The book discusses the Nile basin from a holistic point of view, giving due attention to its geological history, hydrology, climate, and the full diversity of subsystems like lakes and swamps. It discusses at length the biota of the basin, and derives general conclusions on the biodiversity of the plants and animals that inhabit it. It also examines the effects of human interventions, mainly dam building, but also pollution and eutrophication. It ends with several contributions on the natural resource value of water, and the constraints this imposes on the policies of the riparian states.
1. Introductory chapter: A Description of the Nile Basin, and a Synopsis of its History, Ecology, Biogeography and Natural ResourcesHenri J. Dumont 2. The Nile Delta: History of Scientific Research. Jack F. Talling PART I ORIGIN3. Cenozoic Evolution of the Nile BasinMichael R. Talbot & M. A. J. Williams 4. Late Quaternary Environments in the Nile BasinMartin A. J. Williams & Michael R. Talbot PART II MAJOR NILOTIC ENVIRONMENTS5. The DeltaWaleed Hamza 6. The Fayum Depression and its LakesGamal M. El Shabrawy & Henri J. Dumont 7. Lake Nasser-NubiaGamal M. El Shabrawy 8. The Toshka LakesGamal M. El Shabrawy & Henri J. Dumont 9. Lake Tana: Source of the Blue NileJacobus Vijverberg, Ferdinand A. Sibbing & Eshete Dejen 10. Swamps of the Upper White NileJim Green & Asim I. El Moghraby 11. The Kyoga CatchmentJim Green 12. Lake VictoriaJohn T. Lehman 13. Rwenzori Mountains (Mountains of the Moon): Headwaters of the White NileHilde Eggermont, Kay Van Damme & James M. Russell 14. Nilotic Lakes of the Western RiftJim Green 15. Lake Turkana and its Link to the NileThomas C. Johnson & John O. Malala PART III CLIMATES AND HYDROLOGY16. Nile Basin ClimatesPierre Camberlin 17. The Hydrology of the Nile BasinJohn V. Sutcliffe PART IV LIMNOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY18. Physical and Chemical Water CharacteristicsJack F. Talling 19. River Nile Pollutants and their Effect on Organisms and Water QualityMostafa El-Sheekh 20. Bacteria and Viruses of the NileSaleh Ahmed Rabeh 21. Phytoplankton: Composition, Development and ProductivityJack F. Talling, Faisal Sinada, Ola E. Taha & Emad M. H. Sohby 22. Hydrophytes of the Nile in EgyptMahmoud A. Zahran 23. Aquatic Plants in the SudanOsman M. M. Ali 24. The Cnidaria of the Nile BasinHenri J. Dumont 25. The Oligochaeta of the Nile Basin revisitedSamir. I. Ghabbour 26. The crustacean Zooplankton (Copepoda, Branchiopoda), Atyid Decapoda and Syncarida of the Nile BasinHenri J. Dumont 27. Freshwater Crabs and Shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda) of the Nile BasinNeil Cumberlidge 28. The Nile BenthosGamal El-Shabrawy & Mohamed R. Fishar 29. Freshwater Mollusks of the Nile Basin: Past and PresentDirk Van Damme & Bert Van Bocxlaer 30. Aquatic Insects of the Nile, with Emphasis on the OdonataHenri J. Dumont 31. Fish Fauna of the NileFrans Witte, Martien van Oijen & Ferdinand Sibbing 32. Fossil Fish from the Nile River and its Southern BasinsKathlyn M. Stewart 33-Birds of the NileJim Green PART V HUMAN USE34. Fisheries in the Nile SystemFrans Witte, Martin de Graaf, Oliva Mkumbo, Asim I. El-Moghraby & Ferdinand Sibbing 35. Nile Basin Asymmetries: a Closed Fresh Water Resource, Soil Water Potential, the Political Economy and Nile Transboundary HydropoliticsJohn Anthony Allan 36. Human Impact on the Nile Basin: Past, Present, FutureMartin A. J. Williams