Tweet on Twitter. Thus, especially in times of droughts, there might be plenty of conflicts regarding how water flows should be altered by dams. When building a dam, it is necessary to learn more about its pros and cons to fully utilize its use while combating on its weaknesses. 5. eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'environmental_conscience_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_12',189,'0','0']));Since hydropower can be considered to be a sustainable and relatively green energy source, it will also play a crucial role in the transition process from fossil to alternative renewable energies. One important advantage of dams is that they enable us to produce large amounts of energy. Hydroelectric power: Water stored in the dam is used to generate electricity. Environmental effects: It interferes with the natural flow of river water in the environment and causes soil erosion. For starters, dams are a key piece of our modern infrastructure and are critical for providing plenty of drinking water in the form of built-up reservoirs as well as helping to generate a significant amount of … This makes it an effective means of generating a renewable source of energy. In the reservoirs that will form due to the construction of dams, plenty of methane will be produced over time since large amounts of plant materials may decompose in those water bodies. Thus, decision-makers should take this fact into account and realize that dams are not a short-term solution to overcome certain problems. The stored water can be used for irrigation purposes. Posted in: Energy, Water. https://www.britannica.com/technology/dam-engineering, https://watershed.ucdavis.edu/shed/lund/dams/Dam_History_Page/History.htm, https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/04/22/science-shows-chinese-dams-devastating-mekong-river/. For instance, while some villages may profit since they will have better access to water, others will suffer since the water flows have been changed and they might no longer have access to their river at all. If you've noticed that large ice formations, known as ice dams, tend to form at the edge of your roof during the winter, there are several approaches you can take to address this issue. My name is Andreas and my mission is to educate people of all ages about our environmental problems and how everyone can make a contribution to mitigate these issues. Even in our current age, the transportation of goods on waterways is still of importance in some regions of our planet. There are 80,000 dams in the U.S., but only 3 percent of those dams create hydroelectric power. They also afford irrigation during times of drought. 4. Yesterday a group of fishery board and trust staff were taken on a beaver fact finding trip to Dunkeld by the Cairngorm National Park Authority. Another problem with the construction of dams is that in some cases, many people have to give up their homes and move to other locations. It is renewable, economical, safe and does not pollute the environment. It is efficient. This is still the case in many rural areas of our planet. Hydropower plants create energy by using the force of water to turn turbines. However, in order to do a good job in this regard, plenty of experience is needed since it is not easy to assure the optimal amount of water in many different areas at the same time. Although water flows can alter themselves based on the pattern of the seasons, a hydroelectric dam can minimize this impact by creating a reservoir of water behind it that can be used … The strong walls build block water from flowing out and this prevents potential floods in an area. Biology, 21.06.2019 23:30. However, if there is a dam or a weir which suddenly blocks their way, those fishes may not be able to reach their mating location and the population of those fishes may greatly decrease due to that. In many cases, the construction of large dams also implies significant deforestation. On the one hand, plenty of work is needed in order to plan and construct a dam. No. On the other hand, there is plenty of maintenance, supervision and regulation around the proper operation of those hydropower plants that are located inside dams. Is it to the massive Columbia or Snake River scale concrete dams with their large reservoirs? Among others, articles have been cited by NPOs, Wikipedia, Medium.com as well as on several college websites and lifestyle blogs. Concluding, with the construction of dams, the rising demand for clean energy can be satisfied and people can attain a source of clean drinking water. With the ever-increasing demand for renewable energy to power the planet, we look at the pros and cons of hydroelectric power. They are used for hydropower which creates no smog or green house gases and is completely environmentally friendly. 1. Destruction of wildlife habitat: Large-scale dam construction inhibit wildlife habitat due to river valley flooding. They need high standard materials to construct which are very expensive. Hydroelectric Dams Pros and Cons. August 4, 2016. When the subject of dam removal comes up, where does your mind first take you? Therefore, also the food production capacities in the respective region will increase substantially, which will be especially important in poor regions where the local population is dependent on the yields of farmers in order to survive. However, also the maintenance and supervision related to dams can be significant. The dams also provide ancillary environmental benefits. Thus, depending on the region, dams may also be a great tool to effectively supply locals with enough water so that they can carry out all the tasks of their daily life. Displacement of people: People who live in the nearby area are forced to move out due to floods. 