Damming the rivers of the Amazon basin

Edgardo M. Latrubesse; Eugenio Y. Arima; Thomas Dunne; Edward Park; Victor R. Baker; Fernando M. D'Horta; Charles Wight; Florian Wittmann; Jansen Zuanon; Paul A. Baker; Camila C. Ribas; Richard B. Norgaard; Naziano Filizola; Atif Ansar; Bent Flyvbjerg; Jose C. Stevaux

doi:10.1038/nature22333

Damming the rivers of the Amazon basin

Edgardo M. Latrubesse, Eugenio Y. Arima, Thomas Dunne, Edward Park, Victor R. Baker, Fernando M. D'Horta, Charles Wight, Florian Wittmann, Jansen Zuanon, Paul A. Baker, Camila C. Ribas, Richard B. Norgaard, Naziano Filizola, Atif Ansar, Bent Flyvbjerg, Jose C. Stevaux

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

567 Scopus citations

Abstract

More than a hundred hydropower dams have already been built in the Amazon basin and numerous proposals for further dam constructions are under consideration. The accumulated negative environmental effects of existing dams and proposed dams, if constructed, will trigger massive hydrophysical and biotic disturbances that will affect the Amazon basin's floodplains, estuary and sediment plume. We introduce a Dam Environmental Vulnerability Index to quantify the current and potential impacts of dams in the basin. The scale of foreseeable environmental degradation indicates the need for collective action among nations and states to avoid cumulative, far-reaching impacts. We suggest institutional innovations to assess and avoid the likely impoverishment of Amazon rivers.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	363-369
Number of pages	7
Journal	Nature
Volume	546
Issue number	7658
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nature22333
State	Published - Jun 14 2017

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title = "Damming the rivers of the Amazon basin",

abstract = "More than a hundred hydropower dams have already been built in the Amazon basin and numerous proposals for further dam constructions are under consideration. The accumulated negative environmental effects of existing dams and proposed dams, if constructed, will trigger massive hydrophysical and biotic disturbances that will affect the Amazon basin's floodplains, estuary and sediment plume. We introduce a Dam Environmental Vulnerability Index to quantify the current and potential impacts of dams in the basin. The scale of foreseeable environmental degradation indicates the need for collective action among nations and states to avoid cumulative, far-reaching impacts. We suggest institutional innovations to assess and avoid the likely impoverishment of Amazon rivers.",

author = "Latrubesse, {Edgardo M.} and Arima, {Eugenio Y.} and Thomas Dunne and Edward Park and Baker, {Victor R.} and D'Horta, {Fernando M.} and Charles Wight and Florian Wittmann and Jansen Zuanon and Baker, {Paul A.} and Ribas, {Camila C.} and Norgaard, {Richard B.} and Naziano Filizola and Atif Ansar and Bent Flyvbjerg and Stevaux, {Jose C.}",

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T1 - Damming the rivers of the Amazon basin

AU - Latrubesse, Edgardo M.

AU - Arima, Eugenio Y.

AU - Dunne, Thomas

AU - Park, Edward

AU - Baker, Victor R.

AU - D'Horta, Fernando M.

AU - Wight, Charles

AU - Wittmann, Florian

AU - Zuanon, Jansen

AU - Baker, Paul A.

AU - Ribas, Camila C.

AU - Norgaard, Richard B.

AU - Filizola, Naziano

AU - Ansar, Atif

AU - Flyvbjerg, Bent

AU - Stevaux, Jose C.

PY - 2017/6/14

Y1 - 2017/6/14

N2 - More than a hundred hydropower dams have already been built in the Amazon basin and numerous proposals for further dam constructions are under consideration. The accumulated negative environmental effects of existing dams and proposed dams, if constructed, will trigger massive hydrophysical and biotic disturbances that will affect the Amazon basin's floodplains, estuary and sediment plume. We introduce a Dam Environmental Vulnerability Index to quantify the current and potential impacts of dams in the basin. The scale of foreseeable environmental degradation indicates the need for collective action among nations and states to avoid cumulative, far-reaching impacts. We suggest institutional innovations to assess and avoid the likely impoverishment of Amazon rivers.

AB - More than a hundred hydropower dams have already been built in the Amazon basin and numerous proposals for further dam constructions are under consideration. The accumulated negative environmental effects of existing dams and proposed dams, if constructed, will trigger massive hydrophysical and biotic disturbances that will affect the Amazon basin's floodplains, estuary and sediment plume. We introduce a Dam Environmental Vulnerability Index to quantify the current and potential impacts of dams in the basin. The scale of foreseeable environmental degradation indicates the need for collective action among nations and states to avoid cumulative, far-reaching impacts. We suggest institutional innovations to assess and avoid the likely impoverishment of Amazon rivers.

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Damming the rivers of the Amazon basin

Abstract

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