Objectives declared – objectives fulfilled
Nasser’s foremost goal was to realize a project that could be the backbone
of Egypt’s development, to make it one of the most modern and economi-
cally powerful countries in the world. Among other things national income
was to be doubled within ten years.
The following gives a short overview of the particular objectives to be
realized:
• An additional 7.5 billion m3
 of Nile water were to be gained for irrigation
purposes, with the help of which agricultural land was to be extended by
456,000 ha, i.e. by 22 per cent. In Upper Egypt 395,000 ha of agricultural
land were to be managed under all-year-round irrigation instead of under
seasonal basin irrigation, so that there could be two harvests annually.
• The area of cultivation of summer crops, such as rice and maize as well
as sugar cane, was to be extended. Hitherto the limiting factor had been
water, since the main period of growth was the time when the Nile level
was low.
• The overall water requirements of Egypt were to be secured. Thus far,
when rainfall deficits occurred in the monsoonal catchment areas of
the Nile sources, the discharge in Egypt could fall to below 50 per cent
of the mean, causing famines there.