MULTI-PURPOSE PROJECTS

Multi-purpose projects are those put up to serve a number of purposes. These are
examples of how rivers can be fully utilized to yield benefits for that particular country.
Examples of multi-purpose projects in the world include:
 Tennessee valley Authority (TVA) project in USA.
 Hoover dam in California.
 Aswan high dam project in Egypt.
 Akasombo dam project/Volta river project in Ghana.
 Kariba dam between Zambia and Zimbabwe
 Kainji dam in Nigeria
TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY (TVA)-USA
The Tennessee valley authority is a major (multi-purpose) project found in the Tennessee
River valley basin in USA. The Tennessee River is a tributary of R. Ohio, which itself is a
tributary of Mississippi river. The Tennessee valley authority is a corporation formed for
large-scale rehabilitation of a vast region of the seven adjoining states of Tennessee,
Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi.
Before the TVA the region had many problems such as; soil erosion, constant flooding of
rivers due to heavy rains, diseases due to flooding, silting of rivers, unnavigable river
Tennessee, unemployment and poverty plus lack of power/electricity. Therefore in 1933,
the government had to step in and the TVA was established to rehabilitate and develop the
region. It was started after the seven states agreed to cooperate for the purpose.
Aims of the Tennessee valley authority project
The primary aims of the TVA were:
1) To control floods and harness the rivers for self-reliance to raise the living standards.
2) To conserve soils such as through controlling soil erosion
3) To generate hydro electric power in the region
But the project was involved in many related activities such as:
 To promote industrial development within the region
 To promote forestry and wildlife conservation such as through afforestation and
reforestation.
 To teach local people better methods of farming
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 To improve navigation on the river so as to allow large vessels to sail on the river and its
tributaries.
 To improve methods of mining of various minerals
 Above all it was to transform the economic and social environment involving: industrial
development, road and railway construction, town planning, and sound agricultural
techniques.
The basis of the scheme was the construction of dams; 9 on the main Tennessee River
over its 1450 km long course and another 23 on its tributaries. All dams are capable of
controlling floods, assisting in navigation and generating hydro-electricity. The major dams
include Norris dam, Cherokee dam, Douglas dam, Fort Loudon dam, Fontana dam,
Hiwassee dam, Watts bar dam, Chickamauga dam, Guntersville dam, Wilson dam, Pickwick
dam, and Kentucky dam, among others. The huge reservoirs created by the dams hold
back large quantities of water, reducing floods and this water also released for irrigation
purposes. The project also involved construction of a deep navigation channel.
Contribution of the Tennessee valley authority project to the development of the
region
1. The region is now agriculturally productive since better methods were introduced to
control soil such as contour ploughing, strip cropping, crop rotation and also better
varieties of crops brought. Afforestation and reforestation have controlled soil erosion.
2. The farmers were encouraged to used modern farming methods in order to
conserve soil and maintain fertility. The factories in the region now provide cheap
fertilizers to be used in the farmlands. There is soil and crop research was carried out
and farmers were given advice on how to solve the problems facing them. Farm
machinery especially adapted to hilly conditions was introduced and manufactured
locally. Demonstration farms were also set up to teach farmers.
More so free agricultural extension services have been provided to farmers on problems
they were facing such as by agricultural engineers and assistants on terracing, modern
irrigation techniques.
3. Incomes have been increased in agricultural production and from employment
provided by the emerging industries. For example the many farmers growing cotton
and rice which have high demand in the country. When the rivers were controlled, soil
quality improved tremendously and crop yields increased –hence increased farmers’
incomes so that hope and prosperity returned to a region which had been impoverished
for many years.

