UNIT 14 WORLD MULTIPURPOSE RIVER PROJECTS
UNIT 14: WORLD MULTIPURPOSE RIVER PROJECTS
Key Unit Competence:
By the end of the Unit, I should be able to evaluate the impact of multi-purpose river
projects on sustainable development of different countries in the world.
Introductory activity
Observe the image provided below and answer the following questions:
Aswan High Dam
1. What do you observe from the figure above?
2. What activity does that figure stand for?
3. Explain the two types of energy that you know and how they are
produced.
4. Explain how the Multipurpose River Projects contribute to the sustainabledevelopment of countries and socio-economic welfare of population.
14.1. Definition, aim, objectives and importance of multipurpose river
Projects
Learning Activity 14.1.Observe the sketch of a dam and answer the following questions:
1. List the elements found on this sketch of a dam.
2. Make a research and define a Dam and explain its importance to humanactivities.
14.1.1. Definition, aims and objectives of multipurpose river projects.
Multipurpose River Projects: A Multipurpose River Project refers to the project
designed to use the water of rivers efficiently and improve its management for the
benefit of humans and their activities for the sustainable development of the regions.
These projects are based on dams built on rivers and they may be multipurpose,
involving more than one purpose, for instance water storage for irrigation, and
domestic uses, hydro-electric power generation, flood control, fishing, waterways
transport among others. Many hydroelectric power projects serve more than one
purpose, hence referred to as multi-purpose hydroelectric power projects. These
projects contribute greatly to enhance the sustainable development of countriesand the social economic welfare of inhabitants.
A dam: This is a constructed structure that forms a barrier across a river to regulate
the flow of water.
Aims of multipurpose river projects: The aims of the multipurpose river projects
are to increase the economic independence through the sustainable development
of various economic sectors, the national wealth and the standards of living of
inhabitants.
Objectives of multipurpose river development:• To control flood.Hydro-electric power plant (HEP): an hydro-electric power plant is constructed to
• To provide water for irrigation, diversify agricultural production.
• To check soil erosion.
• To provide water for drinking and domestic purposes.
• To generate electricity for industries, villages and cities.
• To provide inland navigation.
• To encourage tourism and recreation.
• To preserve wildlife.
• To develop fisheries.
• To create employment opportunities.
• To promote industrialization and urbanization.
• Diversify the economy.
• Creation of settlements for the landless/surplus population.
generate hydro-electricity for industries and homes. As represented on the figure
below, a hydro-electric power plant arrangement consists of basic sections such
as dam, reservoir, penstock, control gates, turbines, power house which includegenerator and transformer and power lines.
These basic sections are briefly described in the following:
Dam: A barrier constructed across a river to hold back water and raise its level,
forming a reservoir used to generate electricity or for domestic, irrigation or industrial
water supply. Some dams are built also to preventing the flow of water or loose solid
materials (such as soil or snow).
Reservoir: The part of river where water will be stored is called Reservoir.
Penstock: Penstocks are generally made of reinforced concrete or steel to transport
water from reservoir to turbine with less friction losses.
Control Gate: Also called crane is used to control over the water travelling in
penstock.
Turbines: Water turbines are used to convert the energy of falling water into
mechanical energy and enable generators to produce electrical energy from rotating
shaft of turbine.
Power House: At the power house generated power from generator will be steppedup and supplied to transmission power lines.
14.1.2. Importance of multipurpose river projects for sustainable
development
The benefits of river dam projects for the sustainable development of countries
include:
• Provision of cheap and reliable hydro-electric power: Most river dam
projects in Africa are used to generate hydro-electric power for both domestic
and industrial purposes. This has saved valuable foreign exchange, which
would have been used to import thermal power. In developed countries,
hydropower costs less than most energy sources.
• Provision of water: The dams provide water for domestic, industrial and
irrigation uses for local inhabitants residing nearby. The water stored behind
dams is irrigation reservoir which helps in the growing of crops, especially
during the dry season. This has reduced farmers’ dependence on climate.
Irrigation farming can be carried out to increase food supply.
• River water is renewable source of energy: In contrast of other sources of
energy which are non-renewable because they are exhausted with time as
they are exploited (e.g. wood, coal, petroleum), multipurpose river projects are
mainly built on river water which is long lasting and one of renewable source
of energy.
• Development of tourism: Some multipurpose river projects can be of tourist
interests, thus earning foreign exchange, because river dam projects are
associated with features like impressive architectural designs, waterfalls, dams
and lakes which may be fascinating to the people that come to visit the places.
• Generation of government revenue: This is through taxation of workers’
incomes and earning of electricity and water boards.
• Employment opportunities: River dam projects create employment
opportunities for several people, especially those engaged in the production
of hydro-electric power and supply of water for domestic, industrial and
irrigated agriculture developed in the area. Provided employment raises
people’s standards of living.
• Industrial development: The projects have stimulated the development of
industries as there is ample power that is generated. This enabled the boost of
textile, brewing, sugar processing and steel rolling industries.
• Development of infrastructure: The projects have opened water transport
routes or shipping routes (river navigation). Many other infrastructures such
as development of towns, schools and hospital facilities among others havedeveloped within the river valley.
• Promotion of international relations: There have been joint ventures in the
development of river projects that have created co-operation among nations.
• Flood control: Dams are used to control flooding in flood-prone areas by
regulating the flow of water downstream.
