Lake Nasser—Nubia

Abstract

The construction of the Aswan High Dam created one of the largest man-made lakes in Africa, extending for 500 km south of the dam. The major portion lies in Egypt (Lake Nasser); the Sudanese part is known as Lake Nubia. Accumulation of water, primarily aimed at generating hydroelectric power and irrigation, started in 1964. The average annual discharge of the Nile is ca 84 × 109 m3. With its storage capacity of ca 160 × 109 m3 the reservoir is therefore worth almost 2 years of river discharge. Of this, by an agreement dating to 1959, the annual share of Egypt at a water level of 180 m asl is 55 × 109 m3, that of Sudan 18 × 109 m3. More than 70% of the sediment of the River Nile is deposited near Wadi Halfa. Fluctuations of physical and chemical variables, phytoplankton, macro-phytes, zooplankton, macrobenthos and fish are discussed. To fill the hitherto empty pelagic niche and exploit this area of the lake efficiently, the introduction of a pelagic planktivore fish could be considered. A brief overview is provided of the positive and negative consequences of the dam's construction, at a local and at a planetary scale.