Anit-Dam Movements - Research Paper Example

Topic: The Anti-Dam Movements Name: Professor: Institution: Course: Date: Abstract: A dam is an artificially constructed barrier across a river with an intention of either to produce hydro-electric power, to store water for irrigation or to control floods during the rainy season. Despite the fact that dam construction is very important to both citizens of the state and economic development of the state, the construction of big dams also has a negative impact on the environment. The researchers interested in finding a solution for global environmental change figured out that large dam have great negative impact on the environment (Draper, 2003, p. 205). The negative impact of large dams on the environment include; starving of the river, distinction of species of aquatic lives, spread of diseases to the surrounding people, reduction in aquatic animals due to the interference in their migration routes thus blocking them from reaching their breeding regions. In addition to that, dam construction destroys debris and erodes sediment on the downstream of the river thus making it unsuitable for aquatic life. Lastly, is that water held in the reservoir above the dam structure causes climatic change to the region around the dam making it unsuitable for human life. Based on the above negative impact of construction of large dams on the environment, many anti-dam construction groups have been formed by nations, international agencies and NGOs to fight against big dam construction. The anti-dam movements that were formed include; The Assam anti-dam government was formerly formed by five ministers, the China Anti-Dam Movement, the anti-dam movement that was formed in Korea to protest against Naerin Stream Dam Construction, The Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian has also been a supportive person that has protested against the dam construction plan that was put in place by the Sarawak government and has managed to report this act to the United Nations for help, Greater Anti-Dam Citizens' Committee China. Table of Contents: 1.1 Introduction: 1.2 Analysis of different types of dams: 1.3 Effects that dam construction has on the environment: 1.4 The Anti-Dam Movements: 1.5 Reasons for dam construction: 1.6 Conclusion & Recommendation: 1.7 References: a. Introduction: A dam is a barrier constructed across a river to hold water for a number of reasons such as; to control the flow of water downstream, to store water for irrigation purpose, to raise the drop of water for it to drive turbines for hydro-electric power generation, to control flooding of the river during rainy season. Despite the importance that dam construction has on the people and the economic growth of the state, it also has negative impacts on the environment (Marsha, 1998, p.104). This paper would analyze look at the types of dams, importance of dams to the people and the state in general, negative impact that dam construction has on the environment, the anti-dam movements that have been formed by international and regional agencies, a conclusion and recommendation. b. Analysis of different types of dams: A dam is an artificially constructed barrier across a river with an intention of; controlling water flow, hydro-electric power generation, flood control downstream during rainy season, water storage for irrigation purposes. There are two main categories of dams which are; large dams and small dams. Large dams are like the Grand Canyon Dams, the three (3) Gorges Dam on Yangtze River and the Franklin River Dam. c. Effects that dam construction has on the environment:. For a long time large dams have been constructed on large rivers with different intentions, the main one being to create a source of hydro-electric power generation. This has been continuously done not considering the side effects or negative impacts that large dam construction has on the environment around it (Anders, 2008, p.77). When environmentalists sat down and did research pertaining to the negative impacts large dams have on the environment, they found out the following environmental effects; 1. Interrupting Natural Cycles: In every river, there is a specific natural cycle that aquatic animals and plants share and thus the construction of large dam interrupts with this cycle. Construction of large dam blocks aquatic animals and plants downstream from interlinking with those in the upstream and therefore, whatsoever natural cycle they share would be cut off. In most cases, these aquatic natural cycles are facilitated by the river floods caused by the rainy season and as such, construction of dams which eventually leads to control of such floods would probably affect this pattern of natural cycle (David, 1998, p.83). In most cases, floods create backwaters that are shallow in depth and help in protecting young or newly hatched aquatic animals from large predators. This is because, young aquatic animals hide in this backwater that are provided by floods and evade from other large animals from predating on them. A best example of the importance of river floods on aquatic animals is a case where; for the reason of safety of the young ones, some animals only reproduce during wet or rainy seasons when there are floods to provide backwater in which