A Brief History of Irrigation

Irrigation began in Mesopotamia (present Iraq) using the flood of Tigris / E in 6000 BC. From July to December, flooding will only occur once a year. Wherever they are, they use waterways to guide the water. These pictures will show you how it is used. In 1800 BC the Egyptian introduced an irrigation system. This is almost the same way as Mesopotamia. They used the flood of the Nile, but it happened only once a year. Until they develop a device to raise the water above the level of the Nile.

Ancient irrigation methods depend heavily on the natural geography of the area, the geology, and the available engineering technology. Four different irrigation methods were developed earlier in the history of agriculture. All irrigation systems rely on taking water from natural sources and transferring them to artificial waterways and ponds used in crops. The Nile Valley is rain free and very fertile. Herodotus wrote that "Egypt is a gift from the river" over 2000 years ago. Egypt is dependent on Nile to be independent of other countries. 97% of Egyptians live in 5% of their area. The prosperity of the Nile River civilization has depended on the efficiency of the central government to make maximum use of river water throughout the recorded history. For example, crops can be stored after years and irrigation plans can be constructed and maintained.

For Egypt, it also means civilization, history and even life itself. 95% of the Nile River is covered by the Sahara Desert and the Nile is the major means of livelihood for many Egyptian irrigated farmers. Other countries also use the Nile as a source of water for irrigation, fishery, and household and industrial use. Eight major dams (and perhaps not so obvious dams) are built in the Nile Valley, most of which are used for hydroelectric power generation. The Nile is the main source of Ethiopian irrigation and hydroelectric power generation. This river is also the cause of major conflict between North Africa and the Northeast African countries. Egypt has been accused of dominating river resources, especially through the construction of a powerful Aswan dam. Ethiopia's construction of another dam in the river is considered a threat by Egypt and is now the source of misunderstanding between the two countries.

In countries where livelihood depends on the Nile, irrigation plays an important role. The most ambitious of all irrigation projects is the Aswan High Dam Project completed in 1971. A report issued by the National Production Economic Committee in March 1975 showed that the dam successfully controlled the flood and ensured regular water supply but water consumption exceeded demand and control It should be done. When the silt flow on the Nile stops, some precious lands are lost under the dam, and the increase in salt is a big problem. In addition, the drought of the Ethiopian Plateau - the source of the Nile River - for five years reduced the water level of Lake Nasser of Aswan High Dam to the lowest water level in 1987.