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4. Flooding has been controlled by the dams (such as Norris dam, Kentucky dam, and
Douglas dam) that were constructed with their reservoirs, dredging and deepening of the
river channel. The huge reservoirs hold back a lot of water, thereby controlling flooding
in the region. By fighting soil erosion, the silting which causes flooding has also been
reduced.
5. Diseases were controlled through controlling flooding in the Tennessee valley region.
Bilharzia has been controlled since stagnant water from floods has been limited, which
has also improved the living standards. There was also spraying and swamp
reclamation. Cultivation near river banks was also discouraged by the authorities.
6. Generation of hydroelectric power for industrial and domestic purposes in the region
since over 30 dams were constructed. Examples of dams include: Fontana dam,
Cherokee dam, Wilson dam, Kentucky dam. The HEP generation has also reduced the
rate of deforestation. By 1953, 80% of the homes had been electrified, hence better
standards of living.
7. The TVA has promoted industrial growth due to controlled flooding and the
hydroelectric power generated. Industries include: chemical industries, fertilizer, farm
machinery, electrical appliances, aluminium smelting, pulp and paper mills, and food
processing. Such industries provide jobs to people, pay taxes to government and uplift
the general welfare.
8. Transport along the river/navigation has been improved especially between
Kentucky and Knoxville. The river has been made navigable for about 630miles by
regulating water flow. The dredging and widening of river channel has improved water
transport. The ma-made lakes are also navigable. This has uplifted a number of
activities such as promoting inter-state trade and commerce.
9. Promotion of the tourism sector in the Tennessee region with many tourists from
Canada, Western Europe and south East Asia attracted to the recreation facilities at
wildlife reservations, national parks, game reserves, improved scenic beauty, man-made
lakes among others. They come for camping, hunting, climbing mountains, sport fishing,
canoeing, and swimming among others. This generates foreign exchange as well as
employment in the region.
10. Promotion of urbanization with many towns developed such as Paouchah, Nashville,
Chattanooga, Knoxville, these towns are industrial centres, commercial centres,
employment centres, mining centres, health centres, recreation centres among others.
11. Promoted development of fishing activities.
12. There has been technological development in the Tennessee region.
13. The Tennessee has become a model for multi-purpose projects in the river valleys
worldwide.

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Short comings /negative effects of the Tennessee valley project
1. Displacement of people.
2. Expensive resettlement of the displaced people.
3. Industrial-related problems.
4. Urban-related problems.
5. The TVA was very expensive to undertake—hence straining the budget.
6. Etc

ASWAN HIGH DAM PROJECT

This project is found in Egypt near the country’s border with Sudan, and it is one of the
biggest multipurpose river projects in Africa, together with Lake Nasser-the man-made lake
behind the dam.
There are two dams at Aswan and both have power stations. The first dam was constructed
in 1902 at Aswan to control flooding. But this was totally inadequate and in 1956 a new dam
was set up south of Aswan called the Aswan high dam. This Aswan high dam was
completed in 1970. It is 3600m long and 111m high. At the top its 40m wide and its base is
almost a km wide yet it is a very strong dam. Behind the dam is Lake Nasser (500kmlong
nearly 150km into Sudan).
Aims for the construction of the Aswan high dam
 To control flooding along the Nile river ( therefore when the original dam was inadequate
anew high dam was put up)
 To provide water for irrigation (since Egypt is largely a desert country).
 To generate hydroelectric power
 To create a reservoir for water supply for domestic and industrial use.
 To improve navigation by increasing the water level of the Nile river.
 To create employment for the people.
Note: The dam was financed Russian capital and expertise, and Egyptian labour was used
in great part.
Factors that favoured the establishment of the Aswan high dam project include:
1. Presence of the Nile River with large volumes of water that is, sufficient head water
supply for the dam to generate power. This water is stored in a reservoir and allowed to

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 through the penstocks under great pressure and this is ideal for generating a lot of
hydroelectric power.
2. Seasonal floods of River Nile which made it necessary to control floods by constructing
a dam. The construction of the dam is of great importance in regulating river flow, with
resultant advantages of both power generation and other purposes such as irrigation. By
constructing the dam, the water is stored and its release controlled at a regular rate
instead of reliance on the river flow which may fluctuate.
3. Presence of waterfalls –fast flow of water to turn the hydro-turbines for generating HEP
power. The waterfalls increase the force of water (provide strong head of water) to turn
the hydro-turbines to generate hydroelectric power. The waterfall is due to the steep
gradient, otherwise a lower gradient cannot generate the force of head water required.
4. Presence of a narrow gorge which offered a suitable site for river damming, by
connecting a smaller width of the deep valley and restricting the flooding area. Also
because the valley is deep, it increases the water pressure behind the dam to generate
a large amount of power).
5. Presence of a hard basement rock in the area which offered a firm/ strong foundation for
the construction the dam and putting up the power transmission plant.
6. The country receives low and unreliable rainfall, as its part of the dry Sahara desert,
which necessitated storing of water for use during the dry season. This was stored in the
reservoir lake (Lake Nasser) and later pumped into the irrigation fields to increase food
and cash crop production for Egypt.
7. Vast/ large tracts of land to accommodate the reservoir / man-made lake upstream,
hence facilitating the plan for dam construction. This was due to the sparse population of
the area, allowing cheap /easy compensation of the displaced people. Still it requires
that the valley behind the dam is deep enough to hold a sufficient supply of water to
provide a good head.
8. Availability of a large market for hydroelectric power, both domestic and industrial use.
The thermal power generated from oil was not sufficient to meet the development
requirements of the country such as industrial use, pumping irrigation water, domestic
use. Thus the large and constant demand for power warranted the establishment of the
dam project.
9. Availability of adequate capital/large sums of capital invested in the construction of the
project. This was provided by the government, World Bank and Russia. A lot of capital
was needed in the dam erection, power plant construction, costs of transmission of
power and also round-the –year maintenance of the project. There were also initial costs
of compensating the people affected by the scheme.

