Sediment buildups might cause about 50,000 big dams to lose their storage capability, depleting the world’s water resources.
The Study…
According to a study released by the UN on Wednesday, sediment buildups may cause over 50,000 big dams worldwide to lose more than a quarter of their storage capacity by 2050, undermining the security of water and energy supplies globally.
The United Nations University estimates that by 2050, the capacity of dams would reduction from 4.655 trillion to 6 trillion cubic meters (cu m). The problem must be resolved, and essential storage facilities must be protected.
When expected water flows are disrupted, silt accumulates in reservoirs. Damage to hydroelectric turbines might result in less electricity being produced.
Additionally, limiting sediment flows along a river can damage downstream ecosystems and increase the risk of floods in upstream places.
The UN research examined information from around 47,000 dams throughout 150 nations. It discovered that 16% of the initial capacity had already been lost. Brazil, India, and China are predicted to have economic losses of 23%, 26%, and 20%, respectively, while the United States is expected to lose 34% of its economy by 2050…
Longtime opponents have cautioned that the long – term social and environmental costs greatly outweigh the advantages of large dams.
The director of the UN University’s Institute for Water, Environment, and Health, one of the study’s authors, Vladimir Smakhtin, claimed that the number of dams being built globally has already fallen dramatically, from 1,000 a year at the turn of the 20th century to about 50 now.
Given that dams are being phased down, we should be addressing what alternatives there are, including for generating electricity.
China must do this in order to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and its emissions of greenhouse gases. However, projects like the Three Gorges, the largest hydroelectric plant in the world, have had adverse social and environmental effects.
Previous year
According to Reuters data from the previous year, China’s construction of dams on the Mekong river has also disturbed sediment flow into nations downstream, changing the environment and endangering the lives of millions of farmers.