• Reduction of importation: There is reduction on costs incurred on the
importation of fuel, manufactured products and foodstuffs since these arenow produced locally.
Application activity 14.1.
Knowing the aim and objectives of multipurpose river projects, explain why
such projects are so important for the sustainable development.14.2. Problems affecting Multipurpose River Projects
Learning activity 14.2.
If the Government of Rwanda decides to construct a dam to generate
hydroelectricity and water for industrial and domestic uses on river Nyabarongo,what problems can be faced by such a project?
The Multipurpose River Projects face many problems mostly in developing countries
for their implementation or maintenance due to the factors briefly explained below:
The projects are very expensive: The projects require large funds to support
construction activities. Limited resources especially in developing countries make
this difficult or even completely impossible. Attracting private investors for financing
multipurpose projects is difficult. Such projects also cause the displacement of
people. The resettlement of people who are moved from areas where dams are built
is very expensive. Once dams are constructed, in some instances there is insufficient
capital to purchase the spare parts needed for efficient maintenance of machinery
at the powerhouses.
The local people have little gain from the project: In some cases major benefits of
large multi-purpose river projects go to industrialists, while the local peasants have
little to gain.
Construction of dams causes ecological problems: The dams block the migration
of fish, upsetting the ecological balance and putting several aquatic species in
danger. The sudden release of large quantities of water from dams results in largescale
flooding downstream in low-lying plains. Large dams obstruct the free flow of
river aquatic animals such as fishes. Floating and invasive vegetation is likely to kill
the aquatic animals and vegetation.
Problem of shortage in skilled human resources: The establishment of
multipurpose projects requires availability of skilled human resources for
both construction of the project and maintenance of structures. These include
professionals with varied expertise such as civil mechanical and irrigation engineers,
hydrologists, and many other to be hired beforehand.
Changes in river regime: Some rivers do not have constant regimes and quite often
are characterised by seasonality and fluctuation in water provision. This renders
some projects unviable and unsustainable.
Accelerated soil erosion, water evaporation and change in ecological conditions:
Some projects may be dogged by siltation of dams, excessive evaporation owing
to increased surface area of created lake and change in ecological conditions.
Clearance of forests causes the destruction of water catchment areas of the rivers
feeding the dams. It further exposes the land to heavy rainfall which carries the top
soil away which is deposited in the lower courses of the river. Siltation of dam floor
may contribute to change in dam depth.
Large-scale irrigation may help in the spread of Bilharzia/Schistomiasis. Construction
of large multipurpose river projects leads to the formation of man-made lakes. Theselakes drawn rich agricultural lands ideal for crop production and human settlements.
Application activity 14.2.
Explain problems resulting from the development of multipurpose river
projects.
14.3. Solutions to the problems affecting Multipurpose River Projects
Learning activity 14.3.
Using geographical documents and internet, research on the solutions toproblems affecting Multipurpose River Projects.
In order to maintain the viability of the projects, some of activities to undertake• Establishment of the project based on accurate environmental conditionssuch as the characteristics of river regime and seasonal fluctuations, to avoidsituation where the project collapses soon after its establishment.• Training people to do the maintenance of the machinery and infrastructuresgenerated by the project. The lack of required home-grown skilled personnelcan be addressed if governments plan early enough and invest in the areaof human resource development, to improve their human resources capacityand thus reduce dependence on foreign expatriates who are always quite expensive to hire.• Continuous monitoring and evaluation of projects and taking correctivemeasures are needed.• Continued partnership and cooperation with donors and funding agencies toobtain soft or long-term loans with which to finance the project activities.• Fight and contain the spread of Bilharzia/Schistomiasis over irrigated projectareas.• Resettle the landless due to the drawning of agricultural land bythe manmade lake resulting from dam construction.
include:
• Removing in the waters the invasive species which are dangerous to aquaticlives.Application activity 14.3.
• Allow sufficient time and money for extensive public participation to ensure
that plans are optimal; that all sections of affected society are considered and;
that local institutions are in place to sustain irrigated agriculture, particularly
in respect of land and water rights;
• Afforestation: The increase of number of trees and vegetation protects the
water catchment areas of the rivers feeding the dams. This reduces the fluvial
erosion and other types of erosion which could damage the dams;
• Provide short-term support and/or skills for an alternative livelihood if irrigationremoves existing livelihood.
Discuss the impacts of multipurpose river projects in developing countries.
14.4. Case Studies
Learning activity 14.4.
Read carefully the text that summarizes the three case studies of multipurpose
river projects provided below and answer the questions that follow.
The Tennessee basin in USA was often devastated by floods and its economy
depressed because the pioneer settlers and their descendants farmed using
inappropriate traditional methods till the region became poverty-stricken. The soils
were eroded, hill slopes were treeless, rivers which were filled with silt eroded from
the surrounding hills became uncontrollable, causing huge floods on extensive
parts of the region and many damages to lives and properties. The Tennessee Valleybecame one of the poorest parts of USA in terms of economic wellbeing.
