The Nile and Its Masters: Past, Present, Future Source of Hope and Anger |
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Author:
| Kerisel, Jean |
ISBN: | 978-1-000-44674-6 |
Publication Date: | Dec 2021 |
Publisher: | Taylor & Francis Group
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Imprint: | CRC Press |
Book Format: | Ebook |
List Price: | USD $99.95 |
Book Description:
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The Pharoahs were masters of the Nile: they had anbsp;detailed understanding of the ways of the river.nbsp; Modern Egyptiansnbsp;see themselves as heirsnbsp;to this tradition, and as owners of the Nile waters.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Innbsp;the 1960's, nbsp;Egypt decided to protect its increasingly-populated Nile valley from thenbsp;ravages ofnbsp;annualnbsp;flooding by building a dam.nbsp;A relativelynbsp;small damnbsp;innbsp;the valley of Nubia, in the region of Tushka, would have enabled the...
More DescriptionThe Pharoahs were masters of the Nile: they had anbsp;detailed understanding of the ways of the river.nbsp; Modern Egyptiansnbsp;see themselves as heirsnbsp;to this tradition, and as owners of the Nile waters.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Innbsp;the 1960's, nbsp;Egypt decided to protect its increasingly-populated Nile valley from thenbsp;ravages ofnbsp;annualnbsp;flooding by building a dam.nbsp;A relativelynbsp;small damnbsp;innbsp;the valley of Nubia, in the region of Tushka, would have enabled the excess floodwaters tonbsp;safely be divertednbsp;towards the fossil valley of the pre-Nile. However, it was decided to select a site near Aswan, making it necessary to inundate more than 250km ofnbsp;river valley.nbsp;Over the years, this strategy has been revealed to have been faulty, andnbsp;numerous irrigation schemes innbsp; upriver countries have progressively reduced the amount of water descending into Egypt. The dire warning of the 14th century oracle appears to be prophetic: "the water of the river in my country will be stopped from reaching yours, whichnbsp;I shall cause to die of thirst..."