Damsustainability 13054265721522-phpapp02-110514213257-phpapp02

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INSIGHTS INTO DAM SUSTAINABILITY ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND SOCIAL

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Transcript of Damsustainability 13054265721522-phpapp02-110514213257-phpapp02

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INSIGHTS INTO DAM SUSTAINABILITYECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND SOCIAL

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Introduction

Lake Dehli Dam, Iowa

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Dam Failure

Lake Dehli Dam Failure

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2009 ASCE Infrastructure Report Card

State of US Dams > 85,000 in US Average age = 51 years G.P.A = D (Poor) 4,000 deficient and 1,819 high hazard potential

dams Unsafe and failure could lead to catastrophic results

Solutions $2.2 trillion over 5 years for all infrastructure Promote sustainability

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Pillars of Sustainability

Brundtland Report Development that meets the needs of the present

without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Economic Power generation, Water supply, Flood prevention

Environmental Fish kills, Habitat loss, Nutrient Transport,

Social New infrastructure, Displacement of locals, Health

issues

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Economic - Common Purposes Power Generation Water Supply Irrigation Flood Prevention Land Reclamation

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Hydroelectric Power

Dam Cross-Section

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Hydroelectric power

Major Reason for Construction of Large Dams

Considered cheap and clean; An important renewable energy source

Large portion of US and World Energy production

An important part of local economies.

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As Energy Source in the World

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As Energy Source in US

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Comparison: Other Energy Sources

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Part of Renewable Energy

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Water Supply

Important part of water supply infrastructure

Used to store water for use during drier parts of the year.

Can be part of the water treatment process

Bill Young Reservoir, Tampa Bay

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Irrigation

Agriculture is a main user of reservoir stored water.

Large dams often built to divert water from a river toward dry or desert areas for farmland.

Mixed Economic success Example: Rivers that feed Aral sea diverted

in an attempt to grow rice, melons, cereals, and cotton.

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Irrigation

Aral Sea, Central Asia

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Flood Prevention

Attenuating or balancing Reservoirs Collect water during high rainfall and

release it slowly over the following weeks or months.

Control of Nile river floods is a prime example

Aswan High Dam on the Nile

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Land Reclamation

Dams can be built to hold back water for the purposes of land development

Known as Dykes or Levees. Prime examples:

New Orleans Netherlands

Levee, Netherlands

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Economic Dangers

Dams/reservoirs susceptible to droughts and climate change.

Examples: 2001 Northwest drought reduced hydroelectric

power leading to loss of thousands of jobs in the aluminum industry

Columbia river reservoirs can only store 30% of annual flow. Earlier snow melts means water is released too soon for use by customers.

Drought in the US west is causing Water Managers to limit water withdrawals, to the detriment of local economies.

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Environmental - Reservoir

Scale In the U.S, dams are capable

of storing the equivalent of an entire year of runoff

Submerged vegetation Decomposition by

microorganisms Nutrient release- initial

increase in productivity, potential for anoxic conditions in benthic areas

Fish kills- result of seasonal mixing of anoxic benthic water

Greenhouse gases- reduction of sequestration, carbon dioxide and methane release equal to 4% and 20% of anthropogenic emissions

Hume reservoir in Albury, Australia

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Surrounding Area

Hydrologic cycle Standing water leads to a

temperature increase Alteration of evaporation

and precipitation Initial flooding

Habitat loss and temporary increase in mortality rates of wildlife

Mixed effects on local wildlife Species specific effects

dependent on adjustment to newly formed ecotone- benefits species such as waterfowl

Shasta Dam reservoir in California

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Downstream

Flow regime Maintenance of natural

variability levels underlies the productivity of downstream ecosystems

Dams often seek to reduce flow variability, sacrificing ecological functions

Ecological functions include matter and nutrient cycling, providing critical habitat areas, and nutrient deposit and transport

Adverse effects on highly productive estuarine river deltas, as conditions such as salinity are dependent upon river inputs. Ex- decline of the Colorado delta clam

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Downstream

Sediment Lost to downstream ecosystems

through river impoundments and diversions

Removal of nutrients in downstream leads to decreased productivity in both rivers and connected ecosystems

