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.

Keywords:

• Dam
• environment
• livelihood
• USA
• China
• Southeast Asia

Acknowledgements

We thank Nick Jordan, Robert Sterner, Loren Miller, and Ingrid Schneider for constructive feedback during the preparation of this manuscript. We also thank an anonymous reviewer for suggestions that have greatly improved the manuscript content. Finally, we thank the Conservation Biology graduate programme at the University of Minnesota for contributions and funding in support of the manuscript. All authors have contributed equally to the manuscript content.