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A dam breached in India's western Maharashtra state on July 3rd, 2019.

Environment

The Largest Dam Ever Built in India Could Cause More Harm Than Good

The government-backed project is aimed at preventing flooding in downstream areas but the possible environmental impact on local communities could outweigh the dam's benefits.

Mayank Aggarwal

A three-toed sloth mother and baby are two of the many inhabitants of Central America's rainforest ecosystem.

Environment

‘Nature Is Always Speaking’: Proposed Dams Threaten Indigenous People and Wildlife in Central America

More than 400 dams are currently proposed for Central America's rivers, but thanks largely to a feisty indigenous resistance—as well as a non-profit—they are still yet to be built.

Ben Goldfarb

Environment

A Study Finds That the Costs of Hydroelectric Dams Have Been ‘Grossly Underestimated’

Dams have been linked to habitat degradation, worsened biodiversity, and negative changes in river ecology.

Claire Asher

People play in the waters of Shasta Lake on August 30th, 2014, in Shasta Lake, California.

Environment

California State Officials Voice Concerns Over a Federal Plan to Raise the Shasta Dam

Heightening the dam will increase the size of California's largest reservoir, but it could also create problems for local fish and wildlife populations.

Alastair Bland

Lower Mekong fisheries are estimated to be worth $17 billion.

Environment

Big Dams Have Big Drawbacks

While cleaner than fossil fuels, large-scale hydropower dams come with steep social and environmental costs of their own.

Kate Wheeling

Members of the Munduruku tribe leave the Acampamento Terra Livre (Free Land Camp) in Brazil to protest in front of the Ministry of Justice on April 24th, 2018, against a proposed dam on their land.

Social Justice

Viewfinder: An Indigenous Protest in Brazil

Members of the Munduruku tribe leave the Acampamento Terra Livre (Free Land Camp) in Brazil to protest in front of the Ministry of Justice on April 24th, 2018, against a proposed dam on their land.

Pacific Standard Staff