Red Sea Dam
The Red Sea Dam is a speculative macro - engineering proposal of a group of scientists and engineers from the year 2007. Though it is the intention of the authors to " ethical and environmental dilemmas and some of the policy implications of macro - engineering " explore both the proposal criticism and mockery has attracted.
Proposal
The idea is to shut off the Red Sea at its southern exit between Djibouti and Yemen, where the Bab al - Mandab is only 27 km wide, or between Yemen and Eritrea. The natural evaporation ( evaporation) would quickly lower the level of the enclosed Red Sea. Inflowing water could drive turbines and generate electricity via a generator. It has been estimated that up to 50 gigawatts of electrical power could be provided which would make all other power plants on the earth in the shade.
The dam would be 150 feet high, 1 km thick and ( between Yemen and Eritrea ) 100 kms long. After 50 years 450,000 km ² surface of the Red Sea would be reduced by a third, and after 300 years by two thirds. Its water level would be down by about 600 m.
Effects
The author of the proposal, Roelof Dirk Schuiling, Viorel Badescu, Richard B. Cathcart, Jihan Seoud and Jaap C. Hanekamp from the University of Utrecht lead from that "Macro - engineering projects of this size cause massive destruction of existing ecology" would, a point which is also emphasized by critics, and can show the damage generated by the current, much smaller projects.
The authors claim "green" qualities for the idea: " On the positive side of the environmental impact at the big reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and the reduced rate of depletion of fossil hydrocarbon reserves ."
Experts such as Peter Bosshard, Policy Director of International Rivers have condemned the project as insane.
The area around the envisaged dam is known for its volcanic activity, since to move the shore on the Arabian Plate and the Nubian plate apart. Therefore, considering the planners of the dam him to construct on an unexplained way other than a dam in the Strait of Hormuz, purchased pre struck in 2001.
The Suez Canal would save through the Bab -al- Mandab dam no rounding of the Cape more, in addition to Egypt would Israel and Jordan lose quick access to the Indian Ocean, near Mecca, there would be no port, and at least the Sudan would henceforth a landlocked country.
Sea level rise by the dam would be approximately 30 cm.
Other macro - engineering proposals
- Atlantropa (overshoot of the Mediterranean at Gibraltar )
- Hydro solar energy project Qattara Depression
- Davydov Plan ( diversion of Siberian rivers to the south )