Dam Solutions - Alternatives & mitigation
What are the alternatives to large dams?
There are two reasons why it is worth investigating alternative ways to achieve the same ends by satisfying the same needs.
Firstly, a dam is more acceptable politically to stakeholders if it can be shown that all alternatives to its construction have been investigated and, where feasible, implemented. Secondly, if there are no economically viable alternative options then construction of a dam is more likely to be financially justified.
There are many different alternatives to large dams, depending on the purpose of the dam.
... and how can the negative impacts be mitigated?
And even when a dam has long been built or is being constructed, there are plenty of measures that can be taken retrospectively to mitigate the environmental and social impacts of dams.
Restoring environmental flows, such as is happening in the Kafue Flats, can be both beneficial to freshwater ecosystems and the people who depend on these for their livelihoods. Where this is not possible compensatory measures for ecosystem restoration can be considered, for example through managing suitable, nearby land for nature conservation.
For new dams mitigation measures are now often part of the planning process and the costs of mitigation are incorporated in the project costs. In case of existing dams, however, the question of who will pay for repairing the damage (PDF: 1.60 MB) is not an easy one to solve. WWF calls on governments to develop effective legislation requiring mitigation at existing dams, to provide more funding for mitigation and to link mitigation at existing dams to approval for new projects.