In 1933, the president Franklin Roosevelt signed the act to establish the Tennessee
Valley Authority (TVA). The TVA was created to become a regional economic
sustainable development agency to modernize various economic and social sectors,
including the development modern agriculture methods and industry, urbanization,
generation of Hydro electricity, increase employment opportunities in the region
The Akasombo Dam, built on River Volta in Ghana was mainly Hydro-electric power
oriented to supply industries and homes in the region. The project also aimed to
control and regulate the flows and recurrent flooding of the River Volta, to promote
agriculture through development of irrigated farming and communication, to
enhance fishing and to create employment opportunities for the population and
to improve the standards of living for the people in the area. In 1960, the Volta River
Authority (VRA) was established by Kwame Nkrumah, the 1st president of Ghana,
and was tasked to manage the development of the Volta River Basin, which included
the construction and supervision of the dam, the power station and the powertransmission network.
In Egypt, droughts and flooding of river Nile alternated. High-water seasons could
destroy the whole crop, while low-water seasons could create widespread drought
and associated famine. The project to construct Aswan High Dam in Egypt was
approved by The Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. It was mainly agricultural
irrigation oriented. In 1960 the construction began and was completed in 1976.
The project was conceived with aim to develop sustainably the country in various
economic sectors. The major objectives of the project are to prevent recurrent
flooding which affects the Nile valley, to control and provide a regular flow of
water for irrigation and increase the amount of irrigated land,
to generate HydroElectric Power for both domestic and industrial purposes; to create a man-made
lake (reservoir) where a fishing industry could be established, attract tourists and
increase employment opportunities.
Huang He basin in China is regarded as the cradle of Chinese civilization or the
“Mother River”, usually a source of rich fertile soil and irrigation water. Its waters and
the rich soil it carries bring agricultural abundance to support China’s enormous
population. The Yellow River, however, flooded more than 1,500 times in recorded
history into and swept away entire villages. For instance, in 1887, the river flood
killed an estimated 900,000 to 2 million people; in 1931, flood killed between 3.7
million and 4 million people. Another flood in 1943 washed away the crops in Henan
Province, leaving 3 million people to starve to death. Due to damages caused by
flooding waters, the river was given a name of China’s sorrow and ungovernable.
From 1950, China government began to build levees and dams to hold the Yellow
River back and control floods. The construction lasted over decades along Huang
He and its tributaries for multiple purposes including flood control, generating
hydroelectricity, promoting agriculture, developing industries and cities for a
sustainable development of the region. Now answer the following questions:1. 1. Identify the common problems faced by countries mentioned above14.4.1. The Tennessee Valley Authority (USA)
before the establishment of multipurpose river projects.
2. 2. Identify common objectives found in multipurpose river projects of
respective countries.
3. 3. Based on the text above, explain why a country can decide to construct
a multipurpose river project.
i. Aims of The Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a corporation formed for large-scale
rehabilitation of a vast region which includes parts of seven adjoining states of
Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi,
in the United States of America (USA). The Tennessee Valley Region is drained by
the Tennessee River and River Timberland, both tributaries of the Ohio River
which is a tributary of Mississippi River. The drained area is about 106,000 km².
Due to persistent flooding and soil erosion which marked the Tennessee basin
for centuries, President of the USA, Franklin Roosevelt established in 1993 the
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to rehabilitate and to develop the entireregion which was then one of the poorest parts of the USA.
ii. Problems faced by the region before the creation of TVA
The region covered by TVA presented several problems for which urgent
solutions were needed. The problems faced by the project include the following:
• Severe soil erosion: This was caused by poor methods of farming, deforestation
on steep slopes and rapid population increase. These factors exposed the soil
to erosion and running water created deep gullies in the area.
• Silting and flooding: They were so severe on Tennessee River and its tributaries.
Tributaries often flooded causing recurrent deaths and destruction of
properties.
• Famine: These were common among the local population. This is because the
fertile top soils had been eroded leading to low and poor yields.
• High population growth: The pressure to get more land for cultivation caused
clearance of forests. The continued traditional farming methods caused the
exhaustion of soil nutrients.
• Poor housing facilities: The local administration authorities could not afford
to provide sustainable and enough housing units and this caused the lack of
decent accommodation.
• Poor living standards: Unemployment and poverty were widely spread in the
area and people were not able to afford basic needs of life.
• Problem of transport: During periods of heavy rains, the rivers flooded and the
transport of people and goods was compromised.
• Lack of fuel: There was severe shortage in fuel resources especially due to rapid
deforestation within the region.
• Epidemics: Outbreak of diseases such as malaria and bilharzia attacked
population due to constant flooding in the area.
• High government costs: Government expenses were very high especially insupply of food and drugs.
iii. Strategies taken by the USA central government to solve the problemsStep 1: Assignments tasked to the Tennessee Valley Authority
Strategies taken to solve the problems in Tennessee region were sequenced in
various steps:
The following tasks were assigned to Tennessee Valley Authority when it was created:• Building dams to control flooding of River Tennessee and its tributaries andStep 2: Concrete actions taken to control soil erosion
later generate hydro-electric power. The generated electricity would be
exported to other neighboring states thus reaping revenue for the state.
• Controlling severe soil erosion by putting in place sustainable conservation
measures, and mechanisms for reclaiming badly eroded lands and flooded
swamps in the area.
• Promotion of forestry through afforestation programs. These programs aimed
to reduce flooding and soil erosion in the area.
• Improvement of the transport facilities such as roads, railways and water
transport whose construction and maintenance were hindered by floods.
• Promotion of the industrial development to increase alternative employment
opportunities to the people in the area, in the agriculture sector and industrial
sector.
