The evolution of dam construction started way back in 1850.’ Over the year dams have contributed in a big way in creating social infrastructure. The functional importance of dam construction can be expressed by the analogy; the way banks store monetary wealth in the form of liquid cash, bonds, cheques and securities the same way dams store critical public good water; which is the lifeline almost for every human activity.
Utility of Dams
The need to store water other than what can be sourced from natural sources at a time has always been there. And even after all the technological disruptions in every field of human importance; stopping the flow of rivers has proved to be the most effective way so far. The structure of dams has changed over the period of time but the purpose has remained unaffected. Be it a medieval design or today’s massive structure, dams are used for the same purpose they were used initially, and no other idea or invention could have replaced them so far. Dams have been the lifeline of agriculture and they still continue to be. It has contributed immensely to the production of clean energy in the form of hydroelectric energy and has undoubtedly saved millions of lives mitigating floods around the world. The term dam construction and economic development have often been used in the policy papers of every country wherever they have been erected or to be constructed; it’s been proved over the year how objecting the flow of water can have a crucial economic and environmental impact which will always have a part to play in any economy.
The Future
The dams have a direct impact on the climate in which they are being constructed. The world is experiencing extreme weather due to climate change that has made them even more vulnerable. It’s the surface area of the dam that determines the intensity of the evaporation a dam will witness. The amount of water present in the atmosphere is directly proportionate to the total evaporation, and the water has to be consumed through agricultural processes and the environment. The excess surplus in the water cycle can invite serious troubles like a deluge. That’s why planning a dam construction strategy is very critical and policymakers should pay heed to all the permutations and combinations before coming up with any scheme or policy related to dams.
Challenges Ahead
The biggest challenge that lies ahead of the policymakers is to find the answers to the question of whether the existing projects or the new projects they are coming up with can sustain extremely uncertain climatic changes. They can consider mixing the dam infrastructure with other alternatives like desalination and recycling setups. On one hand, if there is a threat like a deluge or an overflow on the other extreme there could be a situation when demand exceeds supply, as the agriculture expansion is bound to happen naturally or with the nudge of government. Somewhere in between both the extremes, the future of dam construction lies.
The dams have been a key tool of water management and development, and they continue to be; across the globe, be it developing world or developed economies. They cater to multiple industries and multiple demographics in multiple ways, benefits are many, investment is single, efficient use is the need of time!
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