1. 6. It also affects the flow of water in the upstream area leading to flooding. There are several benefits to damming waterways, such as flood prevention and providing a source of water for human consumption and agricultural irrigation. Dams have been used in the history of mankind for a quite long time for irrigation purposes. Basically, this method of power generation uses water, which is a free energy source. Purpose of Dams: When a huge barrier constructed in the way of flowing water of a stream channel or river to prevent water from wastage, and store it for future consumption, it is known as a dam. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'environmental_conscience_com-leader-2','ezslot_8',188,'0','0']));Therefore, the construction of dams can also be a way to reduce unemployment and poverty, especially in poor developing countries of our planet where the economic infrastructure is often quite bad and where well-paying jobs are rare. If people are dependent on the water supply from reservoirs and dams, chances are that politicians will gain great power over them, which may lead to unpleasant outcomes in the long run if the government has the wrong intentions. For instance, transportation on waterways has been a quite important tool to carry around all kinds of goods a few decades ago. Hydroelectricity produced by the dam is a clean energy source. Since water will become so precious in the near future, dams may also become a political tool to control the local population. Dams have been the world’s preferred source of generating electricity and for recreational activities. For instance, some dams like the Hoover Dam in the US or the Three Gorges Dam in China are visited by millions of tourists every year. Beavers: the pros and cons. However, due to global warming, water will become a quite scarce resource in the future and people may literally fight over water in the near future. However, deforestation is known to be quite harmful to our environment since large amounts of carbon dioxide are emitted into the air when forests are cleared. Nobody is keen on living his or her home just for the purposes of the construction of dams and it should be evaluated on an individual basis whether the benefits for society outweigh the negative effects for those people who have to give up their homes and their former lives. They create artificial fish ways where fish simply seem to pour, making great game for fishers. Compared to other conventional energy sources like coal, oil or gas, which imply the emission of large amounts of harmful gases into our atmosphere, hydropower can also be considered to be relatively green. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. In order to avoid dam breaks or other issues, those dams have to be observed and maintained on a regular basis. How long it really takes depends on the complexity and the size of the project. Is it to a nearby earth embankment or timber crib dam that has a small pond you enjoy fishing from? Since water is crucial for all life on earth, the supply of sufficient amounts of water is crucial for a civilization to sustain itself. All in all, hydroelectric facilities provide needed resources and protection to vulnerable ecosystems while brining relief to the atmosphere. It is true that Three Gorges Dam has a great ability to adjust and restore flood with the reservoir capacity of 39.3 billion cubic meters, which could reduce the damage of Yangtze River flood, especially for the section in Hubei. This can lead to serious problems since in case of droughts, people may be quite helpless since they might not have enough water to survive without reservoirs from dams. 8. Dams also provide a clean and efficient source of energy/electricity. However, if you were to look at Hoover dam set at Colorado River, you wouldn’t even see a hint of danger. Hydroelectricity is responsible for 19% of the world’s energy supply, offering over 3000 terawatts each year. Especially in areas where there is not too much rain, the local population often depends on the water supply from reservoirs in order to get enough drinking water and also to get water for washing and showering purposes. Dams may also be kind of a tourist magnet. Therefore, dams can also be quite beneficial in order to assure the supply of goods for the local population. Crystal Lombardo - January 15, 2015. eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'environmental_conscience_com-box-4','ezslot_5',142,'0','0']));Thus, by using hydropower instead of fossil fuel power plants, we can vastly improve our overall air quality. Dams are constructed on natural streams and rivers. For instance, if you live nearby one of those reservoirs, you can go fishing or swimming with your family. Due to the control over water flows through the construction of dams, we can also significantly increase the yields of farmers. The pros and cons of the Aswan High Dam are often up for debate because the cause-and-effect of its presence is not entirely known. Deforestation: The land used for the construction of dams leads to deforestation. Therefore, dams are also an important tool to control the water flows and to regulate the water supply of whole regions. Another advantage of dams is that they can protect locals from serious floods. Even though the chances for dam breaks are rather low in our current age, there had been dam breaks in the past and we should be aware of this con of dams in order to make profound decisions whether dams should be built in a specific area or not. Dams also trap toxic components in water thus helping to protect the environment. Dams aid in controlling the risk of the flood as well as preventing the flow of the debris. Dams have been quite important over the history of