The ever‐increasing demand for energy over the recent development of societies has spurred the construction of hydroelectric facilities. Since dams were first used to generate hydropower around 1890, their construction rate increased tremendously to peak during the 1950s and the 1980s
. Today, about 25% of the 33,105 large dams (≥15 m height) listed by the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) are used for hydropower generation
and currently provide 19% of the world's electricity supply
. Although over 150 countries operate hydroelectric plants, Brazil, China, Canada, Russia, and the United States produce more than 50% of the world's hydropower
. According to data from 1996, hydroelectric reservoirs worldwide cover an estimated 600,000 km
2
.
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