Dam Statistics - Africa Region

• the total number of large dams in Africa is 1 272;
• the single busiest decade in terms of dam commissioning was 1985-95;
• 80.8% are single purpose dams of which 66% were built for irrigation, 25% for water supply;
• the countries with the most dams are South Africa (539), Zimbabwe (213) and Algeria (107).

The six largest dams in Africa by height are:

• Cahora Bassa dam, Zambezi River, Mozambique, 171m;
• Katse Dam, Lesotho, 155m;
• Hassan 1, Lakhdar River, Morocco, 145m;
• Akosombo Dam, Volta River, Ghana, 134m;
• Bine El Ouidane, El Abid River, Morocco, 133m;
• Kariba Dam, Zambezi River, Zambia/Zimbabwe, 128m.

The five largest dams in Africa by reservoir capacity are:

• Kariba Dam, Zambezi River, Zambia/Zimbabwe, 180 billion cubic meters;
• High Aswan Dam, Nile River, Egypt, 162 billion cubic meters;
• Akosombo Dam, Lake Volta, Ghana, 150 billion cubic meters;
• Cahora Bassa Dam, Zambezi River, Mozambique, 52 billion cubic meters;
• Kossou Dam, Bandama River, Côte d’Ivoire, 28 billion cubic meters.

Dam statistics – Middle East region

• the total number of large dams in the Middle East is 793;
• the single busiest decade in terms of dam commissioning was the 1990s;
• 78% of dams in the Middle East are single purpose, of which 86% are for irrigation, with 3% built for flood control;
• most dams in the region are between 10-30m in height.
• Turkey has the most dams (625), followed by Iran (66), Syria (41), and Saudi Arabia (38).

The five largest dams by height in the Middle East are, according to available data:

• Keban Dam, Firat River, Turkey, 210m;
• Karoon-3, Karoon River, Iran, 205m;
• Dez Dam, Dez River, Iran, 203m;
• Shahid Abbas Poor, Karoon River, Iran, 200m;
• Amir Kabir, Karaj River, Iran, 180m;

 The five largest dams in the Middle East by reservoir capacity are, according to available data:

• Ataturk Dam, Firat River, Turkey, 48.7 billion cubic meters;
• Keban Dam, Firat River, Turkey, 31 billion cubic meters;
• Razza Dyke, (offstream), Iraq, 26 billion cubic meters;
• Mosul Dam, Tigris River, Iraq, 12.5 billion cubic meters;
• Haditha Dam, Euphrates River, Iraq, 8.2 billion cubic meters.

IRRIGATION IN AFRICA

Most irrigated countries:

Egypt 3.3 million ha

Sudan 1.9 million ha

South Africa 1.27 million ha

Morocco 1.25 million ha

Madagascar 1.1 million ha

 

 

The graph represents Irrigation in Africa - Countries estimated to have the largest irrigation systems in Africa (1997)

Least irrigated countries (less than 5 000ha under irrigation):

Djibouti

Botswana

DR of Congo

Gambia

Liberia

Lesotho

Rwanda

 

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OVERALL IRRIGATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST:

Iran 7.2 million ha

Turkey 4.2 million ha

Iraq 3.5 million ha

Saudi Arabia 1.6 million ha

Syria 1.2 million ha

Yemen 485 000 ha

Libya 470 000 ha

Israel 199 000 ha

Lebanon 117 000 ha

Jordan 75 000 ha

U.A. Emirates 72 000 ha

Palestine 12 000 ha

The graph represents Irrigation in the Middle East - Countries estimated to have the largest irrigation systems (1997)

(Sources: 1998 World Register of Dams - International Commission on Large Dams; International Hydropower Association; UN Food & Agriculture Organisation.)