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.