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10. Availability of skilled and unskilled/ cheap labour used in the construction of the dam
project especially from abroad and cheap labor provided mainly by nationals. There was
need for a team of skilled engineers, geologists and managers to dot the construction of
the dam project, wiremen involved in the transmission and distribution of power and a lot
of administrative staff in all the activities of the project including planning the reservoir
lake and facilitating the irrigation part of the project.
11. The availability of high level of technology / modern technology used in the setting up of
the project. For example the use of large hydro-turbines which are driven by the force of
water against their blades to produce quality work. Also the use of high-tension cables
for hydroelectric power transmission. Also the installation of pumps to supply water from
the reservoir to the irrigation farmlands.
12. Supportive government policy towards the development of the multipurpose scheme in
order to promote economic growth. The government for example mobilized the funds for
the construction of the project such as from Russia and the World Bank. This was
invested in erecting the dam, and construction the power plant. The government also
encouraged investors in irrigation farming and water transport, to create employment;
hence the success of various objectives of the scheme.
Contributions of the Aswan high dam to the economy of Egypt
1. The dam has controlled flooding of the Nile in Egypt which used to threaten life in the
lower Nile, since the reservoir holds back a lot of water. It controlled the flow of the Nile
River. Previously when the Nile flooded, cultivation was delayed and most of the water
ended up wastefully in the Mediterranean Sea. The flooding of the Nile would lead to
destruction of farmlands, life and property. As of today even production is no longer
disrupted by floods, hence accelerating the development of Egypt.
2. The project has promoted irrigation, hence increasing cultivable land. Remember that
Egypt is 90% desert and yet has a high population and hence the need to increase
cultivation land. This has increased food and cash crop production such as rice, cotton,
maize, orchards, and wheat along the Nile and the delta zones. There is a large area
under perennial irrigation all-year round and a large area has been reclaimed from the
desert.
A number of irrigation schemes of reclaimed land from the desert are operational, most
notably being New valley project and Tahrir scheme. The new valley project facilitates
irrigation in the oases of the western desert such as Kharga, Dakhla, Farafra, Baharia
and Siwa. The Aswan power enables pumping of water from over 900 m below ground
level and distributed to the cultivated land. The new villages have social and health
services, new roads, factories. El Kharga is the centre for this stage of development.

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 The Tahrir province scheme just west of the delta between Cairo and Alexandria, has
large fields of wheat done by the cooperative combine harvesters and there is also
mechanized crop spraying. The crops grown here include berseen, maize, cotton,
orchards (plums, vines, and olives), vegetables, flowers, lemons, mangoes, oranges,
and palms. The cooperatives organize fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation and marketing as
well as giving advice to the farmers.
3. The generation of hydroelectric power which has promoted a number of activities such
as trade/service sector. The Aswan high dam produces over 2100 megawatts of power,
and the power has been used for domestic purposes and industrial development. Hydro
power production has reduced Egypt’s need for fuels like coal, oil in the industrial sector.
4. The project has promoted industrial development due to large quantities of hydroelectric
power and water supply. For example there are many industries in Cairo and the free
zone of the Nile delta such as the aluminium plant, phosphate / fertilizer and bauxite
plants; grain mills at Luxor, sugar factories.
5. The project has led to the generation of employment of opportunities to the people of the
region such as at the dam engaged in the production of hydroelectricity, irrigated
farmlands, transport sector and industry—hence increasing incomes in a country
experiencing high population and thus addressing poverty. The operations at the dam
have created a skilled body of workers who are a valuable asset.
6. Promotion of tourism development has come from the project and hence valuable
foreign exchange generated. The Aswan high dam at Aswan, Lake Nasser—the
reservoir lake and irrigated farmlands in Baharia oasis and along the Nile are all tourist
attractions. The foreign exchange generated is used to import foreign technology and
consumer goods not available locally.
7. The project has led to the promotion of urbanization and associated infrastructural
development such as Luxor, Qena, and Cairo. This has resulted from the electrification
in many areas of Egypt and concentration of population in the industrial centres to look
for employment. There is also a program of rural electrification especially along the Nile,
leading to transformation of many areas through activities like trade and commerce.
8. Fishing has been developed by the river dam project. This is due to the creation of Lake
Nasser—the man-made lake behind the dam by holding back water. This valuable
source of proteins and also increasing incomes of the people.
9. Lake Nasser and the dam also supply fresh water regularly for domestic and industrial
use.
10. The construction of the dam has improved navigation/ water transport along the Nile.
This is because the former bends which used to hinder easy movement have been
completely submerged by the increase in water level and this remains almost constant

