Authors : Juan Manuel Andrade Navia and Alfredo Olaya Amaya
Abstract: A review of scientific literature, specifically in English, was carried out to identify the main impacts generated by the construction of large dams in Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas. In addition, a comparison was made between the impacts found in ex-ante studies and those found in ex-post investigations and significant differences were detected between the impacts identified in the studies before and after the construction of the projects. Thus, the interest in ecological and socioeconomic impacts, especially negative ones, predominates in the two types of studies, in contrast to the small number of investigations where the benefits of dams are evident. Finally, there are common impacts seen in almost all hydroelectric projects around the world such as the loss of economic sustenance, fertile land, jobs and physical displacement of people, among others.
Juan Manuel Andrade Navia and Alfredo Olaya Amaya, 2020. Environmental Impacts of Dams Around the World. Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 15: 23-32.