their young ones hide to evade from being predated on by large animals. In addition to that, there are animals that survive effectively when waters are shallow. Such animals include the crocodiles. In cases where such animals are found on reservoir side of the dam, they might find it hard to survive and lead to death. On the other hand, there are animals that survive well in deep water such as hippopotamus and if the dam is constructed and they are left on the downstream side of the reservoir they would probably find it hard to survive in it and thus the construction of the dam would have intervened into the normal life of such animals. Apart from animals, aquatic and terrestrial vegetations also depend upon the flood cycles that occur regularly along the river. This happens in cases, where dams are constructed and due to lack of floods downstream, people would decide to build houses and position industries in flood plains thus destroying the existing plants. Also plants that depend on flood waters for survival such as papyrus reeds might dry when the dams are constructed upstream. 2. Scouring and Armoring the Riverbed: The construction of very large dams store water and raise the water level very high thus increasing the energy with which the water drops. In this case, when the water is released at one which usually happens when the reservoir is full and has started to flood the upstream of the river, it is likely to scour and armor the riverbed (Robert, 2006, p.119). This is because this water falls with a great force thus making it to remove the cover of the riverbed which includes such materials as; silt sediments of original rocks, removal of aquatic plants from the riverbed on which aquatic animals depend on for food. Therefore, the release of water above the dam in the water reservoir which falls with high energy destroys or erases the complex habitat on the riverbed. 3. Removing Sediment: The water held above the dam in the reservoir increase in volume and it reaches a time when it starts re moving the sediments from the riverbed. This act causes the scouring and armoring effect in the reservoir part of the river. This also causes a starving effect of the river sediments by the river since they would have been removed by the high intensity water that is stored above the dam in the reservoir. Since most of the aquatic animals and plants depend upon these sediments for survival, their removal would in turn endanger the lives of more species of aquatic plants and animals. At the same, the removal of sediments from the riverbed in the upstream and deposit it behind the dam would probably deoxygenate the water in the river. This would then affect the aquatic plants and animals that depend upon the usually oxygenated water downstream. In addition to that, the water downstream would also be clear and cold suitable for drinking after small processes of treatment, but the sad thing is that this water would be free of nutrients for aquatic animals and plants, and they would lack breeding grounds and hiding places for the aquatic plants (Robert, 2008, p.71). At the end of a long term period of dam existence, the river would have no aquatic animals and plants and thus it would be more of a dead channel of water. 4. Starving the River: The construction of dams across river also holds back the debris which plays a very important role in the survival of aquatic animals and plants. This is because debris constitutes such things as twigs, leaves, branches and big full trees on which aquatic animals and plants feed on. Therefore, the construction of dams across rivers which causes stoppage of debris would have reduced the food for aquatic animals and plants and thus might end up starving. As such, construction of large and effective dams should be prohibited under a general international law. This would allow the river to flood which would eventually move the debris down the stream for equal usage by the aquatic plants and animals. Since the loss of debris and sediments through dam construction means loss of nutrients which are both of aquatic animals and plants. This is because the debris and sediments moving downstream above the dam would be trapped above the dam and never reaches downstream for animal and plant use downstream (David, 2009, p99). 5. Changing Temperatures: In most cases, the water stored in the reservoir above the dam structure is cold at the bottom and warm at the top. When the water held by the dam is released, the cold water at the bottom of the reservoir is released and thus flowing downstream hence making the water downstream very cold for aquatic animals and plants to survive. The change is temperature which is caused by the release of the water held in the reservoir behind the dam would then change the regular temperature cycle on which most aquatic animals and plants depend on for survival. The small invertebrate in the river that depends on the temperature cycle of the river would experience a delayed metamorphosis due to the change in the temperature pattern. 