Good Dams and Bad Dams : Environmental Criteria for Site Selection of Hydroelectric Projects
This paper provides a simple, yet robust, methodology for comparing proposed hydroelectric project sites in terms of their expected negative environmental impacts, and relating these to power generation benefits. The paper also summarizes the...
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Format: | Working Paper |
Language: | English en_US |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2014
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Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/11/19886636/good-dams-bad-dams-environmental-criteria-site-selection-hydroelectric-projects http://hdl.handle.net/10986/20226 |
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oai_dc |
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Digital Repository |
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Foreign Institution |
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World Bank Open Knowledge Repository |
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World Bank |
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English en_US |
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ACCELERATED EROSION ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AQUATIC BIODIVERSITY AQUATIC FAUNA AQUATIC HABITAT AQUATIC LIFE AQUATIC VEGETATION AQUATIC WEED GROWTH AQUATIC WEEDS ARTIFICIAL LAKES BAD DAMS BIG DAM BIG DAM CONTROVERSY BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY CARBON CARBON DIOXIDE CATCHMENT AREA CATCHMENT AREAS CIVIL ENGINEER CIVIL WORKS CLIMATE CHANGE COAL CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK CUBIC METERS DAM DAM CONSTRUCTION DAM HEIGHT DAM OUTLETS DAM PLANNING DAM PROJECTS DAM SITE DAM SITES DAMS DEFORESTATION DRINKING WATER ECOLOGICAL QUALITY ECOLOGY ECONOMIC ANALYSIS ELECTRICITY GENERATION EMISSIONS ENERGY EFFICIENCY ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS ESTUARIES EXISTING AREA FINANCIAL RESOURCES FISH DIVERSITY FISH LADDERS FISH MIGRATIONS FISH PASSAGE FISHERIES FISHING FLOOD PROTECTION FLOW REGULATION FOREST MANAGEMENT FOSSIL FUELS GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE GOOD DAMS GREENHOUSE GASES HEAD HIGH DAM HYDRO DEVELOPMENT HYDRO INDUSTRY HYDRO RESERVOIRS HYDROELECTRIC DAM HYDROELECTRIC DAMS HYDROELECTRIC DEVELOPMENT HYDROELECTRIC ENERGY HYDROELECTRIC POWER HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT HYDROELECTRIC PROJECTS HYDROELECTRIC SITES HYDROPOWER ASSOCIATION HYDROPOWER DEVELOPMENT HYDROPOWER FACILITIES HYDROPOWER SITES IMPOUNDMENT INDIGENOUS PEOPLE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES INTAKES INTERNATIONAL HYDROPOWER ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL RIVERS INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER IRRIGATION IRRIGATION WATER LAKE LAND AREA LAND USE LARGE DAM LARGE DAMS LARGE HYDROPOWER LARGE HYDROPOWER PROJECTS LARGE RESERVOIRS LARGE RIVER LOCAL PEOPLE MASTER PLAN MICRO-DAMS MIGRATORY FISH MIGRATORY FISH SPECIES MINES MITIGATION MEASURES MULTIPURPOSE DAMS NATIVE FISH NATIVE FISH SPECIES NATIVE SPECIES NATURAL GAS NATURAL HABITAT NATURAL HABITATS OIL POLLUTANTS POLLUTION CONTROL POPULATION GROWTH POWER GENERATION POWER PLANTS POWER SECTOR PRIVATE SECTOR PROTECTED AREAS REGISTER OF DAMS RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY RESERVOIR AREA RESERVOIR FILLING RESERVOIR SEDIMENTATION RESERVOIR VOLUME RESERVOIR WATER RESERVOIRS RESETTLEMENT RIPARIAN RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS RIVER RIVER AREA RIVER BASIN RIVER BASIN DEVELOPMENT RIVER BED RIVER FLOW RIVER SYSTEM RIVERINE RIVERINE ECOSYSTEMS RIVERINE FORESTS RIVERS SAFEGUARD POLICIES SEDIMENT SEDIMENT LOADS SEDIMENT MANAGEMENT SHALLOW RESERVOIR SILENCED RIVERS SMALL RESERVOIR SPILLWAYS STORAGE RESERVOIRS STREAMS STRETCH OF RIVER SURFACE AREA SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TIMBER TRIBUTARIES TRIBUTARY TRIBUTARY RIVERS TURBINES WASTE DISPOSAL WATER LEVELS WATER POLLUTION WATER QUALITY WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS WATER RESOURCES WATER RETENTION WATER RETENTION TIME WATER STORAGE WATER SUPPLIES WATER SUPPLY WATERFALLS WATERSHED MANAGEMENT WETLAND HABITATS WILDLIFE WILDLIFE HABITAT WILDLIFE RESCUE WILDLIFE RESOURCES WORLD RIVERS |
