New global dam and river data leads to advanced assessment of impacts of dams from 1930-2030
When dams are built they have an impact not only on the flow of water in the river, but also on the people who live downstream and on the surrounding ecosystems. By placing data from close to 6,500 existing large dams on a highly precise map of the world’s rivers, an international team led by McGill University researchers has created a new method to estimate the global impacts of dams on river flow and fragmentation.
Among their findings, published online today in Environmental Research Letters: 48% of the world’s river volume is moderately or severely affected by dams today – and that figure would nearly double if all dams planned or under construction are completed in the future.
“Over the past 60 years, a myriad of dams have been built either to provide hydroelectric power, or for irrigation purposes, or as flood protection,” says Bernhard Lehner, a professor in McGill University’s Department of Geography and the research director of the project. “The construction of large dams then slowed down for the last 20 years as we became more aware of their negative effects on people and ecosystems. But now, with fears about how climate change may affect water flows in the future, the goal of creating reservoirs is once more appealing, and dam construction is on the rise.”
The new research was made possible by the team’s development of a global river map with unprecedented resolution and detail, showing all waterways of the world from small creeks to the largest of rivers, accounting for a cumulative river length of 48.3 million km — and by a new map of future dam locations assembled by colleagues at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries in Berlin.
The key components of the team’s dam assessment method are two indices that describe river fragmentation and river regulation.
Read more: Better dam planning strategies
The Latest on: Dam planning strategies
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Dam planning strategies” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Dam planning strategies
- Exploration at Strategic Energy Resources’ Mundi project reveals two shallow conductive anomalies primed for drillingon May 8, 2024 at 8:02 pm
An infill magnetotelluric (MT) survey has outlined two shallow conductive anomalies at the Mundi project SER says the two separate conductive zones will be easily reachable in a future drilling ...
- Seqwater opens EOI for dam improvement programon May 7, 2024 at 5:32 pm
The utility is seeking an Engineering Services Provider for the next tranche of dam upgrades across South East Queensland.
- To avert potential water crisis, tunnels may be drilled through Arizona damon May 7, 2024 at 2:05 am
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will examine the possibility of drilling tunnels through Glen Canyon Dam to ensure water can pass through it at low Lake Powell elevations, two knowledgeable sources ...
- MMWD to study effects of climate change on dam systemon May 6, 2024 at 9:01 pm
The Marin Municipal Water District is embarking on a yearlong study to examine the impact of frequent, severe storms on the utility’s seven dams. The district board authorized spending up to $1.06 ...
- Andrew Van Dam: How many dogs have government jobs?on May 5, 2024 at 2:30 am
Washington is going to the dogs — for real this time. As of 2022, the federal government employed 5,159 German shepherds, Belgian Malinois, beagles, Jack Russell terriers and other forms of everyone’s ...
- Community Action Plan Committee shares dream plans for Beaver Damon May 4, 2024 at 5:00 am
A group of Beaver Dam community members who have been charged with creating recommendations for the city’s comprehensive plan shared their thoughts for improvements on Thursday.
- Utility's plan to build another dam on the Bear River on hold, for nowon April 30, 2024 at 1:00 pm
The owner and operator of four hydroelectric power-generating dams along the Bear River — three in Idaho and one in Utah — has decided to delay plans for a fifth ...
- Beaver dam notching intended to benefit grayling at Red Rock Lakeson April 26, 2024 at 5:07 am
A strategy last year to improve over-wintering ... restrictions on human activities in a wilderness area. The beaver dam plan emerged afterward. On Wednesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ...
- Farmers to protest against Mekedatu dam plan on May 2on April 25, 2024 at 4:41 pm
Trichy: Farmers’ associations have announced a siege in front of the office of the executive engineer of Cauvery river in Thanjavur on May 2 to regist.
- In blow to green groups, 9th Circuit upholds federal plan for Colorado River damon April 25, 2024 at 9:57 am
Conservationists lost an appeal to the 9th Circuit on Wednesday as they attempted to force the federal government to reconsider climate change studies in managing the Glen Canyon Dam and Colorado ...
via Bing News
