Consideration in Hydropower and Dams Effect

In these recent days, it is hard to find rivers that strongly flow for the hydropower project. Even if we can find some, it is located too far from the district that needs the electricity supply, effecting in the electricity transmission process that will be more costly but less secure. Aside from the facts, we can still safely enjoy the electricity from hydropower energy. So, where did that water power comes from?

While there are no flowing river that suits for the hydropower project, building dams near the location is the solution. Hydropower and dams are inseparable. Dams keep the water reservoir as well as flow the water with the desired power level. Flowing water will naturally creating the hydropower energy that giving us many advantages.

However, do you know that hydropower and dams construction may bring negative impact on the environment? Know the impact now, so we can avoid it in the future.

Coping with the side effects of hydropower and dams utilization

Dam life cycle
The first thing to be concern is about the dam life cycle itself. Hydropower dams have limited lifespan, therefore they must be built with the consideration of some focused budget to recover the water stream when the dam isn’t used anymore.

Low-power hydropower dams contribution
Low-power water power project is currently estimated for 40% of all water power projects. But, it only produces < 1% of the electricity. What is the conclusion that we can take from this fact? Yeah, it is far better to build a single large dam than build multiple low-power dams.  Also, who said that low-power dams (which is smaller than the large dams) are causing less impact to the nature? Sometimes we can’t really judge only from the size.

Hydropower and dams may contribute to global warming too
If a forest should be sacrificed for the construction of a hydropower dam, then it means we sacrifice the environment to build an environment-friendly energy source. You may think this as a breakeven situation. But in the long-term, this breakeven situation may turns to be disadvantage for us, because every trees that trimmed down will no longer be there to absorb the pollutant that caused by fossil fuels.

Solution for hydropower and dams usage

We all know from the hydropower facts that dams may damage rivers. It disrupts the water flow, lowering the water quality, also block the movement of sediments and sometimes the fish migration-way. Turbines can even damage or kill the fish. Hydropower and dams may also have issue in social and economic aspects such as impact on the drinking water, recreation opportunities of the river, wastewater disposal, and the country fisheries.

So how exactly a dam should be built to not to kill all of that aspects and opportunities? Visit DamEffects.org, they have a good animation that simulates how a poorly-run hydro project impacting the nature, also a simulation of a well-run hydro project that giving benefits to us as well as keeping the nature healthy.