On Generally Perceived Environmental Issues Associated with High Aswan Dam From the Viewpoint of Environmental Impact Assessment Methodologies.

NAKAYAMAI Mikiyasu

doi:10.3178/jjshwr.10.238

The Aswan High Dam is perceived, by public even nowadays, to have induced massive environmental degradation. Such a perception is based on the articles appeared in late 1960's to early 1970's, in which predictions were made about the High Aswan Dam's environmental consequences. Some of these predictions however have proved inaccurate or wrong by comparing what were predicted with what actually happened. The fact that those predictions were based on Environmental Impact Assessment (ETA) methodologies suggests that the ETA methodologies to be applied for construction of a large dam may still have rooms for improvement. The wrong predictions about the consequences of the High Aswan Dam on environment included (i) decrease of fish catch in the Mediterranean coast, (ii) slack in fresh water fishery in the Lake Nasser, (iii) proliferation of schistosomiasis, and (iv) emergence of necessity to apply chemical fertilizers. The causes of wrong or inaccurate predictions were as follows: (i) An environmental indicator obtained shortly before commencement of the project was assumed to be the sole “before project” indicator. (ii) An assumption was made based on a seemingly similar, but in fact limnologically quite different, previous case. (iii) The knowledge, on how the project site used to be in the “before project” period, was either inaccurate or insufficient. (iv) Some phenomena observed in the “after project” period were wrongly assumed as the consequences of the project.

On Generally Perceived Environmental Issues Associated with High Aswan Dam From the Viewpoint of Environmental Impact Assessment Methodologies.

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