spellingShingle |
ACCELERATED EROSION ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AQUATIC BIODIVERSITY AQUATIC FAUNA AQUATIC HABITAT AQUATIC LIFE AQUATIC VEGETATION AQUATIC WEED GROWTH AQUATIC WEEDS ARTIFICIAL LAKES BAD DAMS BIG DAM BIG DAM CONTROVERSY BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY CARBON CARBON DIOXIDE CATCHMENT AREA CATCHMENT AREAS CIVIL ENGINEER CIVIL WORKS CLIMATE CHANGE COAL CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK CUBIC METERS DAM DAM CONSTRUCTION DAM HEIGHT DAM OUTLETS DAM PLANNING DAM PROJECTS DAM SITE DAM SITES DAMS DEFORESTATION DRINKING WATER ECOLOGICAL QUALITY ECOLOGY ECONOMIC ANALYSIS ELECTRICITY GENERATION EMISSIONS ENERGY EFFICIENCY ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS ESTUARIES EXISTING AREA FINANCIAL RESOURCES FISH DIVERSITY FISH LADDERS FISH MIGRATIONS FISH PASSAGE FISHERIES FISHING FLOOD PROTECTION FLOW REGULATION FOREST MANAGEMENT FOSSIL FUELS GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE GOOD DAMS GREENHOUSE GASES HEAD HIGH DAM HYDRO DEVELOPMENT HYDRO INDUSTRY HYDRO RESERVOIRS HYDROELECTRIC DAM HYDROELECTRIC DAMS HYDROELECTRIC DEVELOPMENT HYDROELECTRIC ENERGY HYDROELECTRIC POWER HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT HYDROELECTRIC PROJECTS HYDROELECTRIC SITES HYDROPOWER ASSOCIATION HYDROPOWER DEVELOPMENT HYDROPOWER FACILITIES HYDROPOWER SITES IMPOUNDMENT INDIGENOUS PEOPLE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES INTAKES INTERNATIONAL HYDROPOWER ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL RIVERS INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER IRRIGATION IRRIGATION WATER LAKE LAND AREA LAND USE LARGE DAM LARGE DAMS LARGE HYDROPOWER LARGE HYDROPOWER PROJECTS LARGE RESERVOIRS LARGE RIVER LOCAL PEOPLE MASTER PLAN MICRO-DAMS MIGRATORY FISH MIGRATORY FISH SPECIES MINES MITIGATION MEASURES MULTIPURPOSE DAMS NATIVE FISH NATIVE FISH SPECIES NATIVE SPECIES NATURAL GAS NATURAL HABITAT NATURAL HABITATS OIL POLLUTANTS POLLUTION CONTROL POPULATION GROWTH POWER GENERATION POWER PLANTS POWER SECTOR PRIVATE SECTOR PROTECTED AREAS REGISTER OF DAMS RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY RESERVOIR AREA RESERVOIR FILLING RESERVOIR SEDIMENTATION RESERVOIR VOLUME RESERVOIR WATER RESERVOIRS RESETTLEMENT RIPARIAN RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS RIVER RIVER AREA RIVER BASIN RIVER BASIN DEVELOPMENT RIVER BED RIVER FLOW RIVER SYSTEM RIVERINE RIVERINE ECOSYSTEMS RIVERINE FORESTS RIVERS SAFEGUARD POLICIES SEDIMENT SEDIMENT LOADS SEDIMENT MANAGEMENT SHALLOW RESERVOIR SILENCED RIVERS SMALL RESERVOIR SPILLWAYS STORAGE RESERVOIRS STREAMS STRETCH OF RIVER SURFACE AREA SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TIMBER TRIBUTARIES TRIBUTARY TRIBUTARY RIVERS TURBINES WASTE DISPOSAL WATER LEVELS WATER POLLUTION WATER QUALITY WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS WATER RESOURCES WATER RETENTION WATER RETENTION TIME WATER STORAGE WATER SUPPLIES WATER SUPPLY WATERFALLS WATERSHED MANAGEMENT WETLAND HABITATS WILDLIFE WILDLIFE HABITAT WILDLIFE RESCUE WILDLIFE RESOURCES WORLD RIVERS Ledec, George Quintero, Juan David Good Dams and Bad Dams : Environmental Criteria for Site Selection of Hydroelectric Projects |
relation |
Latin America and Caribbean Region
Sustainable Development working paper series;no. 16 |
description |
This paper provides a simple, yet
robust, methodology for comparing proposed hydroelectric
project sites in terms of their expected negative
environmental impacts, and relating these to power
generation benefits. The paper also summarizes the
environmental mitigation options for large dams. If properly
implemented, these mitigation measures can effectively
prevent, minimize, or compensate for many (though not all)
of a hydroelectric project's negative impacts.