• Teaching inhabitants better farming methods to improve sustainably
agriculture in the region.
• Providing enough and sustainable housing to accommodate the rapidly
growing population.
• Conserving wildlife in the area.
• Controlling the spread of diseases such as malaria and Bilharzia that resultedfrom floods.
The following are concrete conservation measures taken by TVA to control soil
erosion:• Training of farmers: Experts were hired from outside the local area especially
from other agriculturally advanced regions of USA like California and Southern
USA to educate local farmers on how to improve their farming methods;Step 3: Construction of Dams and resultsand better farming methods such as mixed farming and crop rotation;• Creation of demonstration farms: aimed at giving advice to farmers on modern
• Re-afforestation programs: These were undertaken to plant young trees on
ridges and hills. Their roots would bind the soil particles together and absorb
excess water which was previously running off;
• Filling the Gullies: gullies were covered with brushwood to cover and trap soils
and stones and eventually fill up the gullies;
• Terracing: this involved the cutting of a series of wide steps and construction
of embankments on hilly slopes to reduce gradient and surface runoff;
• Introduction of modern farming methods: farms were mechanized in order
to increase the production. The use of fertilizers and manure to maintain soilfertility was also applied.
• Several dams were constructed: Nine dams were constructed on the main
Tennessee River and 23 on its tributaries. The major ones along the Tennessee
River include Noris, Cherokee, Fontana, Chickamauga, Willson, Pickwick, Fort
Loundon, Douglas, Kentucky, Guntersville, Hirwassee and Walts bar. All the
dams can control floods, storing water, assisting navigation and generating
hydro-electricity.
• The huge reservoirs created by the dams hold back enormous quantities of
water: This reduced greatly the flood heights, and since then this water is
released for irrigation purpose or holds water for navigation.
• Elimination of swamps: The management of swamps resulted in a complete
elimination of malaria and bilharzia
• Development of tourism: Natural parks and man-made lakes were created.
Camping, canoeing and hunting have been promoted. The scenic beauty
around dams recreation facilities at wildlife reservations attract more touristsand increase foreign exchange.• Supply of Electricity to industries: The TVA also directs the storage and release
of water and generation of power at four dams owned by the AluminumStep 4: Construction of important infrastructures and industriesCompany of America (ALCOA).
The major infrastructures and industries constructed include:• Electric Power Station and urban development: Constructed power stationsin Alabama State, Atlanta in Georgia and many others across the region. Bystimulated the growth of urban centres, for example, Memphis and Birmingham
1953, 80% of homes in the region were electrified, compared with 3% at the
beginning of the project in 1933. Today the full-scale rural electrification has
been a great achievement for the TVA.• Transport Infrastructures: Roads, air and railway transport networks were
constructed in the region. Navigation on created dams on Tennessee and
transportation of freights and passengers over a distance of 1.050 km are
known to be among the most efficient worldwide.
• Educational and research institutions: Various Institutions of learning such as
Universities, Colleges and Schools were constructed in Tennessee Region. All
research centres were established with linkage to universities and colleges.
• Industrial centres: Industries were constructed to generate employment
opportunities to the people. Major industries include Aluminum manufacturing,
fertilizers industry like phosphates, paper mills, chemicals, pharmaceuticals,
automobiles and food processing plants.
• Health centres and hospitals: Several health centres and hospitals were
constructed to improve the health of states within the Tennessee catchment
area. These are able to serve not only the seven states of the region, but theinternational community as well.
iv. Benefits of TVA for sustainable development of the region
TVA projects strongly stimulated the development of all social, industrial,
economic, educational and cultural sectors. There are many benefits that
resulted from this multipurpose Tennessee project. The following are some of
them:
• The control of floods and soil erosion has been successfully and sustainably
mastered.
• Cheap hydro-electric power was availed: This attracted diversified industries
that offered employment within the Tennessee valley.
• Diversified food products: Milled grains, baked foods, confectioneries and
beverages and many others are produced in the region.
• Local farmers joined the established demonstration farms: Farmers were
trained on better farming methods to control soil erosion and increase crop
yields.
• Diversified and improved transport networks: This encouraged significantly
the local and international commerce.
• Many and diversified industries in the region process ores and other rawmaterials: Raw materials that were formerly processed in the North East of USAiv. Benefits of TVA for sustainable development of the region
are now processed in the Tennessee region.
• Tourism was greatly promoted: The region covered by TVA earns the
government of USA foreign exchange as a tourist attraction destination;
• The production of motor vehicles, boats and aircraft parts: Constitute
Tennessee’s largest industry in terms of contribution to overall TVA’s stateseconomies.
TVA projects strongly stimulated the development of all social, industrial,
economic, educational and cultural sectors. There are many benefits that
resulted from this multipurpose Tennessee project. The following are some of
them:• The control of floods and soil erosion has been successfully and sustainably
mastered.
• Cheap hydro-electric power was availed: This attracted diversified industries
that offered employment within the Tennessee valley.
• Diversified food products: Milled grains, baked foods, confectioneries and
beverages and many others are produced in the region.
• Local farmers joined the established demonstration farms: Farmers were
trained on better farming methods to control soil erosion and increase crop
yields.
• Diversified and improved transport networks: This encouraged significantly
the local and international commerce.
• Many and diversified industries in the region process ores and other raw
materials: Raw materials that were formerly processed in the North East of USAare now processed in the Tennessee region.
