A boat cannot go forward if each rows his own way
Be it to improve irrigation, manage floods and droughts or generate energy; dams have played a significant role in humanity’s progress. But the dam-building development model also has its flaws. The Niles journalists tackle the sensitive dam topic and self-aware that they all are in the same boat, they agree that it is time to start rowing the same way.
Be it to improve irrigation, manage floods and droughts or generate energy; dams have played a significant role in humanity’s progress. But the dam-building development model also has its flaws. The Niles journalists tackle the sensitive dam topic and self-aware that they all are in the same boat, they agree that it is time to start rowing the same way.
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24 TN
‘The Dams
of Welfare’
Author | Photographer:
Asmaa Gamal
Cairo, Egypt
The city of El Qanater El Khayreya emerged after a dam was built
and has since become a magnet for local and foreign tourists alike.
The Mohamed Ali Bridge on the Damietta
section of the El Qanater El Khayreya dam was
named after Mohamed Ali Pasha, the Albanian
Ottoman governor and the de-facto ruler
of Egypt from 1805 to 1848. Many tourists
consider the bridge as one of the most beautiful
places in El Qanater El Khayreya.
E
l Qanater El Khayreya is a city in the El Qalyubiya Governorate, North
of Cairo, where the Nile splits into the Damietta and Rosetta branches
- right at the beginning of the Nile Delta. Its unique location led to
the construction of the El Qanater El Khayreya Dam, which in Arabic
means “The Dams of Welfare”, and soon a city grew around it.
It is believed that the foundation of a modern irrigation system in
Egypt started when Mohamed Ali Pasha laid the cornerstone for the twosection
dam in 1840. Its main purpose was to protect the Nile Delta from
getting flooded whenever the water rose above dangerous levels. The
dam was also accompanied by water management schemes to distribute
water to the West, East and centre of the Nile Delta region.
The dam sections – the 465-metre long Rosetta section and the 545-
metre long Damietta section – were completed in 1862. Since then,
the city which lies just 22 kilometres from Cairo has flourished, attracting
millions of local and foreign tourists every year with its many parks,
gardens and stunning views across the Nile.
For today’s residents of El Qanater El Khayreya, ‘The Dams of Welfare’
have lived up to their name, providing income, food and an economic
boost for the region.
TN
El Qanater El Khayreya is a top tourist destination,
especially among Egyptian families living
in Cairo. The short drive from Cairo makes the
city an ideal spot for longer holidays or short
weekend trips, offering an escape into nature
with an abundance of plants and birds.
TN15_20210310.indd 24 2021/03/10 18:29
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