6. Stopping Fish Migration: The construction of a dam which is a barrier across a river prevents fish from the downstream from moving upstream and those from upstream from moving downstream. Therefore, dam construction results breaking the fish migration route and thus stops fish migration. Fish migration is very important as it enables fish downstream to get fish food from the upstream and if blocked they are likely to starve to dead (Zygmunt, 2002, p. 87). In addition to food shortage that is caused by dam construction, dam construction also prevents fish from moving upstream to go and breed. This means that dam construction interferes with the normal and yearly breeding system of fish. The direct impact that dam construction causes to the fish that live upstream and tend to move downstream is that it kills them either by falling to the riverbed from the fall or die in the high intensity fall water. 7. Erosion: The construction of large dams that interferes with the fish species such as the salmons and the steelhead through the release of the high intensity water during hydropower practices. When water is released by the surges that are very powerful and this is done at daytime when the demand for electric power is highest, it erodes the riverbed and from the riverbanks at the downstream. The floods that are cyclic and caused by the practice of releasing water at daytime that has become very popular has highly contributed to the extinction of the salmon species of fish. This is because when the high intensity water is released and flushes the spawning gravel away during daytime, they tend to be left high and dry during nighttime. In addition to the erosion of the riverbed by high intensity water from water falling down the dam, the sediments are also eroded duet to deprive downstream (Peter, 1980, 116). When the riverbed is lowed by erosion, the aquatic animals and plants are threatened. 8. Species Extinction: Dam construction leads to the blockage of migration routes for fish upstream and downstream thus interfering with their breeding. As a result, the young fish of fish that migrate upstream to breed would be reproduced at a slower rate. This rate might be slower than the rate at which that particular species is being predated on and thus the end results would be distinction of the fish species. Since fish is a very important source of vitamin C, the construction of the dam would have negatively impacted on the societies that greatly rely on fishing for vitamin C. Therefore, there is need to take care of all fisheries and ensure that fish which is a source of food to human being is taken care of (Cech, 2005, p.103). 9. Spread of Disease: The construction of dams store a lot of water in the reservoir place and this stagnates when it becomes full. This stagnant water becomes breeding grounds for such disease causing bacteria carrier insects and animals. Such animals include; tsetse flies which causes sleeping sickness, mosquito which causes malaria, snails and also causes river blindness. d.) The Anti-Dam Movements: Hi, thanks for the work. There is something need to change, I just need a comparative analysis of two environmental movements. The paper must have a theoretical and an international comparative dimension. Theoretical discussions should be supplemented with case study material. The Franklin River must be one of the case example, please help me to modify it. The construction of the large dams across rivers had great negative impact on the environment and on the people living in the region. For this reason, the international and regional agencies that are concerned with the environmental conservation and human rights have conducted movements to stop the construction of large dams. A best example of large dam construction project that has faced greater opposition from the anti-dam construction movement is the Yangtze River dam project. Yangtze River is found in China and the government of the people’s republic of China had set a plan of constructing a very large dam of three gorges to justify the electric power need of the citizens of China (Zygmunt, 2002, p. 87). The government of the people’s republic of China set the plan and requested for financial support from the international funding supporters. The project was then supported by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), UN development program and the foreign aid. The plan set by the government of the people’s republic of China was to construct a very large dam of three big gorges. The government of Chin did not allow the international journalists to visit the dam site because they had a sense that the project might face international opposition. This act of restricting international journalists from visiting the site did not work out well as the local environmentalist and human rights activists started protesting against the construction of the dam. The above made the International Non Governmental Organization (INGO) and Transnational Social Movement Organization (TSMO) to intervene in the project plan and fight against stopping the project. Another example of a dam construction project that faced a greater force of opposition from the anti-dam movement was the Franklin River project. The Franklin River is located in South-West wilderness of Tasmania in Australia. The Franklin River dam project was planned to be constructed in late 1970s but due to the consideration of the environmental hazards that the large dam would have, the environmentalists in Australia and internationally