Anthropogenically driven climate and landscape change effects on inland water carbon dynamics: What have we learned and where are we going?
Abstract: Inland waters serve as important hydrological connections between the terrestrial landscape and oceans but are often overlooked in global carbon (C) budgets and Earth System Models. Terrestrially derived C entering inland waters from the watershed can be...
Getting lost tracking the carbon footprint of hydropower
Abstract: In the transition to low-carbon electricity, well-quantified estimates of carbon dynamics are needed to ensure that emissions reduction targets are achieved. We review the state of the science on carbon accounting for hydropower reservoirs and identify...
Native American Tribes and Dam Removal: Restoring the Ottaway, Penobscot and Elwha Rivers
Abstract: Since the early 1900s, more than 1700 dams have been removed from rivers in the United States. Native American Tribes have played a key role in many significant removals, bringing cultural, economic, and legal resources to bear on the process. Their...
Recently constructed hydropower dams were associated with reduced economic production, population, and greenness in nearby areas
This research provides a global-scale evaluation of the impact of dam construction by using a variety of global spatial databases. In particular, it provides insight into the impacts on economy, population, and greenness of 631 recently built hydropower dams by region and dam size. They discovered that 631 recently built hydropower dams were associated with reduced local economy, population, and greenness in areas within 50 km of the dam sites, particularly in the Global South. This is contrary to claims thatdams improve the livelihoods of people as well as ecosystemservices. The research highlights that policy interventions are needed to address impacts on populations and urban land near small and medium dams.