What have we learnt about the Nile since the mid-1970s, the moment when Julian Rzóska decided that the time had come to publish a comprehensive volume about the biology, and the geological and cultural history of that great river? And what changes have meanwhile occurred in the basin? The human popu- tion has more than doubled, especially in Egypt, but also in East Africa. Locally, industrial development has taken place, and the Aswan High Dam was clearly not the last major infrastructure work that was carried out. More dams have been built, and some water diversions, like the Toshka lakes, have created new expanses of water in the middle of the Sahara desert. What are the effects of all this on the ec- ogy and economy of the Basin? That is what the present book sets out to explore, 33 years after the publi- tion of “The Nile: Biology of an Ancient River”. Thirty-seven authors have taken up the challenge, and have written the “new” book. They come from 13 different countries, and 15 among them represent the largest Nilotic states (Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Kenya). Julian Rzóska died in 1984, and most of the - authors of his book have now either disappeared or retired from research. Only Jack Talling and Samir Ghabbour were still available to participate again.

Discusses how prehistoric humans responded to the environmental and climatic changes within the Nile Basin during the past million years.

A wealth of hydrological, hydrometeorological, hydrometrical and other related data covering nearly all parts of the Nile Basin is presented in this volume. After an introductory chapter on the Nile's history, chapters cover: the physiography, topography, and climate of the different parts of the Nile Basin; rainfall on the Basin, evaporation from open surfaces, and evapotranspiration from cropped areas. Rainfall data for a 30-year period from 1938 to 1967 are summarized and analyzed; evaporation and evapotranspiration measurements are presented, analyzed and discussed. In the absence of actual measurements, attempts have been made to estimate them from a number of formulae using the available climatological normals. The results obtained are important for planning, design and management of water supply and control projects, especially for irrigation and drainage. The geology of the Nile Basin is briefly reviewed and its effect on groundwater potentials, quality and quantity is discussed. Surface runoff and discharge at the key stations is covered, and an extensive review given of existing water storage, control and conservation projects in the Nile Basin.Thus the volume contains an enormous amount of data that will be of great practical value to consulting engineers. It is a book which should be in the library of all hydrological institutes and universities.

Ethiopians had to wait over a thousand years to be able to use their waters for their own development. Ethiopian emperors and leaders have tried to build a dam on the Nile River as part of their development efforts. Unfortunately, due to varying reasons and circumstances, including external pressure from countries near and far, geo- and hydro-political balance shifts, and internal conflicts, they were not successful in realizing their wishes. Instead of giving up, though, each leader contributed to different extents, by laying the foundation for and addressing challenges faced in making this dream a reality. The masterplan for the dam designed in 1964 has been the seed in waiting ever since, waiting for the right opportunity to arise for construction to start. Following the decade long negotiation and an agreement on the equitable use of the Nile waters by most Nile riparian countries, and the subsequent Cooperative Framework Agreement, the Ethiopian government started the construction of the GERD in 2011. The waiting had finally ended ... It was time for the seed to grow. Twelve years later, the construction program is almost done. The reservoir already holds billions of cubic meters of water, and the country has produced power from the first two turbines as part of the early power generation milestone. The seed has sprouted, and the tree is on track to be the tallest in Africa. In this six-part book, Dereje Befekadu Tessema discusses events that started thousands of years ago, culminating in the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). He also shares a recount of his trip from the sources to the mouth of the Nile River.

The Nile is arguably the most famous river in the world. For millennia, the search for its source defeated emperors and explorers. Yet the search for its source also contained a religious quest - a search for the origin of its divine and life-giving waters. Terje Oestigaard reveals how the beliefs associated with the river have played a key role in the cultural development and make-up of the societies and civilizations associated with it. Drawing upon his personal experience and fieldwork in Africa, including details of rites and ceremonies now fast disappearing, the author brings out in rich detail the religious and spiritual meanings attached to the life-giving waters by those whose lives are so bound to the river. Part religious quest, part exploration narrative, the author shows how this mighty river is a powerful source for a greater understanding of human nature, society and religion.

This book IS an attempt to review the state-of-the-art in the fields of limnology and of marine biology in the Sudan. The need for it became apparent while we were doing some joint field work in the Nile Valley and along the Red Sea coast. We feel that several reasons justify its publication. Firstly, a vast amount of information is being gathered year after year by the staff of the Hydrobiological Research U nit of the University of Khartoum, in conjunction with the faculties of Medicine and Agriculture of this university; much of this information fails to find an outlet to the scientific literature. Secondly, we did not want to restrict our book to the Nile Valley. The Nile is such a vital life artery to the Sudan that it has dominated limnological efforts in this country, to the neglect of other geographical areas. The same holds true for the field of marine biology, which lags far behind, despite the existence of a marine field laboratory at Suakin and a research institute at Port Sudan. It is hoped that both will develop considerably in the near future.

Three themes run through this book, the first is the history of the Nile; the second is the degree to which the present Sudanese landscape reflects the operation of former geological processes; the third is the interaction between man and environment, not always to the benefit of either. A land between two Niles is an interdisciplinary account of the origins and characteristics of the alluvial plains of the lower Blue and White Nile. The contributors have focussed their attention upon this region for several reasons. Although the Gezira plain itself only occupies about one percent of the total area of the Sudan, the high quality long-staple cotton grown there provides nearly two-thirds of the country’s total export revenue.

This book discusses the basic components of human interaction with the earth, and speculates on what the future may hold.