Aswan Dam environmental problems, these have proved to be significantly less severe than was generally expected, or currently believed by many people." Another observer disagreed and he recommended that the dam should be torn down. Tearing it down would cost only a fraction of the funds required for "continually combating the dam's consequential damage" and 500,000 hectares of fertile land could be reclaimed from the layers of mud on the bed of the drained reservoir. Periodic floods and droughts have affected Egypt since ancient times. The dam mitigated the effects of floods, such as those in 1964, 1973, and 1988. Navigation along
Aswan average relative humidity of only 26%, with a maximum mean of 42% during winter and a minimum mean of 16% during summer. The weather of Aswan is extremely clear, bright and sunny year-round, in all seasons, with a low seasonal variation, with almost 4,000 hours of annual sunshine, very close to the maximum theoretical sunshine duration. Aswan is one of the sunniest places on Earth. The highest record temperature was on July 4, 1918, and the lowest record temperature was on January 6, 1989. In 1999, South Valley University was inaugurated and it has three branches; Aswan, Qena and Hurghada.