Nonetheless, the most effective environmental mitigation
measure is good site selection, to ensure that the proposed
dam will cause relatively little damage in the first place.
The paper presents quantitative indicators (using data that
are relatively easy to obtain) for rating and ranking
proposed new hydroelectric projects in terms of their likely
adverse environmental impacts. Projects with a small
reservoir surface area (relative to power generation) tend
to be most desirable from both an environmental and social
standpoint, in part because they minimize natural habitat
losses as well as resettlement needs. In general, the most
environmentally benign hydroelectric dam sites are on upper
tributaries, while the most problematic ones are on the
large main stems of rivers. |
format |
Publications & Research :: Working Paper |
author |
Ledec, George Quintero, Juan David |
author_facet |
Ledec, George Quintero, Juan David |
author_sort |
Ledec, George |
title |
Good Dams and Bad Dams : Environmental Criteria for Site Selection of Hydroelectric Projects |
title_short |
Good Dams and Bad Dams : Environmental Criteria for Site Selection of Hydroelectric Projects |
title_full |
Good Dams and Bad Dams : Environmental Criteria for Site Selection of Hydroelectric Projects |
title_fullStr |
Good Dams and Bad Dams : Environmental Criteria for Site Selection of Hydroelectric Projects |
title_full_unstemmed |
Good Dams and Bad Dams : Environmental Criteria for Site Selection of Hydroelectric Projects |
title_sort |
good dams and bad dams : environmental criteria for site selection of hydroelectric projects |
publisher |
World Bank, Washington, DC |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/11/19886636/good-dams-bad-dams-environmental-criteria-site-selection-hydroelectric-projects http://hdl.handle.net/10986/20226 |
_version_ |
1764444904828698624 |
spelling |
okr-10986-202262021-04-23T14:03:54Z Good Dams and Bad Dams : Environmental Criteria for Site Selection of Hydroelectric Projects Ledec, George Quintero, Juan David ACCELERATED EROSION ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AQUATIC BIODIVERSITY AQUATIC FAUNA AQUATIC HABITAT AQUATIC LIFE AQUATIC VEGETATION AQUATIC WEED GROWTH AQUATIC WEEDS ARTIFICIAL LAKES BAD DAMS BIG DAM BIG DAM CONTROVERSY BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY CARBON CARBON DIOXIDE CATCHMENT AREA CATCHMENT AREAS CIVIL ENGINEER CIVIL WORKS CLIMATE CHANGE COAL CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK CUBIC METERS DAM DAM CONSTRUCTION DAM HEIGHT DAM OUTLETS DAM PLANNING DAM PROJECTS DAM SITE DAM SITES DAMS DEFORESTATION DRINKING WATER ECOLOGICAL QUALITY ECOLOGY ECONOMIC ANALYSIS ELECTRICITY GENERATION EMISSIONS ENERGY EFFICIENCY ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS ESTUARIES EXISTING AREA FINANCIAL RESOURCES FISH DIVERSITY FISH LADDERS FISH MIGRATIONS FISH PASSAGE FISHERIES FISHING FLOOD PROTECTION FLOW REGULATION FOREST MANAGEMENT FOSSIL FUELS GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE GOOD DAMS GREENHOUSE GASES HEAD HIGH DAM HYDRO DEVELOPMENT HYDRO INDUSTRY HYDRO RESERVOIRS HYDROELECTRIC DAM HYDROELECTRIC DAMS HYDROELECTRIC DEVELOPMENT HYDROELECTRIC ENERGY HYDROELECTRIC POWER HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT HYDROELECTRIC PROJECTS HYDROELECTRIC SITES HYDROPOWER ASSOCIATION HYDROPOWER DEVELOPMENT HYDROPOWER FACILITIES