Environmental and livelihood impacts of dams: common lessons across development gradients that challenge sustainability

Abstract

The economic benefits of dams have been assumed to outweigh the costs, thus providing rationale for construction of dams around the world. However, the development of these structures can be accompanied by negative biophysical, socio-economic, and geopolitical impacts; often through the loss of ecosystem services provided by fully functioning aquatic systems. Moreover, impacts of dams can be involuntarily imposed on marginalized peoples whose livelihoods are dependent on riverine resources. In this review, we examine the impacts of dam projects in regions of the world that are at different stages of development, using the USA, China, and Southeast Asia to represent a development gradient from developed to developing, respectively. Case studies for each region illustrate the environmental and livelihood impacts of dams in each region, while also providing a basis to better understand how environmental degradation is directly related to economic growth. We conclude that a distinct temporal component related to development mediates the relationship between policies and governance mechanisms and the mitigation of environmental and social costs of dams. The role of affected individuals to influence the political will behind dam projects and the importance of environmental advocacy is emphasized as a fundamental approach towards more sustainable development.

Seasonal Changes and Spatial Variation in Water Quality of a Large Young Tropical Reservoir and Its Downstream River

“…The creation of a large-scale dam and its associated reservoir often has significant negative impacts on the hydrological, biological, and chemical processes of the reservoir, upstream, and downstream of the dam [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. The Bakun hydroelectric dam, which was impounded from 2010 to 2012 on the Balui River in Malaysia, produced these effects.…”

Capacity Choice of Dams Under Rivalry Use and Externalities

“…Dams were built to provide water for irrigated agriculture, industrial and domestic (households) use, to generate hydropower or to help control ‡oods. But dams also altered and diverted river ‡ows, resulting in signi…cant impacts on livelihoods, …shery and the environment (Dugan et al, 2010;Beck et al, 2012).…”

Understanding long-term livelihood resilience of resettled ethnic groups in the Yali Falls Dam basin, Central Highlands of Vietnam

“…The impacts can be characterised on a spatial scale including dam impacts taking place upstream, downstream, and in the reservoir (Beck et al, 2012). In fact, few studies have been conducted to look at downstream and inter-boundary impacts within nations and between nations.…”

“…Kittinger et al (2009) found evidence of four main categories of social and ecological interactions resulting from the Three Gorges Dam including toxicological impacts, shifting in the dynamics of infectious diseases, natural hazards, and social health and they elucidate both social and ecological drivers affecting the linkages. Beck et al (2012) indicated that environmental protection and maintaining affected people's livelihoods are challenging different countries in different developmental stages. Examples include the United States, China, as a country in transition, and developing countries in South East Asia.…”

“…According to Beck et al (2012), many common negative environmental impacts of dams can be found in different regions of the world. For instance, forest loss, fish loss, greenhouse gas emission, river bank erosion, sedimentation of reservoir and water pollution were documented in the case studies of Tucurui Dam in Brazil (Fearnside, 1999, Fearnside, 1997, Fearnside, 2001, Kariba Dam in Zambia and Zimbabwe (WCD, 2000b, Tumbare, 2008, Sanyanga, 1995, Petit et al, 2001, Magadza, 2006, Guy, 1981, Colson, 1971, the Three Gorges Dam in China (Zhang and Lou, 2011, Tullos, 2009, Sleigh and Jackson, 1998, Nakayama and Shankman, 2013, McManus et al, 2010, Gray et al, 2012, Chen et al, 2013, Nam Thuen 2 Dam in Lao PDR (Scudder, 2003, Ryder, 2004, Lawrence, 2009, Erlanger et al, 2008.In addition, human health problems, such as malaria are reported in the case of Tucurui in Brazil (Fearnside, 1999).…”