mankind. If vegetation is left in place when the lake floods, the dead material will emit methane as it decays. Especially in the Southern hemisphere of our planet where water will become an even scarcer resource due to global warming in the near future, dams may be quite important in order to ensure the water supply of farmers. Tweet on Twitter. navajocodetalkersadmin on May 21, 2015 - 9:33 pm in Pros and Cons. These help in processing minerals in a friendly manner. Answers: 2 Show answers Another question on Biology. Also, the water from the reservoir of the dams can be utilized for serving the purpose of irrigating the agricultural fields. Even though they can provide many benefits, the construction of dams also implies serious problems. These experts may also be quite rare and municipalities may have a hard time finding the right staff to operate those dams, especially in regions where education levels are rather low. Share on Facebook . Thus, the decision whether the construction of a dam is reasonable or not should be made on an individual basis in order to maximize the benefits of as many people as possible. Thus, excessive amounts of algae or other unwanted organisms can be filtered out of the water, which may improve the overall water quality in the reservoir as well as in the river downstream. Posted on November 19, 2013 by Brian Shaw. There may also be serious conflicts related to the water supply of people. Pros and Cons of Hydroelectric Dams. Energy consumers edge - "hydropower dams in forested areas can actually produce more greenhouse gasses than fossil fuel plants of the same output. 9. eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'environmental_conscience_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_4',190,'0','0']));Our technological progress is astounding and we are now even able to build dams that can clean up the water through different filters. Since through the construction of dams, the water flows can be changed to a certain extent, dams can also be a great tool to create waterways for transportation purposes. Even though water flows can be controlled quite well due to the construction of dams, it doesn’t mean that everyone will profit from these altering opportunities. The National Development and Reform Commission of China reports that the Three Gorges Dam reduces coal consumption by up to 31 million tons annually. In turn, this could lead to a change of nutrient levels in the water and many water organisms may have to adjust to those new conditions or might be forced to move if they do not like those conditions at all. This not only increases the popularity of a whole region, it also leads to plenty of income for the local economy since tourists will have to sleep in hotels and eat in restaurants. ” Dams have harmed our wildlife and made rivers less useful for recreation.”. Therefore, dams can also be a valid tool to protect the local population from all kinds of unpleasant surprises that come along with heavy rainfalls and floods. Learn how your comment data is processed. If you like it, share it to support the creation of new content! 2. What I haven’t done is look more closely at the pros and cons of the issues on each side. Control Floods: During heavy rains, water in the low lying grounds can be channeled to the dams preventing flooding in the area. 10 Pros and Cons of Three Gorges Dam. In order to be able to construct those dams, large areas of land have to be used and forests have to be cleared for this purpose. 4. For instance, fishes often have to travel quite long distances upstream in order to mate. 0. by Jordon Layne Jan 25, 2020. Environmental Conscience aims to make the world a little bit better. As an associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon or other programs. 7. How hydroelectric energy works. 0. While the power source itself is carbon dioxide-free, building dams along a river can have consequences for the native fish species. 3837. Unlike fossil fuels, the price of water would remain constant and would not fluctuate based on economic and political factors. List of Pros of Dams. From this time on, I wanted to make a contribution to ensure a livable future for the next generations in every part of our beautiful planet. After finishing university, I traveled around the world. The dams block fish migration, change river conditions and reduce the survival rate of fish, the report said. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'environmental_conscience_com-leader-1','ezslot_10',149,'0','0']));However, through the use of dams, a high fraction of those rainfalls can be stored in reservoirs, which takes away plenty of water and nearby villages will not have to suffer from floods too much anymore. An important part of electricity. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Dams provide us with a source of clean energy. 7. Earthquakes: There is an increased risk of earthquakes in the surrounding area. It uses a free resource. Dams Pros Dams Cons; Power production: Dam breaks: Hydropower as relatively green energy: People may get displaced: Altering of water flows: High construction costs: Irrigation of fields: Construction of dams can take quite long: Transportation waterways: Regular adjustments needed: Creation of local jobs: Sedimentation pattern is changed: Tourist attraction The construction of dams can also lead to the creation of many jobs. However, I will not take any responsibility for incorrect information and will not be liable for any negative consequences that might occur due to the reliance on this information. Domestic use includes everyday activities such as water for drinking, cooking, bathing, washing, and lawn and garden watering. Share it! Also the construction costs for dams are significant.