Multipurpose River Projects in Africa

16 Grade 9 Social Studies questions on Multipurpose River Projects in Africa, with worked marking schemes. 16 questions are available on this topic in full.

1. Question 1

   1 mark

   Which of the following is a social benefit that communities gain from multipurpose river projects?

   A. Clean piped water for domestic use

   B. Higher levels of waterborne disease

   C. Loss of recreational sites

   D. Reduced amount of farmland

   (1 mark)

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2. Question 2

   4 marks

   Multipurpose river projects are dams built to serve more than one purpose.

   (a) Name the river on which the Aswan High Dam in Egypt was constructed. (1 mark)

   (b) Describe three benefits that a country gains from a multipurpose river project. (3 marks)

   (4 marks)

   Marking scheme

   (a) The Aswan High Dam was constructed on the River Nile. (b) Three benefits of a multipurpose river project: 1. Generation of hydro-electric power (HEP), which supplies cheap electricity for homes and industries. 2. Provision of water for irrigation, allowing farming in dry areas and increasing food production. 3. Control of floods, since the dam regulates the flow of the river and stores excess water during the rainy season. (Other acceptable: provision of water for domestic and industrial use; creation of a reservoir for fishing; promotion of tourism and recreation; improved transport.)

3. Question 3

   1 mark

   Before a multipurpose dam is built, large numbers of people sometimes have to move from the area that will be flooded. This problem is referred to as:

   A. Urbanisation of people

   B. Voluntary settlement

   C. Migration for tourism

   D. Displacement of people

   (1 mark)

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4. Question 4

   1 mark

   Which multipurpose project on the Tana River in Kenya is well known for hydroelectric power generation?

   A. Seven Forks scheme

   B. Mwea irrigation only

   C. Lake Victoria project

   D. Turkwel desert farm

   (1 mark)

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5. Question 5

   1 mark

   The Aswan High Dam, a major multipurpose project, is built on which African river?

   A. River Congo

   B. River Niger

   C. River Nile

   D. River Zambezi

   (1 mark)

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6. Question 6

   1 mark

   In Kenya, the Seven Forks scheme along the River Tana is mainly important because it:

   A. Generates a large share of the country's hydroelectric power

   B. Marks the border with Tanzania

   C. Is used only for tourism

   D. Supplies oil to the coast

   (1 mark)

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7. Question 7

   1 mark

   Which multipurpose river project in Egypt was built on the River Nile and created Lake Nasser?

   A. The Masinga Dam

   B. The Kariba Dam

   C. The Aswan High Dam

   D. The Akosombo Dam

   (1 mark)

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8. Question 8

   1 mark

   The Akosombo Dam, one of Africa's major multipurpose projects, was constructed on which river?

   A. River Volta

   B. River Zambezi

   C. River Nile

   D. River Niger

   (1 mark)

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9. Question 9

   1 mark

   The Kariba Dam on the Zambezi River creates electricity shared by two neighbouring countries. These countries are:

   A. Zambia and Zimbabwe

   B. Egypt and Sudan

   C. Ghana and Togo

   D. Kenya and Uganda

   (1 mark)

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10. Question 10

    6 marks

    Explain three problems that may arise from the construction of large multipurpose river projects in Africa.

    (6 marks)

    Marking scheme

    Any three problems explained (2 marks each): displacement of people - communities are moved from areas that are flooded by the reservoir; high cost - projects are expensive and may increase national debt; environmental damage - flooding destroys wildlife habitats and farmland; spread of waterborne diseases - stagnant water breeds disease vectors; reduced silt downstream - farmers lose natural soil fertility; conflict over shared waters between countries. Accept any three explained problems.

11. Question 11

    4 marks

    The Aswan High Dam transformed the economy of Egypt.

    (a) State two benefits Egypt gained from the dam.

    (b) State two negative effects associated with it.

    (4 marks)

    Marking scheme

    (a) Two benefits (1 mark each): generation of hydroelectric power; year-round irrigation enabling more crops; control of Nile floods; creation of Lake Nasser for fishing/water storage; tourism. (b) Two negative effects (1 mark each): displacement of people (e.g. Nubians); loss of fertile silt downstream so farmers depend on fertilisers; increased waterborne diseases (e.g. bilharzia); evaporation/water loss from Lake Nasser; submerging of historical sites. Accept any two each.

12. Question 12

    1 mark

    A region downstream of a large multipurpose dam complains that the river now carries less fertile silt to their farms. This is an example of a:

    A. Benefit of the dam to downstream farmers

    B. Cause of increased rainfall

    C. Negative effect of the dam on agriculture downstream

    D. Reason to build more fishing boats

    (1 mark)

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13. Question 13

    1 mark

    The Aswan High Dam in Egypt is built on which river?

    A. The Niger

    B. The Congo

    C. The Nile

    D. The Zambezi

    (1 mark)

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14. Question 14

    4 marks

    The Aswan High Dam on the River Nile in Egypt is an example of a multipurpose river project in Africa.

    (a) State two benefits Egypt has gained from the construction of the Aswan High Dam. (2 marks)

    (b) Apart from the Aswan High Dam, name two other multipurpose river projects in Africa and the rivers on which they are built. (2 marks)

    (4 marks)

    Marking scheme

    (a) Any two benefits of the Aswan High Dam, such as: generation of hydroelectric power (HEP) for industries and homes; control of the annual flooding of the River Nile; provision of water for irrigation throughout the year, allowing year-round farming; creation of Lake Nasser, a reservoir used for fishing and water storage; promotion of inland water transport; or development of tourism around the lake and dam. (b) Any two other multipurpose river projects with their rivers, such as: the Akosombo Dam on the River Volta (Ghana); the Kariba Dam on the River Zambezi (between Zambia and Zimbabwe); the Cahora Bassa Dam on the River Zambezi (Mozambique); or the Masinga/Seven Forks scheme on the River Tana (Kenya).

15. Question 15

    1 mark

    A multipurpose river project is BEST defined as a development on a river that:

    A. Is used only for generating hydroelectric power

    B. Serves several purposes such as power generation, irrigation and water supply

    C. Is meant solely for fishing

    D. Is built only to control flooding

    (1 mark)

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16. Question 16

    4 marks

    State four uses of a multipurpose river project.

    (4 marks)

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