Dam Environmental Tradeoffs!

Once the dam is completed and begins to fill, groundwater level decreases, river water continues to deteriorate, and habitats are lost--aquatic and land. In the first few years, while the dam comes up to speed, the pH (acidity-basic level) of the river becomes more acidic with changes (decrease) in ammonia and oxygen levels. This kills fish and disrupts indigenous peoples, even those far from the dam site, who depend on fish for food.

No question about it, dams are a messy undertaking, environmentally, socially, politically and economically, and they have local, regional and even international ramifications. But developing nations need electricity to grow and to overcome poverty, and this causes its own cascade of environmental degradation. Everything's a tradeoff and it's hard to tell who's right.

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