Professional Documents
Culture Documents
www.dams.org
constructive dialogue
Run-of-river dams
weirs and barrages, and
Hydropower
By 1925, falling water generated 40% of electric
power. Today, large dams (15 m +) generate 19%
of electricity.
Water supplies
freshwater withdrawals doubled in 50 years
1 billion lack freshwater &
2 billion lack electricity
competition for water increasing
aquatic ecosystems are declining
& wetlands have been lost
Major investments
Number Of Dams
6 000
2 dams commissioned
per day in1970s
total investment exceeds
$2 trillion
$40 billion expenditure
per year at peak
2 000
0
1900
1990s
Social disruption
Cost overruns
Socio-economic centralization
Dams and Development - Report of the World Commission on Dams
Dam Alternatives
Low-Head Hydropower - Extract energy from small
headwater dams.
Run-of-River Flow - Submerged directly in stream
and usually do not require dam or diversion
structure.
Micro-Hydro Generators - Small versions designed
to supply power to single homes.
WCD Findings
Dams have made a significant contribution
A considerable number have fallen below targets
Economic and financial under-performance
Significant impacts on riverine &
ecosystems
Heavy toll on affected communities
Alternatives often exist
Lack of compliance
downstream
Significant contribution
19 percent of electricity
from hydropower
more than 50% in 63 countries
dams support 30-40% of irrigated
area & 12-16% of global food
production
12% of all dams have a
water supply function
75 countries have dams for
flood control
TWh
10
Predicted
6
Actual
0
1960
2000
Lack of compliance
weak regulatory frameworks & lack of enforcement
little public participation & scrutiny
top down decision-making, often politically
motivated
past conflicts remain unresolved with no legal
recourse
vested interests in favour of large infrastructure
no incentives or sanctions
Donald Blackmore
Joji Cario
Jan Veltrop
Thayer Scudder
Deborah Moore
Jos Goldemberg
Judy Henderson
Gran Lindahl
Achim Steiner
financiers to foundations
of
Comprehensive options
assessment
failure to adequately define needs & assess options led to
dispute
an early and open examination of options can avoid poor
projects
raise the significance of social
integrity through
as a basis for
Ensure compliance
many policies and guidelines exist..
but often a failure to fulfill obligations
need a compliance plan covering all commitments to people and the environment
introduce initiatives to reduce corruption
develop incentive framework for compliance
power imbalance
Dont plan,
build,
protest,
operate,
decommission,
propose,
oppose or
discuss a dam
without it