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 throughout the year. Still lake Nasser provides a 500km waterway into Sudan, which has
been important as a route for goods and passengers.
11. Project has promoted the diversification of the economy by developing many economic
activities in the region such as farming, trade, industries—hence increasing national
income.
12. The project has increased government revenue through taxation of the various activities
which have been developed such as industry, trade and commerce, crop farming.
13. The project has promoted international relationship between Egypt and other countries
such as Sudan where the hydroelectricity is exported.
However several problems have been caused by the Aswan high dam project/
negative effects of the project as explained below:
1. Has led to the displacement of many people who used to live in the area now covered by
Lake Nasser. For example over 42,000 people in Wadi Halfa and nearby areas with
livestock were displaced across the Nubian Desert to Khasim-a small area of 70km 2.
Therefore many people lost farmlands and settlements.
2. The project has led to expensive resettling of the displaced people (the nomads). They
had to be given double hectorage of their former land/ increasing government
expenditure. Irrigation and electric power had to be provided from the new dam. Also
small market centres and administrations had to be put up which all required a lot of
funds.
3. Pollution of the environment due to many industries setup in the region.
4. It has led to a decline in farming in some parts of the upper Nile delta region. This is due
to the loss of silt which used to maintain soil fertility as it now settles out in Lake Nasser.
Farm land along the Nile is becoming less fertile and productive. Farmers have
attempted to use chemical fertilizers instead, but these are not as effective. And also the
loss of water through irrigation and evaporation yet the ocean currents in the
Mediterranean Sea continue eroding away the edge of the delta.
5. Decline in fishing industry at the coast due to loss of silt deposits now settling out in the
lake, which would support plankton growth. Unfortunately Lake Nasser’s fishing industry
has not yet developed to replace this lost food source.
6. Due to loss of water through evaporation and irrigation, the fresh water in the soil near
the mouth is being replaced by salty/saline sea water and some rendered unfit for
cultivation. Drainage therefore has to be improved to wash these salts away. The high
rate of evaporation is particularly true for river dam projects in arid areas.
7. The extension of perennial irrigation is resulting into spread of diseases especially
bilharzia caused by cavin snails due stagnant water. This is attributed to the rise in the

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 water table in areas where canals carry water throughout the year. This affects
negatively on the quality of life/ decline in the human resource.
8. The delta has reduced in size as it is not receiving significant silt deposits, and hence
currents are eroding the edge of the delta, and this limits coastal/delta activities such as
tourism.
9. The project has led to the destruction of natural beauty, because the construction of the
river dam project destroys the rapids, waterfalls and gorges. This in turn negatively
affects the tourism sector and thus limiting the inflow of foreign exchange.
10. Resulted into urban related problems in the towns which have come up such as high
crime rate, traffic congestion.
11. The manmade lake is a barrier to communication in the area around it, since it occupies
a large area. This undermined trade and commerce between the people of the opposite
sides.

