TITLE:
The Socio-Economic Impacts of Aged-Dam Removal: A Review
AUTHORS:
Duminda Perera, Taylor North
KEYWORDS:
Dam Ageing, Dam Removal, Large Dams, Social Impacts, Economic Impacts
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.9 No.10,
October
22,
2021
ABSTRACT: Water storage dams worldwide are ageing, and many will reach the end of
their designed lifespan by the middle of the 21st century. Some of these dams
will likely need to be removed. While dam construction impacts have been widely
discussed, dam removal impacts on society and the economy need to be synthesized
and considered in the ageing dams’ decision-making process. This paper
summarizes dam removal impacts on the local economy and industry, culture,
history and heritage, property value, recreation, aesthetics, and disaster
avoidance from identified studies worldwide. It demonstrates that these impacts
may vary depending on geography and between developed and developing countries.
It concludes that dam removal should consider the cost, environmental, and the socio-economic impacts while including all stakeholders who could be positively and negatively impacted by dam removal.