Dams destroy environment, group warns
November 16, 2005
Dams are continuing to cause excessive environmental damage despite recommendations from the World Commission on Dams to ensure environmental consideration.
The report from WWF looks at six dams under construction in the last five years, all of which fail to meet the recommendations of the World Commission.
It shows that dams can damage, drown or even dry out wetlands, an important source of water, as well as destroying fisheries and threatening habitats of endangered species.
In addition, despite claiming that they can provide cheaper power and water for better irrigation systems, dams can actually result in economic disruption, with electricity prices rising and many people displaced, the report says.
The World Commission on Dams was established in 1998 to undertake a review of the development effectiveness of dams and assess alternatives for water resources and energy where possible, and to "develop internationally acceptable criteria, guidelines and standards, where appropriate, for the planning, design, appraisal, construction, operation, monitoring and decommissioning of dams".
It recommended that any construction plans are given public approval, comprehensive assessments of other options are made and that the economic benefits of any dam are shared with local communities.
"Governments along with the World Bank must insist that the WCD's recommendations are applied to all dam projects now," said Jamie Pittock, head of WWF's Global Freshwater Programme. "This is not the engineering heyday of the 1950s when dams were seen as the hallmark of development. We know dams can cause damage and we must put this knowledge to work."
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