4/25/2021
Makerere University
Department of Construction Economics and
Management, CEDAT
Construction Technology III
DAMS- Lecture 1
Ecological Impacts
Dr. Musa Manga Nsubuga
PhD Civil Engineering (Leeds, UK); MSc Eng. (1.1 Dist) (Leeds, UK); BSc. Const.(1.1 Hons) MAK;
Dip. Architecture.
Definition
• A barrier
(wall) built
in a river
in order to
restrict or
change the
flow of
the water or [Link]
to raise the water level in a certain area1
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Usage Drawbacks
• Provide reliable • Negative impact on
water resource and fish life in the area
flood control • Loss of sediment in
• Hydroelectric dams downstream areas
are used to • People displacement
produce electricity2 • Disease spread2, 3
Impact on Fish
• Dams are created
in order to change
the currents of a
river
• Changing the
current has an
immediate impact on [Link]
the ecosystem in the river3,4
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• The dam changes the water qualities to
which organisms are used to
• Many animal’s life cycles are synced with
the annual floods that occur in an area;
therefore, those cycles are interrupted
when the floods stop because of the dam
• The dam basically acts as a barrier
stopping fish from going upstream or
downstream; thus, lifecycles of migratory
fish are deeply damaged, as they cannot
go and spawn or interact with others4,5
Soil Erosion
Before the Dam
• The sediment that the
water carries is blocked [Link]
images/[Link]
by the dam; as time passes, it slowly builds up,
adding additional pressure to the dam wall
• In this way, serious accidents can occur: the dams
are only built to withstand a certain amount of
water pressure; with the pressure from the
sediment in some time the wall either explodes
or water is caused to go above the dam, creating a
waterfall; in both cases, a lot of organisms,
including humans are in great danger4,5
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Soil Erosion
After the Dam
• As sediment coming from the upper parts
is blocked, the water after the dam is
essentially “cleared” of all particles
• Once again, that interrupts the ecosystem
present
– The nutrients are blocked along with the
sediment
– The organisms that used the mud to hide
themselves now have no protection from
predators4,5
Disease Spread
• When sediment builds up, along with algae
and plants start developing; when they die,
there is a huge amount of organic material
left, which when decomposing, releases
gases dangerous for animals and people2,4
• The water that is blocked by the dam stays
in one place, and, consequently, can get very
dirty
• It attracts mosquitoes and other disease-
carrying insects, which contaminate it
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• People
in less
developed
countries
have no
access to
clear water,
so they use
This is the dam on the Iskar river, creating the Pancharevo lake
the one from
the reservoirs, which results in them being
sick
as well2
People Displacement
• When dams are built,
the settlements and habitats
that stand in their way are
generally demolished
• This way, a lot of people
are left without a home
and a job, which is a big
economical problem2 [Link]
erecords/6000/6574/3gorges_ast_2006135.jp
g
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Three Gorges Dam, China
• Located on the
Yangtze River
• The world’s
largest hydropower
dam
• However, in order
for the project to be [Link]
.gif
completed, more that 1.2 million people must be
displaced3
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
4pJSF6Ms/s1600/[Link]
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• A lot of factories will be left under the resulting
reservoir, which will seriously pollute the water
• On the other hand, the already existing erosion
and downstream sediment are cause landslides,
which are a serious threat for the area
• Scientists have proven that the weight of the water
is influencing the seismicity of the area, resulting
in more earthquakes than usual
• Since the dam’s function is to control flooding, it
has already changed the pre-existing natural cycle
of the ecosystem in the river3,6
Aswan Dam, Egypt
• Located on the
Nile
• Creates Lake
Nasser
• Actually two dams:
– High Dam (1960)
– Low Dam (1902)
• Displaced 60,000
people7 [Link]
pg
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4/25/2021
• During the controlled floods, the river
goes to the farmlands, and problems are
caused by the soil erosion that follows
• When water is evaporated from the soil,
salt is left and the ground crystallizes
• The water is a breeding place for snails
carrying the
parasite bilharzia,
which is the second
worst disease after
malaria in Egypt7
[Link]
Sources Cited
1. “Dam.” The Free Dictionary. Farlex, Inc., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2010.
<[Link]
2. Joyce, Stephanie. “Dams - the Advantages and Disadvantages.” Environment, Health,
and Safety Online. EHSO, Inc., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2010.
<[Link]
3. “Three Gorges Dam.” International Rivers. Creative Commons, n.d. Web. 16 Dec.
2010. <[Link]
4. “The Ecology of Dams.” Stream Biology and Ecology. Cristi Cave, n.d. Web. 16 Dec.
2010. <[Link]
5. “Why Are Dams Potentially Harmful to Fish.” WiseGeek. Conjecture Corp., n.d. Web.
16 Dec. 2010. <[Link]
[Link]>.
6. “Three Gorges Dam.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2010.
<[Link]
7. “Aswan Dam.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2010.
<[Link]
lth>.
