Dams: An Essential Component of Development

Abstract

Dams have become an integral part of basic infrastructure by offering indispensable benefits like irrigation, hydropower, domestic and industrial water supply, flood control, drought mitigation, navigation, fish farming, and recreation. As controversial as they have been during the last decades due to negative social and environmental impacts, the limited and uneven distribution of water at the global level has made the world realize that more dams, mostly large dams, are needed if development is to be promoted and if basic human needs are to be covered. Overall, it has been global dynamics in terms of water, energy (including trade aspects), food, and climate securities that has recasted the role of dams triggering massive investment on construction and modernization of multiple projects all over the world. It is thus fundamental to continue improving project planning and implementation to avoid unnecessary social and environmental costs. This paper discusses the role of dams on development, hydropower as the main source of renewable energy, the potential it holds to promote regional development, resettlement as the most critical factor still facing construction of large dams, and the role an entirely new group of actors are having in investment of dam projects at the national, regional, and global levels.

Paternalism or participatory governance? Efforts and obstacles in implementing the Brazilian water policy in a large watershed

“…The increasing demand for energy in many parts of the world and the effort to increase food production by increasing irrigated cropping is still triggering many dam (and water diversion) projects worldwide (Tortajada, 2015). While the often contested large dam projects have obvious huge environmental impacts, small dams can have even higher impacts per MW generated; yet impacts of the different size classes vary (Kibler and Tullos, 2013).…”

The Role of Dams on Water, Food, and Energy Security Issues: A Global Review and Resolution for Indonesia

“…The efforts to reduce the impact of floods, secure water supplies, and provide hydropower have benefited the world's population in many ways, allowing for improved human health, expansion of food production, and economic growth [7]. With the increasing need for water, energy, and food, the dam development in the effort to provide much-needed services is expected to continue in the future [9]. The results of this study clearly show that the dam plays an important role in the development of the global socio-economic primarily related to its role in ensuring water supply for consumption needs by the world's population and the provision of energy.…”

“…The ever-increasing demand for water, energy, food, and biofuels due to population growth, as well as concerns related to carbon emissions and potential impacts on climate change, have contributed to the increasing attention of various parties to dams in many countries [9]. Dams have been recognized to play a broad role in human survival as they play an important role in water resources management and control.…”

Survey of the Ridracoli Dam: UAV–based photogrammetry and traditional topographic techniques in the inspection of vertical structures

“…Dams are built for several purposes, such as water supply, flood control, irrigation, navigation and hydropower generation. Dams are often the basis of multipurpose projects (Tortajada 2014; International Commission on Large Dams 2016). In Italy, there are 541 large dams, with an average life of over 50 years, which may extend to 70 years if the analysis is limited to the Alps (Marcello and Fornari 2012).…”