Key Environmental Concepts and Ecological Principles
Dams: Benefits and Drawbacks
Dams are massive structures built across rivers to control water flow. While they offer benefits like hydropower generation, flood control, irrigation, and water supply for human consumption and industry, they also have significant environmental and social drawbacks.
Benefits of Dams
- Renewable energy generation
- Reduced flood risk
- Water security for agriculture and urban areas
Drawbacks of Dams
- Ecological Impact: Alteration of river ecosystems, disruption of fish migration (e.g., salmon), loss of biodiversity, changes in water temperature and sediment flow.
- Displacement: Relocation of communities, often indigenous populations, leading to social and cultural disruption.
- Sedimentation: Dams trap sediment, reducing reservoir
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