Aswan Dam
Egyptian river blockade
The Aswan Dam is a massive dam on the Nile River in southern Egypt, completed in 1970.
It controls flooding, generates hydroelectric power, and created Lake Nasser, one of the world's largest artificial lakes.
The project displaced thousands of Nubian people and required relocating ancient temples, including Abu Simbel.
Africa's longest river
- NubiaAncient Nile Valley kingdom
- CairoEgyptian capital city
- LuxorEgyptian city of ruins
- AlexandriaEgyptian Mediterranean port
Suez · Sahara · Red Sea · Mediterranean · Gamal Abdel Nasser · UNESCO · Soviet Union · Cold War
Holding liquid reserves
- artificial lakeEngineered body of water
- impoundmentOfficial seizure or detention
- catchmentArea collecting water runoff
- shorelineLand-water boundary
evaporation · sedimentation · fisheries · tilapia · aquaculture · water level · flood control · water supply
Blade-driven energy converter
- generatorElectricity-producing machine
- megawattMillion-watt unit
- electricityEnergy from charged particles
- hydropowerElectricity from flowing currents
penstock · powerhouse · capacity · grid · transformer · voltage · current · alternator
Constructed water passages
- agricultureCultivation of land, livestock
- farmlandAgricultural terrain
- cultivationFostering growth through care
- crop yieldAgricultural production amount
reclaimed land · water management · fertile · delta · water table · aridity · cotton · sugarcane
Raised earth structure
- rockfillCoarse rock for construction
- concreteSolid building mixture
- spillwayDam's water release structure
- sluice gatesAdjustable barriers controlling waterflow
construction · massive · infrastructure · 1960s · crest · downstream · upstream · structural
Particles settling in liquid
- erosionGradual wearing away
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
- seasonal cycleRecurring annual pattern
- coastal erosionLand loss at sea edges
Nile
Africa's longest river
Alexandria · Suez · Sahara · Red Sea · Mediterranean · Gamal Abdel Nasser · UNESCO · Soviet Union · Cold War · nationalization
water storage
Holding liquid reserves
- artificial lakeEngineered body of water
- impoundmentOfficial seizure or detention
- catchmentArea collecting water runoff
shoreline · evaporation · sedimentation · fisheries · tilapia · aquaculture · water level · flood control · water supply · recreation
turbine
Blade-driven energy converter
- generatorElectricity-producing machine
- megawattMillion-watt unit
- electricityEnergy from charged particles
hydropower · penstock · powerhouse · capacity · grid · transformer · voltage · current · alternator · output
canals
Constructed water passages
- agricultureCultivation of land, livestock
- farmlandAgricultural terrain
- cultivationFostering growth through care
crop yield · reclaimed land · water management · fertile · delta · water table · aridity · cotton · sugarcane · rice paddies
embankment
Raised earth structure
- rockfillCoarse rock for construction
- concreteSolid building mixture
- spillwayDam's water release structure
sluice gates · construction · massive · infrastructure · 1960s · crest · downstream · upstream · structural · monument
sedimentation
Particles settling in liquid
- erosionGradual wearing away
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
- seasonal cycleRecurring annual pattern
coastal erosion · waterlogging · salinization · biodiversity · wetlands
- African DamsGERD
- Middle EastIraq, Baghdad, Cairo, Iran, Jordan
- Egyptian PlacesCairo, Luxor, Giza, Alexandria, Memphis
- MegaprojectsPanama Canal, Channel Tunnel, International Space Station, Manhattan Project, Trans-Siberian Railway
- NileNile, River Nile, Blue Nile, White Nile, Nile Delta
- Nile RiverNile River, White Nile, Blue Nile, Egypt, Sudan
Aswan Damdrought
Prolonged water scarcity
water scarcity · desiccation · flood · water shortage · aridity
Aswan Damdam removal
Destroying water-blocking structures
river restoration · rewilding · decommissioning · ecological restoration · environmental restoration