PART 6: MULTIPURPOSE DAM PROJECTS

Figure 1 A dam and reservoir. The dam is in the middle of the photo and the reservoir is on the right.

The construction of a dam (see Figure 2) across a river can be a very expensive
and controversial project, but the benefits are usually great. In many cases
dams are constructed with a number of aims in mind. A dam may help with:
• the generation of electricity in hydroelectric power plants
• flood control
• irrigation
• tourism and leisure
• the provision of water
• creation of habitat for wetland species
• access by boat to otherwise inaccessible areas.
The disadvantages of dam projects include:
• relocating people
• flooding land
• disrupting the life cycles of fish and other aquatic organisms
• altering the water supply for people downstream of the dam
 • reducing the enrichment of soil downstream of the dam (which natural
flooding of the original river course would have contributed to)
• the dam may become redundant as sediment in the river sinks to
• the bottom of the reservoir (siltation).

Figure 2 The structure of a dam

SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS
1) Look at the lists of the advantages and disadvantages of dam projects
given above. Copy and complete Table1 by adding each advantage or
disadvantage to the correct cell.
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
ENVIRONMENTAL
ECONOMIC
SOCIAL
Table 1

2) Explain how it could be argued that a multipurpose dam project is

unsustainable.
Where to build a dam
Deciding where to build a dam requires detailed study of many factors. It has
to be in a river valley and, for economic reasons, the valley should be quite
narrow where the dam is built. A wider valley would require a more costly,
wider dam. A dam also needs to be quite high up a valley if it is to be successful
at producing hydroelectric power (HEP). The higher it is, the greater the
pressure of water, which means it will have more potential energy. Dams
should be sited away from developed areas if possible, to reduce the risk of
pollution in the reservoir.

Are dams sustainable?

Dams are often thought of as a permanent solution to electricity generation.
However, there are sometimes problems with their operation in the long term.
The reservoir can become silted due to the material carried into it by rivers.
The dam structure, which is under a lot of pressure, can deteriorate and
eventually fail. Dams can also have negative effects on the surrounding
environment, including fish populations. These problems suggest that dams
are not necessarily sustainable solutions.
The opposite view is that dams are a far superior alternative to the burning of
fossil fuels because they produce electricity without producing greenhouse
gases and pollutants. In this sense, sustainability can be thought of as a
continuum with dams towards one end and fossil fuels at the other.