What are the pros and cons of building a dam? My name is Andreas and my mission is to educate people of all ages about our environmental problems and how everyone can make a contribution to mitigate these issues. In this article, the pros and cons of dams are examined. Therefore, dams are also an important tool to control the water flows and to regulate the water supply of whole regions. Unfortunately, they also worsen the impact of climate change. [21] In February 2010, it was announced that loans had been granted and the project would continue. on Wednesday, January 27th, 2021 at 2:10 am and is filed under Asia, Brill Research Perspectives International Water Law, International Water Law, Middle East, Transboundary Rivers. The project is extremely controversial for a variety of political, social, environmental, economic, and archeological reasons. Additionally, a 250m (820ft) permanent steel-girder bridge with concrete supports was constructed just downstream of the dam. Moreover, the projects take long periods to finish and will have to operate for a long time to recover the money spent on construction. Per the vendor, this simple yet intuitive solution gives organizations a visual way to centralize, organize and share all their digital brand assets, empowering them to save valuable time and gain a. Canto is Great for Multi-Faceted Companies Needing to Share Documents Easily From the previous analysis, it has become clear that there are many upsides related to dams and that they can be quite important and useful in certain regions. 1. Cons of Dams. Sediment that is removed from the river at the resovoir's will increase the velocity of the river and hence erosion further downstream. xb```f`` @1XC aV3[-m j5k`Pri``PRn*e`~& 2edcZa7#f&21U30 i& 0 campaign, Germany, - The use of dams implies several advantages. In 1930, Turkey started its plans to construct the Ilisu Dam, and in late 2006, the Turkish government laid the foundation stone, only 50 km away from the Iraqi and about 45 km from the Syrian border. From Neolithic settlements to medieval tombs and temples, the town is a living museum where some people alive today grew up in caves built into cliffs overlooking the Tigris. The Ilisu Dam, completed as part of Turkey's Gneydou Anadolu Projesi (Southeasternanatolian Development Project or GAP for short in Turkish) in 2019, has faced heavy criticism from both local as well as international observers and downstream countries on the Tigris. Field irrigation 8. High upfront capital costs. Hydropower plants create energy by using the force of water to turn . Therefore, dams can also be a valid tool to protect the local population from all kinds of unpleasant surprises that come along with heavy rainfalls and floods. With China's status as the world's largest nation, it needs enough power to sustain its thriving sector, active economic situation, and ever-growing area. Its impact will be mostly felt in the Southern part of the country, located at the downstream end of the Tigris River. The dam was already in bad shape due to erosion and the fact that it was built on soluble rock. As I went to university and got my Masters degree in Economics, I did plenty of research in the field of Development Economics. [9], DSI has started testing 2 turbines for energy production after completing the spillway testing. Comparison Table for Advantages and Disadvantages of Dam. Since the U.S. invasion, the marshes have been making a slow recovery, but the Ilisu Dam will place their survival in jeopardy once more, according to environmental scientists. conditions while building were so bad they had a 6 day strike. Dams average two to 4 metres in height and 20 metres in length, but sizes vary greatly from place to place. If people are dependent on the water supply from reservoirs and dams, chances are that politicians will gain great power over them, which may lead to unpleasant outcomes in the long run if the government has the wrong intentions. Turbine blades, located inside the dam structure, spin as water surges through the embankment. The water level had reached an elevation of 498.2m on 1 April 2020. [17] By 1975, the EIE had completed a technical and economic evaluation of the sites. Since a group of European backers withdrew funding in July, the fate of the controversial Ilisu dam - and that of the surrounding, mostly Kurdish communities in southeastern Turkey - has been in limbo. It's a clean, renewable source of energy 2. Why is the Ilisu dam being built? Pre removal assment of a dam is imperative . if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'environmental_conscience_com-box-4','ezslot_2',142,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-box-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'environmental_conscience_com-box-4','ezslot_3',142,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-box-4-0_1');.box-4-multi-142{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}Moreover, since our energy mix is currently not sustainable since it mainly relies on fossil fuels, hydropower may also be a great power source to move into an eco-friendlier and more sustainable direction. Share it! to Keep Hasankeyf Alive, Berne Declaration, Ilisu 6. Dams have been used in the history of mankind for a quite long time for irrigation purposes. In this article, the pros and cons of dams are examined. Another consequence of the dam is the burial and inundation of the Has May 17, 2009, Landsat 5 (path/row 171/34) Ilisu Dam, Turkey, May 29, 2019, Landsat 8 (path/row 171/34) Ilisu Dam, Turkey, May 21, 2022, Landsat 8 (path/row 171/34) Ilisu Dam, Turkey, July 13, 1972, Hexagon satellite Koctepe, Turkey. The government, controversially, has started moving Hasankeyfs monuments out of the flood zone by hoisting them onto flatbed trucks and driving them to a nearby archeological park. If water flows are changed, also the level of sediments that settle at a specific location in the river will be altered. 