ABSTRACT
Basically, large-scale reservoirs are needed either to cover a heavy demand for water such as for irrigation and drinking water, or to protect a region against an excessive amount of flooding or inundation. It is unlikely that the Sadd-el-Kafara was built for drinking-water supplies or irrigation purposes. The dam lies too far from the alabaster quarries situated upstream to have supplied the labour force with drinking water, and vast stretches of fertile arable land together with an abundant supply of water for agricultural needs are available in the nearby Nile valley.
