When I think of dams, I think of catastrophic failure which almost always ends in thousands of deaths. I think of how quickly untended dams will fail. I think of what kind of target a dam makes. I think of flooding and burying wilderness and wildlife and even towns like this.
I also think of hydro-electric power and water availability... but aren't there other ways to tackle those problems?
Are dams ever a good idea?
>>Are dams ever a good idea?
Yes, I guess, without dams the developed nations would not have been so developed either in terms of technology and even sociology. Without dams there won't be cities, without big cities there won't be mixing of different strata/groups of society.
So, when I think of dams I think of the immense value they provide to humans and their progress. It's difficult to get rid of dams. What we need is a lot better technology to ensure their reliability and robustness.
Another reason why we need dams more is: the sheer population increase is putting a hell lot of pressure on natural resources (including water, of course) these days as compared to 19th century. So we must address this issue also.
Also, the increasing consumerism should be restricted/reduced. The mindless consumerism is also adding to this pressure.
All this is not to say that we aren't putting pressure on the environment. It just goes to show that the pressure we're applying is a result of decades of arrogance and stupidity.
1 - https://www.marketplace.org/2016/01/08/world/down-drain 2 - http://www.thenewamerican.com/tech/environment/item/16396-bu...
For example, the Three Gorges dam seems to have a problem with silt accumulation that could cause a dramatic reduction in reservoir water capacity. I suspect many such dams will end up as concrete carcasses at the head of muddy lagoons - maybe not so bad for wildlife in the long run.
Besides, I know of several dams in Italy and only one failed with loss of life, afaik.