Start
End
Jan 9, 1960

Construction of Aswan High Dam begins

Aswan HighSoviet Union

Egypt begins building the Aswan High Dam (Al-Saad al-ʿĀlī) at Aswan with major Soviet support, initiating the large-scale river-control and hydroelectric project that would reshape Nubia and the Nile’s downstream environment.

BritannicaAswan Dam Wiki
May 14, 1964

Nile diversion completes first construction stage

Nile DiversionAswan Site

The river is diverted through a new channel as the first major construction stage is completed—an engineering milestone enabling closure of the main rivercourse at the dam site and preparing for reservoir impoundment.

Aswan Dam WikiEgyptToday
Jan 1, 1967

Hydroelectric generation begins at Aswan High Dam

Hydroelectric TurbinesAswan High

Power generation begins as turbines come online, marking the start of the dam’s major economic role in electrification and industrialization plans, even before the project’s formal completion.

Aswan Dam WikiBritannica
Jan 1, 1971

Environmental impacts intensify as sediment is trapped

Sediment TrappingNile Downstream

With the dam fully operational, the Nile’s sediment load is largely retained in the reservoir, contributing over time to downstream effects such as reduced nutrient-rich silt deposition on floodplains and increased coastal vulnerability in parts of the Nile Delta.

BritannicaAswan Dam Wiki
19601976199320092026
MKMaria Khan
Updated:Apr 23, 2026
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Aswan High Dam: Construction, Resettlement, and Ecological Impact

Aswan High Dam: Construction, Resettlement, and Ecological Impact

  7. Hydroelectric generation begins at Aswan High Dam

    Labels: Hydroelectric Turbines, Aswan High

  10. Environmental impacts intensify as sediment is trapped

    Labels: Sediment Trapping, Nile Downstream

  12. Nile Delta shoreline-change research links erosion to dam

    Labels: Nile Delta, Shoreline Research