Introduction

This introductory chapter first sets out the focus of the book, which is to explore how various groups of people, or stakeholders, have responded to the challenges and opportunities that have arisen from the creation of Lake Nasser, the lake that formed behind the Aswan High Dam in southern Egypt. These stakeholders include diverse groups such as mining companies, migratory fishermen, commercial farmers, governorate planners, politicians, university researchers and last, but certainly by no means least, the resident Bedouin of the region. It is this last group that arguably has the biggest...

This introductory chapter first sets out the focus of the book, which is to explore how various groups of people, or stakeholders, have responded to the challenges and opportunities that have arisen from the creation of Lake Nasser, the lake that formed behind the Aswan High Dam in southern Egypt. These stakeholders include diverse groups such as mining companies, migratory fishermen, commercial farmers, governorate planners, politicians, university researchers and last, but certainly by no means least, the resident Bedouin of the region. It is this last group that arguably has the biggest stake of all, because it is they who live and work there, and use and manage the resources, and it is this group on which this book really focuses. The chapter then discusses the issues of environmental change and sustainability. An overview of the subsequent chapters is also presented.