Egypt Blocked Billion Tons of Rainwater from the Nile, Keeping It From Going Into the Sahara Desert

It is no secret that Egypt is not a humid country. For decades, Egyptians have sought to reduce their dependence on the Nile, an unreliable source of water with years of devastating floods alternating with severe droughts. The only way to break this cycle of natural disasters was to build the Aswan Dam. This project not only stores water to cope with droughts, but also regulates the flow of the Nile to prevent flooding.

The Aswan Dam, built near the border between Egypt and Sudan, became one of the largest earthen dams in the world. When completed, it was even taller than the Satou Dam in the United States. Many experts consider it one of the greatest engineering projects of the 20th century. But before we delve deeper into the impact of this dam, let’s take a look at the context before its construction.

In the past, the Nile regularly overflowed its banks in late summer, carrying nutrient-rich silt that fertilized the deltas and valleys, creating ideal conditions for agriculture since ancient times. However, the flow was unstable – years with too much water could destroy crops, while years with too little water caused drought and famine. As populations grew and technology advanced, the need to control the river became more urgent.

Before the modern Aswan Dam was built, the British built a smaller dam, called the Lower Aswan Dam, between 1898 and 1902. It was upgraded twice in 1912 and 1933, but it was still insufficient to meet irrigation needs. By 1946, when floodwaters were almost overflowing the dam, Egypt decided to build a new, larger dam.

Construction of the Aswan Dam began on January 9, 1960, with the participation of 25,000 Egyptian engineers and workers. The project required about 1.5 billion cubic meters of construction materials and after 10 years, in 1970, the dam was officially completed. Filling the reservoir took another six years, and by 1976, Lake Nasser – the artificial lake formed behind the dam – had reached its maximum water level.

The dam is enormous in scale: 3,830 m long, 980 m wide at the base of the dam and 111 m high. Lake Nasser behind it is 480 km long and 35 km wide at its widest point. It is not only a hydraulic project but also a hydroelectric power plant with 12 Francis turbines, with a total capacity of 2,100 MW, providing electricity to a large part of Egypt’s population.

However, the construction of the Aswan Dam was not simple. The project was originally planned to be funded by the United States and several European countries, but due to political tensions during the Cold War, the funding was withdrawn. Finally, Egypt turned to the Soviet Union for financial and technical support, with a total loan of about 425 million USD.

Despite its many benefits, the Aswan Dam also caused many consequences. About 100,000 – 120,000 people had to relocate to make room for the reservoir. Blocking the natural flow of water caused alluvium to no longer be deposited, reducing the fertility of agricultural land. People were forced to use chemical fertilizers, leading to a serious decline in the number of fish in the Nile. The dam also changed the climatic conditions of the area, causing earthquakes to be stimulated and increasing humidity in the air.

In addition, this project also affected cultural heritage. Several ancient sites, including the Abu Simbel temples, had to be relocated to avoid flooding. The relocation was one of the most impressive archaeological and engineering campaigns in history, coordinated by UNESCO and involving more than 2,000 experts and engineers.

Today, the Nile continues to be an important resource not only for Egypt but also for many upstream countries such as Ethiopia and Sudan. Tensions between these countries have increased, especially as Ethiopia builds the Grand Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, raising concerns about Egypt’s future water supply.

In short, the Aswan Dam has completely transformed Egypt’s economy and society, bringing both benefits and challenges. It has helped control floods, provided irrigation water and electricity, but has also raised environmental issues and disputes over water resources. In the face of climate change and a growing population, the battle for control of the Nile is far from over.