Basic HTML Version
Egypt's Big
Gamble...
The
ASWAN
HIGH
DAM
Faced w ith hunger
and
starvation in the
near future,
Egypt p layed w hat is considered its
trump card
-
gambling
on
the
Nasser
Dam to save the nation .
Toda y, experts are finding Egypt's biggest gamble
may
go down as one
of the nation' s
most
tragic
mistakes .
by
Paul W. Kroll
T
HE
NASSER DAM - popularl)'
known as the Aswan High Dam
- stands as a concrete monu–
rnent of man's achievemc::nt in the desert
wilderness of Upper Egypt.
Jt gave Egypt, a poor nation, the
world's biggest rockfill dam and North
Africa the sccond largest man-made
lake. (Zambia's Lake Kariba is the Jarg–
est.) The Soviet Union receivcJ weJJ
ovcr five hundred million dollars' worth
of propaganda - its sharc of the 1.2-
billion-dollar project.
Aswan's Benefits
The Nasser Dam was actually com–
plcted in thc summer of 1970 - aftcr
eleven years of work. But thc ribbon–
sn ipping cercmony did not occur until
January, 1971. Moscow llew in Soviet
President Nikolai Podgorny to be with
Egyptian Prcsidcnt Sadat at the happy
ceremony. Both meo congratulated cach
other on thc massivc joint effort.
On the surface, both Egyptians and
Sovtets appeared to havc great cause to
be jubilant. (Sorne of thc pluses
accorded the Nasser Dam are found in
the chart on thc next page.) When all
thesc are considcred, there would seem
to be no question that building the Nas–
ser High Dam was exactly the right -
and needed - medicine for Egypt.
8111
paradoxical/y, the Dam may
proc•e lo be nne of the moJI diJttJirouJ
111/dertakin!!,! for the Egyptirtll people.
That may sccm
~hocking
after even a
brief listing of the Dam's advantages.
Unfortunately, the deficits may far out–
weigh any bencfits.
Egypt's Food Production Woes
It should be recognizcd, however,
that Egypt was facing a food-population
crisis of no mean magnitudc.
Egypt has a cucrent population of 34
million.
lt
is expected to
DOUDLE
in less
SUDAN
than a quarter of a century. Therc seems
to be no stopping the relentless surge in
newborn Egyptian babies! These little
Egyptians add up to the following
ycarly increases in population: in 1947
- 340,000; in 1964 - 800,000; in
1971 - perhaps a 1,000,000 increase.
Now look at food production. In
L965, before the cffects of the Nasser
Dam were felt, Egypt had to import
30.2 percent of its food. At the time,
the population was Jess than 32 million.
How, then, Egyptians askcd them–
sclvcs, will the nation feed a massive
population of over 64 million when the
1990's roll around?
Since only 3.6% of Egypt is non–
dcsert Jand, the Egyptians felt thcy had
to take the bull by the horns. Ahmed
Morshidy, Egypt's Under Secretary of
Planning, said, "Sorne experts may
argue about the price we've paid for the
dam, but for most of us thcrc was no