing natural resources, seasonal flooding of the Nile River can play a role, or even worse feuding wars of rulers that see value in the great Egypt soil that are continuing well into the present day?
“Measuring and recording the level of the annual flood was a matter of national importance; the device used for this task was called a “Nilometer”.” The Nile River flooded annually during the time of late summer to autumn, and left behind a mass of perfect soil for the Egyptians. These crops would sprout and flourish during the winter, ready to harvest in the spring. The Egyptians were wary of the seasons, as they discovered that a year consists of 365 days. It was a simple, and convenient method of survival, especially as Egypt contains the Sahara Desert, a harsh and prominently desolate region. There was no need for complex irrigation systems in Egypt, but the river was also utilized in the form of canals, dykes, and dams. The canals were used for the spread of the Nile’s floodwaters to maximize the amount of harvesting area. The Egyptians were smart; in that they knew not to take the river’s floods for granted.