Question

Write your opinion on whether big dams cause problems.

Answer 1

Yes, big dams cause problems:

• Clearing of land: Building huge dams requires clearance of a large area of land which causes environmental destruction and movement of people from the area.
• Breaking the natural flow: Dam construction breaks the natural flow of the river which may affect the migratory patterns of birds and animals and the availability of water downstream.
• Rehabilitation of people: This is the most negative effect of building large dams as often the people are not rehabilitated and lose their livelihoods. Building dams around rivers leads to deforestation, which reduces biodiversity. In the natural ecosystem, it creates a disturbance. The construction of dams involves the creation of large reservoirs. Construction of dams requires huge sums of monetary investment.