THE AKASOMBO DAM PROJECT (VOLTA RIVER PROJECT)

The Akasombo dam project was opened in 1966 and was built across the Volta River where
the river passes through a narrow Akasombo gorge, in south eastern Ghana. The project
involved the construction of a huge dam across the Volta River where it cuts through the
Akwapim hills at Akasombo. The project was funded by Ghana, USA, Britain, and the World
Bank.
In the subsequent years more generators were added and today the scheme accounts for
about 99% of Ghana’s total electricity production. Ghana’s industrial and economic
expansion increased the demand for power beyond what the Akasombo could provide. By
1981, a smaller dam was built at the town of Kpong, downstream from Akasombo.
The major Objectives of the Akasombo dam project
 To generate hydroelectric power especially for smelting aluminium and other industries.
The large scale production of hydroelectricity would make the cost of smelting the ore
before export economically feasible and refined aluminium would be less expensive to
ship than the bulky ore. The Volta Aluminium company (VALCO) at tema and other
secondary industries consume a large proportion of electricity generated by the
Akasombo dam project.
 To control and regulate the flow of river Volta which was characterized by seasonal
fluctuations in the water level.
 To improve inland water transport / navigation.
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 To improve agriculture through providing water for irrigation.
 To store water for industrial and domestic use.
 To create a lake behind the dam to act as a fishing ground and a tourist attraction.
Note: The Volta dam complex includes a power dam and station on the west bank and a
flood control dam and saddle dam on the east bank. Lake Volta is the man-made lake which
has developed behind the dam.
Ghana has also developed other dams such as:
 Bui dam project on black Volta
 Kpong dam near Akasombo dam
Ghana does not produce any coal, petroleum or natural gas. The generation of
hydroelectricity has greatly reduced the need to import fuel for thermal power stations, thus
saving the country valuable foreign exchange. Ghana earns foreign exchange from the
export of hydroelectricity to the neighboring countries such as Togo, Benin and Ivory Coast.
The project has promoted the growth of towns like Kpandu, Kete, Krachi, Yeji, Yapei, accra,
Port Tema, Kumasi and Takoradi. The project has also promoted the agricultural sector
through providing water for irrigation. There are state farms north of the lake and on the
Accra plains. The crops grown include: rice, sugar canes, maize, tobacco, ground nuts and
vegetables.

KAINJI DAM PROJECT (NIGER DAM PROJECT)

The project is located in the northwestern part of Nigeria across the Niger River at Kainji.
The project was opened in 1969 and lies in a remote, thinly populated and very poor part of
Nigeria. The dam has produced a manmade lake behind it, known as Lake Kainji (130 km
long and 1300 km2 ).
The major aim of the project was to generate hydroelectric power (the main aim of building
the dam). Today the dam generates electricity for all the large cities in Nigeria. Some of the
electricity is sold to the neighboring Niger. In addition, occasional droughts have made the
Niger’s water flow unpredictable, diminishing the dam’s electrical output. Other objectives of
the project included: the need to control flooding of the Niger River, to promote irrigation,
there by facilitating farming to increase food production, to promote the industrial sector.

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KARIBA DAM PROJECT
The Kariba dam is located on the Zambia—Zimbabwe border on River Zambezi. It was built
between 1955 and 1959. It is one of the largest dams in the world at 128m high and 579m
long. The major reason for its establishment was the great demand for electricity by Zambia
and Zimbabwe. This was due to the growing population in the two countries, the energy
demands of the Zambian copper belt and the mines in Zimbabwe—encouraging dam
construction. Today about 49% of the electricity from the dam is used by Zimbabwe and the
remaining 51% used by Zambia.
The construction of the dam was na economic necessity. There has been a great decline in
the importation of coal from the wankie fields and oil for thermal power stations. The kariba
supplies about 1320mw of electricity to both Zambia and Zimbabwe. It has provided plenty
of power for mining, industrial expansion and the service sector.
A great burden has been lifted from the railways since they no longer have to carry huge
supplies of coal to the industrial areas.

INGA DAMS
The Inga dams are hydroelectric power dams located at Inga falls in DRC. The falls are
about 96m. Today the two hydroelectric dams, Inga I and Inga II, operate at low output.
There are plans to rehabilitate the dams, and also to start Inga III and Grand Inga, which are
to be more massive. The grand Inga would be one of the largest hydroelectric power
projects in the world. The HEP project provides power to many towns of western DRC such
as Kinshasa, Port Matadi etc.
Guiding questions:
1) Examine the significance of the Tennessee valley authority multi-purpose river
development project to the economy of USA.
2) Discuss the contribution of multi-purpose development projects to economic
development with reference to either USA or Ghana.
3) With reference to any multi-purpose river development project in Africa, assess its
contributions to the economic development of the country or region in which it is located

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