Indeed, it’s believed that the great civilisations along the Nile River in Egypt and the Sudan developed in response to climate pressures. But as the region’s climate dried, people migrated towards the Nile River, the most reliable remaining water source. A dam built at Aswan, in Upper Egypt, stored enough water to allow two crops to be planted each year. But it has kept Egypt water secure for 50 years even as its population tripled to over 100 million and its gross domestic product per capita grew. Construction of the Jonglei Canal was stopped by civil war in 1984.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 18, 2021 15:45 UTC