• Tourism was greatly promoted: The region covered by TVA earns the14.4.2. Akasombo Dam – The Volta River Project (Ghana)
government of USA foreign exchange as a tourist attraction destination;
• The production of motor vehicles, boats and aircraft parts: Constitute
Tennessee’s largest industry in terms of contribution to overall TVA’s stateseconomies.
i. Location and site of Akasombo DamThe construction of the Akasombo Dam was the first Ghanaian project
undertaken by the Volta River Authority (VRA) in 1960. The dam is located
on River Volta near the Akasombo town in southern Ghana. The site has been
chosen because it was where the river valley was narrowest and surrounded bya rock strong enough to hold the dam.
ii. Aims and objectives of the project
The project aimed at constructing Akasombo Dam and Volta Lake, one of the
longest man-made lakes in the world. The dam is 111 m high and 660 m long
at the top and 366 m at the bottom. A man-made lake; called Volta Lake, was
formed behind the dam covering an area of 8502 sq.km. The Lake extends for400 km with a shoreline of 7,250 km.
The dam was built with the following objectives:
• To provide cheap electricity to run the smelter: called Volta Aluminum
Company (VALCo) located at the new port of Tema and to increase the Ghana’sdomestic and industry supplies of power.
• To control and regulate the flows and recurrent flooding of the River Volta.
• To promote agriculture through development of irrigated farming but also to
provide a major inland waterway.
• To construct the Lake Volta to enhance fishing and supplement population in
animal proteins.
• To create employment opportunities for Ghanaian population to improve thestandards of living for the people in the area.
iii. Factors favouring the establishment of the Akasombo river project
Both natural, human and economic factors contributed to the establishment of
Akasombo Dam project. The most important factors are given in the following
paragraphs:• The heavy and well distributed rainfall provides regular and reliable supply ofiv. Importance of Akasombo Dam
water in Volta basin. This makes the flows more regular and energy produced
relatively constant.
• The availability of land. The region around Akasombo is sparsely populated.
• The hard basement rocks provided a firm foundation for construction of the
dam.
• The River Volta crosses a narrow gorge located at Akasombo valley in the south
eastern part of Ghana where River Volta cuts through Akwapin hill.
• A large market - There is high demand for the power generated for both
industrial, especially the Volta Aluminum Company (VALCo) and for domestic
use, and high demand for other products from the multipurpose project.
• Foreign investors - the foreign investors especially from USA and Britain
provided a support in form of skilled labour.
• The availability of capital to construct the complex to provide power and set
up flood controls, from the World Bank and Britain.
• The creation of Volta River Authority (VRA) whose primary task was to manage
the development of the Volta basin, which include construction and supervision
of the dam, the power station and the power transmission network.
• The government policy to develop a large-scale multipurpose project topromote economic development.
The construction of Akasombo Dam resulted in numerous benefits which
contributed greatly to increase the government economy in various sectors
and improved the welfare of population. The following are some of them:• Hydro-electricity production promoted industries, port cities and international
co-operation.
• The generation of hydro-electric power (HEP) has significantly reduced the
expense of importing petroleum oil for thermal power stations thus saving
foreign exchange.
• Cheap electricity is supplied to VALCo smelter.
• Ghana can process much of the bauxite (Aluminum ore) instead of shipping it
in raw state which is bulky.
Akasombo dam allowed the development of numerous industries at
Tema, Accra, Tokoradi and Kumasi cities. Industrial development has
enabled Ghana to become less dependent on import of some food stuff
and to process locally some of agriculture products, e.g. cocoa.
• It has enabled the development of ports and urban centres. For instance,
Tema is an industrial city home of the Aluminum smelter. Other centres suchas Accra, Takoradi offer a wide range of social and economic services.
• The dam supplies electricity to Ghana’s neighbors such as Togo, Benin andv. Problems associated with the Akasombo dam project
Ivory Coast. This has strengthened economic co-operation between Ghana
and her neighbours.
• Development of transport, fishing and tourism.
• Irrigation has promoted agriculture. New farming activities developed along
the shorelines of Lake Volta as it became valuable resource for irrigation. It is
a potential source for irrigation which enabled Ghana to grow various crops
among others such as rice, sugarcane, maize and vegetables.
• Farming has greatly improved and diversified. The Akasombo Dam and Lake
Volta are great tourist attractions which bring in foreign exchange.
• The project has generated employment opportunities to many people, for
instance, people involved in the distribution of electricity in the cities of Accra,
Tema, Tokoradi and others.
• The project has raised the people’s standards of living and has helped in the
diversification of the economy from being predominantly agricultural toindustrial, mining, fishing and tourism, hence multipurpose development.
The following are some problems have been reported as the consequences of
the project:
a. Flooding of traditional farm lands and displacement of people and
properties• The construction of Akasombo Dam was completed in 1965. Water floodedb. Inadequate power supply
traditional farm lands behind Akasombo Dam, and 80,000 people were
displaced with 200,000 animals belonging to them. The flooding was caused
by the rising water of the Lake Volta, the largest artificial lake in Africa. 120
buildings that made up 700 villages prior to resettlement were abandoned
and destroyed. The impacts on the environment was so great in such a way
the natural vegetation, animals, road networks in the area covered by the Lake
Volta were submerged.
