ESS Nile-Answers

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Mini Case Study

Answers

1. Name a biome in Egypt (1)


o Desert

2. State all the countries that the Nile flows through (2)
o Tanzania, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi,
Ethiopia, Kenya, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt.

3. State the location of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (1)


 Blue Nile River in Ethiopia

4. How is Egypt’s population expected to grow in the future (2)


The population is increasing as the population pyramid has a wide base –
indicative of countries experiencing rapid population growth.
(Egypt’s population is expected to double by 2078. The population is currently
growing at a rate of 1.94%, a rate that adds about 2 million people to the
population every year).

5. What are the possible environmental consequences of the building of the dam? (3)

 The dam wall itself blocks fish migrations


 The dam also traps sediments, which are critical for maintaining physical
processes and habitats downstream of the dam (include the maintenance of
productive deltas, barrier islands, fertile floodplains and coastal wetlands).
 Riverbeds downstream of dams are typically eroded

6. Is Egypt living at a sustainable level? Explain your reason (3)

 No, as the ecological footprint is higher than the biocapacity. Environmental


indicators in the area suggest the same outcome – water extraction is so high
that at times the river does not meet the sea, water pollution such as industrial
wastewater discharge, pesticide and chemical fertilizer residue from an
agricultural application, agricultural water drainage, radioactive discharge, and
oil pollution all indicate ecosystems are being degraded.

7. How will Climate change affect the Nile in the future? (2)
 Climate warming models provide diverging/different outcomes of future river
flows in the Nile from a 30% increase to a 78% decrease. In addition,
saltwater intrusion into coastal freshwater resources (including aquifers) is
likely to increase as a result of sea-level rise due to climate warming and would
further reduce the availability of freshwater in the delta region. The Nile basin
traverses the largest number of countries of any basin in Africa; changes in the

© Laura Hamilton,
InThinking www.thinkib.net/ess 1
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timing and availability of water under climate change may lead to tension,
insecurity and management problems
8. How is the Nile being polluted presently? (2)
 water pollution such as industrial wastewater discharge,
 pesticidal and chemical fertilizer residue from an agricultural application,
 agricultural water drainage,
 radioactive discharge, and
 oil pollution

9. How might construction of the dam affect the flow of water through Egypt? (3)
 transformation upstream of the dam from a free-flowing river ecosystem to an
artificial slack-water reservoir habitat.
 Riverbeds downstream of dams are typically eroded by several meters within
the decade of first closing a dam
 Flow of water will slow during the initial filling of the dam

10. Using all your knowledge and the information present in this booklet, justify your
opinion of whether the dam should be built (4)

 There is room in the last question to argue both sides and students should be
encouraged to do so and to give an overall conclusion or judgment. In this case there
are many benefits to the dam being built. Energy security which should result in less
carbon emissions in the future is obviously a good thing. Reliable energy will
provide the infrastructure necessary to provide education which may lead to a
stability of the population growth rate. The environmental impact of such a project
must be explained in this last question – think about the carbon footprint of such a
large build (concrete and transportation), river species extinction and upstream
land flooded with resulting loss in agriculture and housing.

© Laura Hamilton,
InThinking www.thinkib.net/ess 2

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