Renewable: Damning the rainforest

Context

Your company is bidding on a major hydropower dam project. While the project promises significant renewable energy output and economic development, it would flood vast areas of rainforest, disrupt river ecosystems, displace communities, and harm fisheries vital to local livelihoods.

Dilemma

Do you:
A) Propose a scaled-back or alternative renewable energy plan that reduces environmental harm, even if it delays approval and reduces profits.
B) Proceed, highlighting the project’s clean energy benefits and national development goals, despite known environmental and social risks.

Summary

Brazil's energy expansion, particularly in the northeast, has relied heavily on hydroelectric dams, leading to significant environmental and social consequences. A study of 13 dams revealed widespread issues, including flooding, ecosystem disruption, forced relocations, cultural loss, and economic strain. Decades of human intervention have altered regional climates and hindered social development.

Another study examined the environmental impacts of the Madeira River hydroelectric complex in the Brazilian Amazon through fisher interviews and fishery data. Local fishers unanimously reported declining fish stocks after dam construction, with 82% observing exophthalmia in fish, 25% noting reduced size, and 14% witnessing irregular breeding patterns. Additionally, 75% of fishers described significant changes to the river's hydrological cycle. These findings demonstrate how hydroelectric dams have substantially altered aquatic ecosystems and fisheries in the region, highlighting the complex environmental consequences of large-scale energy projects in sensitive tropical environments.

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Last modified:

29 April 2025 2.06 p.m.