Importance of Aswan High Dam to Egypt

River dams are generally constructed for several purposes such as: to generate hydropower; storing water for irrigation and for long-term uses during low flooding and drought years; and both for hydropower generation and saving water. The beneficial side effects of the river dams are to control the river destruction power during high flooding years, to prevent the siltation in irrigation canal, and finally to save water from being wasted in the sea. The collective benefits of Aswan High Dam (AHD) are increasing the Egyptian water resource, controlling and regulating floods, protecting Egypt from potential frequent droughts, increasing agriculture productivity, and completely regulating the river water. The benefits also include preventing siltation in the irrigation delivery systems, enhancing the agriculture extension and desert greening, changing the agricultural pattern to intensive and continuous cultivation, and increasing the cultivation area of high water-consuming crops such as rice, sugarcane, sugar beet, and green clover. The AHD dam is also responsible for generating 2.1 MW of clean sustainable and environmental friendly power, improving navigation and enhancing tourism which create Nile cruise ship hotels, transforming/alternating the agricultural pattern toward having more cash and export crops, increasing fishery and fish productions, and saving the Nile water from being wasted in the Mediterranean Sea. The dam also has a lot of positive economic effects that can help in improving some infrastructure issues as well as the quality of drinking water.