HYDROPOWER SITES IMPOUNDMENT INDIGENOUS PEOPLE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES INTAKES INTERNATIONAL HYDROPOWER ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL RIVERS INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER IRRIGATION IRRIGATION WATER LAKE LAND AREA LAND USE LARGE DAM LARGE DAMS LARGE HYDROPOWER LARGE HYDROPOWER PROJECTS LARGE RESERVOIRS LARGE RIVER LOCAL PEOPLE MASTER PLAN MICRO-DAMS MIGRATORY FISH MIGRATORY FISH SPECIES MINES MITIGATION MEASURES MULTIPURPOSE DAMS NATIVE FISH NATIVE FISH SPECIES NATIVE SPECIES NATURAL GAS NATURAL HABITAT NATURAL HABITATS OIL POLLUTANTS POLLUTION CONTROL POPULATION GROWTH POWER GENERATION POWER PLANTS POWER SECTOR PRIVATE SECTOR PROTECTED AREAS REGISTER OF DAMS RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY RESERVOIR AREA RESERVOIR FILLING RESERVOIR SEDIMENTATION RESERVOIR VOLUME RESERVOIR WATER RESERVOIRS RESETTLEMENT RIPARIAN RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS RIVER RIVER AREA RIVER BASIN RIVER BASIN DEVELOPMENT RIVER BED RIVER FLOW RIVER SYSTEM RIVERINE RIVERINE ECOSYSTEMS RIVERINE FORESTS RIVERS SAFEGUARD POLICIES SEDIMENT SEDIMENT LOADS SEDIMENT MANAGEMENT SHALLOW RESERVOIR SILENCED RIVERS SMALL RESERVOIR SPILLWAYS STORAGE RESERVOIRS STREAMS STRETCH OF RIVER SURFACE AREA SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TIMBER TRIBUTARIES TRIBUTARY TRIBUTARY RIVERS TURBINES WASTE DISPOSAL WATER LEVELS WATER POLLUTION WATER QUALITY WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS WATER RESOURCES WATER RETENTION WATER RETENTION TIME WATER STORAGE WATER SUPPLIES WATER SUPPLY WATERFALLS WATERSHED MANAGEMENT WETLAND HABITATS WILDLIFE WILDLIFE HABITAT WILDLIFE RESCUE WILDLIFE RESOURCES WORLD RIVERS This paper provides a simple, yet robust, methodology for comparing proposed hydroelectric project sites in terms of their expected negative environmental impacts, and relating these to power generation benefits. The paper also summarizes the environmental mitigation options for large dams. If properly implemented, these mitigation measures can effectively prevent, minimize, or compensate for many (though not all) of a hydroelectric project's negative impacts. Nonetheless, the most effective environmental mitigation measure is good site selection, to ensure that the proposed dam will cause relatively little damage in the first place. The paper presents quantitative indicators (using data that are relatively easy to obtain) for rating and ranking proposed new hydroelectric projects in terms of their likely adverse environmental impacts. Projects with a small reservoir surface area (relative to power generation) tend to be most desirable from both an environmental and social standpoint, in part because they minimize natural habitat losses as well as resettlement needs. In general, the most environmentally benign hydroelectric dam sites are on upper tributaries, while the most problematic ones are on the large main stems of rivers. 2014-09-17T20:51:53Z 2014-09-17T20:51:53Z 2003-11 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/11/19886636/good-dams-bad-dams-environmental-criteria-site-selection-hydroelectric-projects http://hdl.handle.net/10986/20226 English en_US Latin America and Caribbean Region Sustainable Development working paper series;no. 16 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Working Paper |