Egypt's High Aswan Dam

ABSTRACT History tells us that Egypt’s fertile land is the gift of the Nile. However, for the ® rst 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 projectÐ optimistic, pessimistic and neutral. However, the anticipated bene ® ts 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 dangerous ¯ ood series which occurred in the late 1970s, and (b) from severe droughts in the mid-1980s.As with other large projects, some side-effects have occurred, as anticipated, but the bene ® ts 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 bene ® ts and side-effects of the HAD.