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Abstract

The construction of large dams has been an essential component of the development of global infrastructure, offering significant advantages such as ensuring water storage, reducing the risk of flooding, and producing about 20% of the world's electricity through hydropower. On the other hand, these structures have significant and varied environmental effects. The environmental effects of large dams are critically examined in this analysis, with an emphasis on four main areas: fish biodiversity, riparian vegetation, sediment deposition, and water quality. The study estimates the degree of these consequences by examining global case studies and evaluating data from over 145 significant rivers worldwide. It finds that dam-induced silt deposition alone reduces the world's freshwater storage capacity by 0.5–1% annually. The research also emphasizes how fish biodiversity has significantly decreased, with species fragmentation seen in more than 70% of rivers affected by dams, and how riparian vegetation and water quality have severely degraded, leading to increasing eutrophication and hypoxia. Even though dams are necessary for meeting basic human needs, their effects on the environment and water resources make it necessary to reassess current dam structures and proceed cautiously with new dam construction. This study's contribution to this discipline is the synthesis of an all-encompassing, global viewpoint that emphasizes the necessity of incorporating environmentally sustainable methods into dam operations. Policymakers, engineers, and environmental scientists can use this assessment as a crucial resource to support the preservation of river ecosystems while balancing the benefits of development.

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