set up opposition movements. By early 1980s the dam construction project was facing the greatest conservation battle that Australia ever experienced. The dam project was supported by Hydro-Electric Commission (HEC) which proposed that the dam be constructed in 1979 to supplement the electric power requirement. The Tasmania Wilderness Society (TWS) and other environmental conservation groups realized the environmental impact that the dam was to cause and mobilized a support against the construction project. This anti-dam campaign was successful as it brought the Franklin River plight to the Tasmanians’ notice. The planners had to opt for an alternative project which landed on the Olga River where a smaller dam was later constructed. e.) The reasons why dams should be constructed: Despite the fact that dam construction might be of great negative impact on the environment, there is a reason why dams are highly needed in the society. Below are the main reasons for dam construction: i. To Raise the flow of water for hydro-electric power generation: The dams are constructed mainly to raise the water level in order to drop and rotate the turbines at a faster rate for hydro-electric power generation. Need for power has been the major cause of dam construction. Use of goal in power production is very expensive and thus many states have been looking for a way to reduce the expenses and there only alternative is hydro-electric power generation. China has a very high need for electric power and therefore, the construction of a vast dam on Yangtze River for hydro-electric power generation was the solution to the power problems (Shaun, 2007, p.49). ii. Control Flooding of the Rivers during Rainy season: Large rivers Such As Yangtze River and Franklin River were experiencing heavy and disastrous floods downstream during rainy season. For this reason, there was need to construct dams across those rivers at a certain point upstream in order to control floods downstream during rainy season. Therefore the advantageous reason of dam construction to people living downstream is that it helps control floods that destroy their properties and lives (Billington, and Donald, 2006, p. 421). iii. To store water for irrigation: In some cases where a river passes through dry land, a dam might be constructed to store water to be used for irrigation purposes during dry seasons. In such a case, this dam would be benefiting the people around the dam who use stored water for irrigation. iv. To facilitate transportation of people and goods between the regions bordering the water reservoir: The reservoir water that is held above the dam structure is used for transportation of goods and services from one region to another that boarder the water reservoir. This provides water transport system which is an easier and cheap transport system that is prone to fewer accidents and no congestion delays unlike road or rail transport. v. To create fishing grounds for the people living around the reservoir: The water held above the dam in the water reservoir is used by the residents for fishing. This provides them with vitamin C food source which is medically regarded as a very important meal for human health. f.) Conclusion and Recommendation: From this paper, it can be seen that dams are artificial barriers constructed across rivers. A dam can be constructed for one of the following reasons; to control floods downstream, to raise the water level for hydro-electric power generation or to store water for irrigation purpose. Dams can be constructed in any size depending on the size of the river, availability of capital and the engineering skills applied. The research that was carried out by environmental activist discovered that large dams have negative impact on the environment (Brian, 2003, p.75). The negative impact of large dams on the environment include; starving of the river, distinction of species of aquatic lives, spread of diseases to the surrounding people, reduction in aquatic animals due to the interference in their migration routes thus blocking them from reaching their breeding regions. In addition to that, dam construction destroys debris and erodes sediment on the downstream of the river thus making it unsuitable for aquatic life (Freeman, 1998, p.86). Lastly, is that water held in the reservoir above the dam structure causes climatic change to the region around the dam making it unsuitable for human life. Based on the above negative impact of construction of large dams on the environment, many anti-dam construction groups have been formed by nations, international agencies and NGOs to fight against big dam construction. Therefore, it is recommended by environmentalists that the whole public should join hands together and find against construction of large dams. g.) References: Billington, David P. and Donald C. Jackson. Big Dams of the New Deal Era: A Confluence of Engineering and Politics. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2006, p. 422 Cech, Thomas V. Principles of Water Resources: History, Development, Management, and Policy. 2nd Edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2005, p. 246. Draper, Allison Stark. Hydropower of the Future: New Ways of Turning Water into Energy. 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