Egypt's High Aswan Dam

Abstract

History tells us that Egypt's fertile land is the gift of the Nile. However,for the first time in history, full control of the Nile water was achieved in 1970 after the construction of the High Aswan Dam (HAD). The HAD is a multipurpose project for sustainable irrigation development,hydropower,navigation improvement etc. Different schools of thought appeared before and after the HAD project-optimistic,pessimistic and neutral. However, the anticipated benefits and side-effects have provided clear and obvious facts in response to the different ideas after more than 25 years of operation.The HAD saved Egypt twice during the project's life (a) from a dangerousflood series which occurred in the late 1970s,and (b) from severe droughtsin the mid-1980s.As with other large projects, some side-effects have occurred, as anticipated, but the benefits far exceed these side-effects. There is no doubt that the HAD is the cornerstone for Egypt's sustainable agricultural plans and many other developments.In this paper documented facts are given relevant to HAD water allocations for the sake of the welfare of Egypt's future generations. These will include the realized true benefits and side-effects of the HAD.