• There was high cost of resettlement. The displaced population did not like the
houses that were provided and had no money to improve them. Relocated
population was not happy with the allocation of new lands. People resented
the loss of their old farm lands in which they could grow vegetables or keepgoats.
• Initially, the dam’s power production capacities greatly overreached the actual
demand. Due to the development of H.E.P., other power sources lost market,
which discouraged other producers.
• Since the dam’s inception, increasing demands for power exceeded what can
be provided by the current structure and resulted in the doubling of hydropower production needs.
• The Volta Aluminium Company needed a lot of power for smelting Aluminium
and it consumed more than half of the power produced, so several areas were
deprived of the use of electricity.
c. Seasonal lowering lake levels and decreasing in power output
• A trend of lower lake levels has been observed, sometimes below the
requirement for operation of the Akasombo dam. During periods of drought,
there is reduction in the lake levels which decreases the expected power
output. For instance, in the beginning of 2007, there were great concerns over
the electricity from the Akasombo dam due to lower water levels in the Lake
Volta reservoir.
d. Environmental and economic problems
• Lake Volta became a habitat for disease vectors like water snails and mosquitoes,
which are found in stagnant water, this led to spread of bilharzia and malaria
respectively.
• It has been reported that the lake floor is being silted by sediments, which
reduce the depth and the water storage capacity of the lake.
• The creation of the Lake Volta in the centre of the country, divided the country
into two, e.g. East and West. This became a barrier to communication.
• The development of industries such as Aluminum smelter and oil refining at
Tema led to environmental pollution.
• Since there was less power available for domestic use and others uses, high
prices were charged for electricity and it became expensive to many people.
• The development of the project has been dependent on overseas finance,
and the companies like VALCo were mainly concerned with their commercialinterest and hence profit repatriation.
vi. Solutions to problems resulted from Akasombo DamMany solutions have been envisaged to solve problems that resulted from the
construction of Akasombo Dam. These solutions are briefly highlighted and
described below:
• The dam’s power plant initially opened with four units, with a total installedcapacity of 588 MW. This was upgraded in 1972 with the Addition of two
units to generate 912 MW. These two units were upgraded in 1999 and14.4.3. Aswan High Dam (Egypt)
2005 respectively to generate additional 170 MM each increasing the total
generation capacity of the dam to 1,020 MW.
• 80 % of electricity generated by the dam is supplied to the America-owned
Volta Aluminium Company (VALCo), while the remainder is supplied to Ghana
and her neigbours, mainly Togo and Benin.
• By 1981, a smaller dam was built near the town of Kpong, downstream from
Akasombo. This project aimed to generate an addition 400 MW of power
to that produced by Akasombo dam, to supply local industries and socioeconomic activities.
• Further upgrades to Akasombo have become necessary for maintaining
hydropower outputs.
• The 80.000 people displaced due to the construction of the project wereresettled into 52 resettlement villages.
i. Aims and objectives of the projectAswan High Dam is located in southern Egypt, on River Nile. The construction
of the dam started in 1960 and was completed in 1970. The dam is about 3830
metres long and 111 metres high. Its base is 980 metres wide. The completion
of the construction resulted in the creation of a man-made lake known as Lake
Nasser, one of the longest reservoirs of the world. The reservoir was named after
Abdel Nasser, the president of Egypt at the time. The lake covers an area about
550 km long and 16 km large. Lake Nasser is 35 km at its widest and has 5,250
sq. km. The lake extends into Sudan. The dam generates 2,100 megawatts (MW)of electricity and is able to resist by its weigh the great pressure of River Nile.
The project to construct Aswan High Dam was conceived with aim to develop
sustainably the country in various economic sectors. The major objectives of the
project are:• To prevent recurrent flooding which affects the Nile valley during the rainy
season, mostly in August and September.
• To control and provide a regular flow of water for irrigation, during both the
dry and rainy seasons.
• To enable the country to grow enough food to feed the growing population.
• To increase the amount of irrigated land.
• To generate Hydro-electricity Power for both domestic and industrial purposes.
• To create a man-made lake (reservoir) where a fishing industry could beestablished.
ii. Factors favouring the construction of Aswan High Dam
The success of the construction of the Aswan High Dam was a result of a
combination of the following factors:• Strong basement rock: The dam was constructed where a strong basement• Advanced technology involved in the general work of dam construction which
rock to support heavy dam structures existed. This provided a firm foundation
for the dam.
• The channel was narrowed where the dam was constructed. This made the
construction cheaper and easier.
• Presence of large capital invested: The construction and the maintenance of
the dam were made possible by funds provided by the Soviet Union and Egypt
goverments.
• Availability of skilled labour: Russian experts and egyptians semi-skilled labourwere hired to construct the project.
included strong turbines which produce high power voltage.
iii. Importance of Aswan High Dam for the sustainable development of the
region
The Aswan High Dam Project has contributed greatly to the Egyptian economy
and the welfare of rural and urban population. This became a source of
government revenues, creation of employment opportunities for many people.
The importance of Aswan High Dam can be summarized in the following:• Flood control: The dam enabled the control of floods and regulated the flow
of the River in the Nile valley. People’s lives and properties are safe in the Nile
valley. This saved money which was formerly spent on displaced people. The
reservoir created provides water in times of droughts.