Loss of soil fertility on floodplain. Ex- Aswan Dam in the Nile Valley

Direct effects on biota Physical barrier to migration

routes Can prevent access to critical

breeding Proposed solutions such as fish

ladders

John Day Dam Fish Ladder, Columbia River

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Social

Benefits Roads Jobs

Adverse Effects Displacement Health Issue Very seldom do

they experience the economic and power generation benefits

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Effects due to Globalization

Benefits are often not experienced by those who were adversely effected by dam construction

Dams are generally constructed in rural areas were they produce electricity and move the electricity long distances to neighboring industrial areas or cities

The people in the dam region experience temporary jobs, new infrastructure, and relocation

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Displacement

40 millions people displaced in the last 10 years

Compensation for displacement

River degradation effects on community

Note: In a ranked table based on the number of resettlers, the top 10 dams would be in China and India.Source: Based on Scudder (1997a).

Project Country Number of Resettlers

Three Gorges China 1,250,000

Upper Krishna II India 220,000

Sardar Sarovar India 127,000

Aswan High Dam

Egypt 100,000

Kossou Ivory Coast 85,000

Longtan China 73,000

Mahaweli I-IV Sri-Lanka 60,000

Kariba Zambia and Zimbabwe

57,000

Sbradhino Brazil 55,000

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Compensation

Lesotho Highlands Water Project One of the five largest dam projects in the world Brought infrastructure, roads and some employment

to a previously very rural and poor area of Lesotho A world class compensation plan was put in place for

those how resettled The difficultly with compensation is often

quantifying costs Compensation is often rebuilding houses More difficult compensation is finding displaced

families viable areas of lands for crops they previously grew.

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Health Concerns

Reservoir is a perfect habitat for vectors Vectors, such as mosquitoes and snails,

bring diseases Diseases include Malaria and encephalitis

Due to displacement families are driven to consume unsafe water

Resettled groups live in a denser populated area resulting in poor hygiene and host of other diseases

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Health Impacts

Impact Area

Effect of Dam Health Impact

Upstream catchment and river

Loss of biodiversity, increased agriculture, sedimentation and flooding, changes in river flow regime.

Changes in flood security, water related diseases, difficulties with transportation and access to health facilities

Reservoir area

Inundation of land, presence of large manmade reservoir, pollution, changes in mineral content, decaying organic material

Involuntary resettlement, social disruption, vector-borne diseases, reservoir induced seismicity

Downstream river

Lower water levels, poor water quality, lack of seasonal variation, loss of biodiversity

Food security affected on flood plains and estuaries (farming and fishing), water-related diseases, damfailure and flooding

Irrigation areas

Increased water availability and agriculture, water weeds, changes in flow and mineral content, pollution

Changes in food security, vector-borne and water related diseases

Construction activities

Migration, informal settlement, road traffic increase, hazardous construction

Water-related diseases, accidents and occupational injuries

Resettlement areas

Social disruption, pollution, pressure on natural resources

Communicable diseases, violence and injury, waterrelated disease, loss of food security

Country/regional/global

Reduced fuel imports, improved exports, loss of biodiversity, reallocation of funding, sustainability

Macro-economic impacts on health, inequitable allocation of revenue, health impacts of climate change

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Conclusions

Economic Global electricity consumption

Fossil fuels – 69%, Nuclear – 13%, Hydropower – 15%, Other renewables – 3%

Hydropower – Relatively low & constant prices

Water Supply – Drinking and agricultural irrigation

Flood control and land reclamation

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Conclusions

Environmental Reservoir - Greenhouse gas emissions,

Fish kills Surrounding Area – Habitat loss Downstream – Altered flow, Sediment

depositionSocial Benefits – Jobs, New infrastructure Adverse effects – River degradation,

Health problems

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Recommendations

Developed World (United States) Most suitable locations have already been built up Only way to improve sustainability is by investing

in maintenance to extend their lifespans Developing World

The impacts must be well defined All stakeholders must be involved in the discussion Mechanisms must be in place to regulate

operations Funding must be in place for to continue proper

operation and maintainance into the future

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Thank you

Questions?

Hoover Dam,

Nevada