1. It helps with flood control. Aswan Dam Pros and Cons. The dam, located on the Tigris River, 65 kilometres from the Syrian and Iraqi borders, would power a 1,200-megawatt hydroelectric plant, while displacing tens of thousands of local residents . Archeologists are still discovering new artifacts in the town the most recent Neolithic settlement was unearthed in September and they estimate that most of Hasankeyfs archeological sites will be flooded before they can be excavated. Large dams have led to the extinction of many fish and other aquatic species, the disappearance of birds in floodplains, huge losses of forest, wetland and farmland, erosion of coastal deltas, and many other unmitigable impacts. Why did Turkey build the Ilisu Dam? [26], In 2014, the dam, as well as others in southeast Turkey such as the Silvan Dam, became a prime target of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants after peace talks collapsed with the government. Even in our current age, the transportation of goods on waterways is still of importance in some regions of our planet. Ilisu is Turkey's last major planned dam on the Tigris, and it has been controversial from the start. How long it really takes depends on the complexity and the size of the project. REGIONAL OFFICE - DYARBAKIR - Mardin Office", "Ilsu Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant", "Ilsu Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant be completed in 2014", "Turkey says to continue Ilisu dam project Erdogan said the construction of a dam and", "Andritz Hydro to equip Ilisu hydropower project in Turkey", "Turkey's Biggest Dam Project Victim of Faltering Peace", "workers threatened the PKK bloody executions", "Supply convoy for Ilsu Dam attacked: 3 injured", "lsu Baraj ve HES'in yzde 96's tamamland", "How archaeologists discovered an ancient Assyrian city and lost it again", "Ilsu Dam poised to start power generation in February", "Ilsu Baraj'nda enerji retimine balanyor", "Turkey halts filling Tigris dam after Iraq complains of water shortages", "Turkey dam sparks renewed water shortage panic in Iraq", "Ilisu Dam crisis proves the failure of Iraq's successive governments", "Turkey's Dam-Building Spree Continues, At Steep Ecological Cost", "Tigris-Euphrates River Ecosystem: A Status Report", "Iraq Wheat Farmers May Slash Plantings as Turks Fill New Dam", "Exclusive - Water shortages to cut Iraq's irrigated wheat area by half", "Wheat and barley shortage devastates Iraq", "Rare Footage of Ilsu: The Dam That Will Flood Homes and History Across Southern Turkey", Nature Association (Doga Dernegi) page on Ilisu/Hasankeyf, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ilsu_Dam&oldid=1134577597, This page was last edited on 19 January 2023, at 10:32. Since through the construction of dams, the water flows can be changed to a certain extent, dams can also be a great tool to create waterways for transportation purposes. Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoan is also committed to the Ilsu Dam Project as well and claims Turkey will use internal or other international funding. According to the complainant, the construction will destroy key breeding, feeding and foraging grounds as well as stopover and roosting grounds of migratory species protected under Appendix II of the Bern Convention. It's made in the USA 7. 0000006693 00000 n This dam will bring big gains to the local people." We as humanity have to switch to renewable green energy sources as soon as possible in order to slow down global warming and to mitigate all kinds of pollution issues. Declassified satellite imagery reveals a now-inundated village, Koctepe, just above the location of the Ilisu Dam. Many fishes might even die since they do not get enough oxygen anymore. 1) Provides Help to Retain our Water Supply. The Ilisu Dam is expected to open on December 31, 2017, but it will take several years for the 10.4 billion-cubic-meter reservoir to flood completely. Thus, the decision whether the construction of a dam is reasonable or not should be made on an individual basis in order to maximize the benefits of as many people as possible. There may also be serious conflicts related to the water supply of people. In December 2008, the European firms suspended funds for the dam and gave Turkey a 180-day period to comply with over 150 international standards. Its power station will be above ground and will contain 6 x 200 MW Francis turbine-generators with an expected annual generation of 3,833 GWh and gross hydraulic head of 122.6m (402ft). Construction of the dam was suspended temporarily late in the year. What has happened as a result of the dams in Turkey being built? @article{Eberlein2010TheID, title={The Ilisu dam in Turkey and the role of Export Credit Agencies and NGO networks. Dams should only be built when the benefits of building them greatly outweigh the costs. 20 16 Ataturk Dam, which stores 75% of the Euphrates water, with a capacity of 50 billion cubic meters equivalent which is as big as 650 Iranian dams and is also equivalent to half the capacity of the total water in Iran and Ilisu Dam with more than 10 billion resorvior, prevents 56% of Tigris water from entering the Hour-al-Azim in southwest Iran. In contrast, current builders of dams often utilize concrete. trailer He drained the marshes in the 1980s and 1990s by diverting the Tigris into a giant canal. It impounds the Colorado River and serves several important functions, including hydroelectric power generation, water storage, and flood control. Bridge, Pro Ilisu Hydroelectric power: Water stored in the dam is used to generate electricity. Pros Cons; The dam controls the Yangtze River floods, saving lives and homes: Loss of fish and extinction of the river dolphin: The dam is a major source of renewable power, replacing coal as a source of power: Flooding of good farmland: The dam has made it possible for ships (commercial and recreational) to travel much further inland. Turkish River Homepage, Photo However, deforestation is known to be quite harmful to our environment since large amounts of carbon dioxide are emitted into the air when forests are cleared. Pros of Dams. It is the latest in a long-running project by Turkey to build 22 dams and power plants along the Tigris and the Euphrates that, according to a report by the French International Office for Water,. Did people face water challenges before, say, under Saddam Hussein?