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Dam Engineering and its Environmental Aspects

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Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology
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Definition of the Subject

Construction of dams and reservoirs involves considerable natural and anthropogenic impacts. These impacts are for the most part positive, but can some negative influence on the environment. The main purposes of dam construction are focused on water regime improvement, and consequently to regional prosperity. Generally, the goal of dams and reservoirs is regional socioeconomic development by irrigation, flood control, power production, water supply, recreation purposes, reduction of deforestation, reduction of drought periods, for fishing farms, mining purposes, navigation, to enhance landscape including development of new infrastructure, and to provide new possibility for employment and many secondary benefits.

However, as a consequence of dam and reservoirs construction, a number of different and sometimes unpredictable negative environmental impacts and uncertainties cannot be avoided. Some common negative impacts are: the population migrates from inundated...

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Abbreviations

Dam:

Civil structure planned, constructed, and operated to meet human needs in flood control, irrigation, supply of drinking water, electricity generation, recreation, and various other purposes.

Dam failure:

Collapse or movement of part of a dam or its foundation, so that the dam cannot retain water.

Guaranty ecological flow:

Required quantity and quality of flow to maintain the sustainability of the river ecosystem (ecological base flow).

Induced subsidence:

Collapse of the surface of the ground due to human activities, mostly reservoir operation and intensive pumping of groundwater.

Karst:

Terrain composed of highly soluble rocks (limestone, dolomite, gypsum, and salt), very risky environment for dams and reservoirs construction.

Large dams:

Dams having a height of 15 m from the foundation or, if the height is between 5 and 15 m, having a reservoir capacity of more than 3 million cubic meters.

Reservoir-triggered seismicity:

Seismic phenomena associated with impounding of reservoirs (Reservoir-Induced Seismicity).

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Milanović, P.T. (2012). Dam Engineering and its Environmental Aspects. In: Meyers, R.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0851-3_308

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