• Production of Hydro-electric power (HEP): Aswan High Dam has an output
of about 2100 MW. The production of (H.E.P). has led to the development of
diversified industries in the region, such as iron and steel, textiles; mining
industries especially oil drilling (Petro-chemical) and sugar refining especially
in Cairo and the free zone area of the Nile delta. The establishment of industry
has created employment opportunities to the majority of local Egyptians.
• Provision of power for domestic purpose: There has been a program of rural
electrification, especially along the Nile and in rural villages because of the
presence of the Aswan High Dam.
• Improvement of agriculture sector: Irrigated land area of Egypt has increased
by 25 percent since Aswan High Dam is established. Farmers can now grow
several crops in the year, such as maize, wheat, barley vegetables and others.
• The water in the region is supplied on regular basis: L. Nasser holds with
80 % of its water going to Egypt and 20 % to Sudan. The water stored is used
for irrigation.
• Promotion of fishing: Lake L. Nasser has promoted the fishing industry,
• Promotion of tourism: The Aswan High Dam and Lake Nasser are tourist
attractions. This enables to earn foreign exchange.
• Reduction of costs to import fuel: The construction of the dam has resulted
into a significant reduction of costs incurred on the importation of fuel
petroleum products.
iv. Problems associated with the construction of the Aswan High Dam
The construction of Aswan High Dam involved a number of problems. The most
important are briefly presented below:
400 Geography Senior Six Student Book• There was displacement of people and their livestock: 42,000 people who
used to live in the region that is now covered by Lake Nasser were evacuated
1,300 km by rail across Nubian Desert to Khasm El Gibra.
• A lot of cost for resettling displaced people: Much fund was involved to
relocate people since they were given double their foremen hectares of land
and the irrigation and electric power had to be provided from the new dam.
• Pollution of water, soil and air: this was due to the establishment of industries
in the area.
• Increase of diseases like bilharzias and malaria: The outbreak of these
diseases was caused by stagnant water, This causes great expense to the
government economy in treating its people.
• High evaporation of water: It is estimated that 25% of water is lost through
evaporation because of high temperatures. The high evaporation rates lead to
increased saline deposits in the soil which are associated with decreased yield.
v. Solutions to the problems associated with Aswan High Dam
Some solutions have been put forwards to solve problems caused by the Aswan
High Dam.• Regular dredging is carried out to remove waste matter which affect the14.4.4. Huang He River Project (China)
drainage of the new valleys.
• Treatment of waste (recycling) is performed before their disposal. Some
environmental laws have been set to regulate dumping in the river.
• Construction of levees to control overflow of water that resulted in floods.
• Use of ferry and steamers to ease the communication around Lake Nasser.
• Spraying to control diseases such as Bilharzia spread by snails from the
stagnant water which gives a breeding ground for them.
• There is a legislation against brick making along the river bank.
• Farmers are sensitized to the use of organic manure as opposed to inorganic
fertilizers to reduce salinity and soil pollution.
• Sensitization of population for new settlement plans: There has been a general
sensitization for new settlement along the river bank against dumping of
garbage in the river which is partly responsible for making the river burst itsbanks.
i. Location of Huang Ho River
Huang He called the Yellow River (formerly known as the Hwang Ho), is located
in China. The river originates from the Northern part of mount Bayan Ha of
Tibet plateau in Qinghai province and runs Eastwards, a distance of 5,464 km to
empty in the Bo-hai Sea at Shantong.
The river flows through 9 provinces namely Qinghai, Sachuan, Ganso, Ningxia,Inner Mangolia region, Shanxi, Shaanxi and Shanang.
The project Huang Ho Basin Development covers parts of provinces highlighted
above, over an area of 750,000 km2. The main tributaries of the Huang Ho in its
lower riches include Taohe, Jighe, Welhe, Luohe, Fehhe, Yihe and Qinhe. The Huang
Ho River is China’s longest and largest river after the Yangtze River, with over 30
tributaries feeding it.
Huang He is a shifting, turbulent and silt laden stream that often overflows its banks
and sends its flood waters across the North Eastern China’s plain. It gets nearly 45 %
of its water from glaciers and vast underground springs of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
The word Huang means Yellow. It refers to the color of the river‘s waters, for the rivercarries a heavy load of silt.
ii. Problems faced in Huang Ho Basin
The following are some of challenges faced in the Huang He basin:
• Several foods along the Huang He River: The flooded areas of Huang Ho
valley suffered from considerable damage to life, housing and properties,
transport and communication. The flood problems are often exacerbated by
deforestation. About 500 people die from them in Yunnan province alone. In
September 2003, torrential rains and floods destroyed 17,000 homes in
Hennan Province and forced more than 200,000 to flee their homes in Hennan
and neighbouring Shaanxi Province. Floods trigger mudslides, cutting of
power and telephones, destroying roads and bridges. These caused stresses,
famine and spread of diseases among people.
• Severe soil erosion and large silt load: The river carries a large amount of
soil. It was estimated that every cubic metre of Huang He contains 37, 6 kg of
silt. The heavy load of sediment causes the yellow river to constantly deposit
the soil along the bottom of the channel which raises the bed, contributing to
the floods.
• Irregular flow and change of river course: The amount of river discharge
depends on the seasonal variation of the river regime which is high in volume
in the rainy season and low discharge in the dry season. When floods occur,
the river breaks out of the levees into the surrounding lower flood plains and
adopt a new course, which result in more damage to people living in the lowerreaches.
