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The Negative Effects Of Dams Affect The Environment

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The dam will affect the environment in many negative ways. First of all when the dam blocks the water and makes a lake the plants that are now covered by water will start to decompose. The decomposing plants give off a gas called methane which is a strong greenhouse gas. Scientists estimate that this contributes 4% to the world wide greenhouse gas emissions! That is the same as the climate impact of aviation. Second dams kill fish. The water that is held back by the dam and then is suddenly let through has very little or no amounts of air in the water so the fish quickly suffocate to death. Also silt and rocks are caught in the dam instead of going down the river giving fish and plants nutrients. Finally the dams reduce the amount of fertile soil downriver. This soil is necessary for plants to grow along the river for animals to eat. These are the ways the dam will affect the environment in negative ways. The dam will affect the local people in many negative ways. First of all many tribes would lose their territory as a result of the lake made by the dam. When the dam holds back the water it would eventually get backed up enough and tribes hunting grounds, villages, and sacred places would be flooded. They would have to relocate to other places that might already be occupied by other tribes. Second the local people living on the river would lose money. Many of these people rely on fishing to get food and money for their family. When the the fish are gone they will have
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