Global environmental challenges: Dams & Water Flashcards
(7 cards)
Why are dams and reservoirs built
Links to qualities of water.
Tame & control – even out volatile supplies.
Harness power
Give information on the Aswan high dam
Nile river, Egypt
Constructed 1970
Lake Nasser (stretches 550km to Sudanese border, 35km at widest and holds 132km cubed of water)
Large fishing industry - over 25,000 tonnes per year
generates HEP – 20% Egypt’s electricity.
GIve information on the Nile basin iniative
1929 - Agreement put Egypt in control of the Nile
1959 - New agreement gave Egypt 75% & Sudan 25% (Nile flows through ten countries.
1999 - Nile Basin Initiative - Develop river resources in a sustainable and equitable way.
Did the Nile basin Initiative work
Grand ethiopian renaissance dam
Construction 2011
Could reduce river discharge downstream
Egypt argued that 2% reduction in discharge could result in the loss of 200,000 acres of irrigated land.
Give information on the Helsinki rules
Agreed in 1966 by UNESCO
Each country with a drainage basin has right to an equitable amount of water
Although has no real power or law
Give an example of a waste water treatment plant/blackwater recycling
New Delta Wastewater plant
Irrigation for around 1.2million acres west of Nile delta
Cost 522 million
Cleans 7.5million cubic metres of water/day
Give an example of a desalination plant
Nemmeli desalination plant
Supplies water to Chennai
Bay of Bengal
Est output: 100million litres of water/day
cost around 5.3k rupees