• The river faces a threat of drying up: The Huang He River has dried up more
than 30 times since 1972. Increased drying up is caused by increased storage
surface of water due to the construction of dams, and the flowing of the river
through a desert dry land of Tengger desert and Ordos desert.
• High population growth rate: This created pressure on land by an increased
agricultural irrigation. There is also an increased demand for the river water
owing to population increase.
• Problem of pollution: Huang Ho River faces the problem of pollution.
The river crosses the major coal producing industries areas and huge
population centres. Over 4,000 .petrochemical factories are located
in Huang Ho river basin,and all of the fish species found in the Huang
Ho have become extinct becauseof dams, falling water levels,
pollution and over fishing.
iii. Aims and objectives of Huang Ho Basin Development project
In 1950 the government of China created a multipurpose project called “Huang
Ho Basin Development”. The major aim was to control devastating floods and
to sustainably develop areas around the yellow river.
The major objectives of the project are meant:• To reduce the risks of flood to lives and properties;
• To produce energy and increase the discharge during dry periods;
• To retain silt and store water for irrigation;
• To provide water for home consumption and industries.iv. Importance of the project
The Huang-Ho Basin development project is of outmost importance for China
in various economic sectors. The project has contributed to the sustainable
development of the region, as briefly presented below:
• Several dams were built: over 40 dams were built along Huang He and its
tributaries to regulate the flows of water and to produce hydro-electric energy.
Activities of construction were sequenced between 1960s and 2010s. The most
documented hydroelectric power stations of the project include Sanmenxia,
Xialangdi, Sanshengong, Qintong Gorge, Luijiiaxia, Lijlaxia Dam, Yuanguoxia,
Lianqio, Bapanxia, Da George Dam, Li Geong Dam, Wanjiazhi Dam and LaxiwaDam.
• Development of cities and settlement centres: Several cities were created
and greatly expended in the Huang He basin (see the map below). More than
400 million people have settlements in the Huang-Ho river basin. This was
possible because of the multi-functional projects focusing on the development
of traffic (roads, navigation on Huang-ho River year round), ecology, economic
and flood prevention for the cities along the river that attract people to settle
in the area for employment opportunities. The most important cities arerepresented on the map below.
• Creation of reservoirs: Some dams were created with the main purpose ofindustries have developed in the region, such as petrochemical factories and
storing water. For instance Longyang gorge, Liujia Dam, Xialangdi Dam
• Floods control: The regulation of rivers’ flow has virtually eliminated floods
that regularly submerged the northern china’s plain.
• Food production: The crops grown are rice, wheat, maize, soyabeans,
potatoes, sweet potatoes and cereals. This uspports a large population living
along the river basin.
• Remarkable expansion of irrigation: Irrigation of the dry areas of the
northern part of China was made possible with the help of the Huang-Ho
River. irrigated area increased from 0,8 million hectares in 1950 to 7.5 million
hectares in 2000.
• Tourist attraction: Many tourist centres along Huang He promote the tourism
industry. The touristic features include the Hukou falls in Shaanxi, the caves,
stone statues and the Huang-Ho river dams, among others. Tourism is a major
foreign exchange earner in China.
• Industrial development is facilitated by the Huang-Ho River. A number of
mining industries. The river provides significant amounts of water to industries
to cool the machines.
v. Challenges
The area faced, however, challenges associated with water crisis. Some of
problems are briefly presented below:• Increased rate of water demand and use resulting from high populationvi. Measures to solve problems related to water shortage
growth and regional economic development caused the drying up of the flow
of the river.
• Parts of the river especially in mountain area remain frozen in winter season
during which water remains frozen, and the water supply from precipitation
is limited.
• The Yellow river crosses some arid and semi-arid region. Thus precipitation
and water sources are limited.
• The land surface change from slope land to terraces has involved expansion of
irrigation activities which affected the regional hydrology and rive flow.There is a water transfer from the South to the North project to channel throughApplication activity 14.4.
the ground canal from River Yangtze where water sources are relatively rich inthe South to the Huang Ho where water resources are limited.
1. Discuss the problems faced by the region before TVA project was created.End unit assessment
2. Discuss the strategies used to solve identified problems in the region of
concern.
3. Explain the benefits of TVA projects.
4. Identify aims and objectives of multipurpose river projects in the studied
countries.
5. Compare factors that favored the construction of multipurpose river
projects in Ghana and Egypt.
6. Based on each of the case studied in this lesson, compare problems faced
by respective countries before the establishment of multipurpose river
projects.
7. Based on each of the case studies analyzed above, explain problems that
result from multipurpose river projects in both developed and developingcountries and how these problems are solved.
1. Describe the benefits and the challenges of multipurpose river projects,
and suggest ways to overcome those challenges.
2. Compare the importance of Tennessee Valley Authority and Huang He
Basin Development project in the sustainable development of USA and
China respectively.
3. Referring to Aswan and Akasombo dams, explain how multipurpose river
projects can contribute to the sustainable development in the other
developing countries.
4. Discuss the economic impact of Tennessee Valley Authority and Huang He
Basin Development Projects to their respective countries.
5. Considering the requirements of constructing a multipurpose river project,
identify the factors that can favour or limit such project in Rwanda.
6. Based on the case studies studied in this unit, explain the economic
advantages that Rwanda would benefit if it had constructed a multipurposeriver project.