Opinions on negative and positive effect of dams on the environment. In order to balance the discrepancy between the natural water resources and the requirements for water (for the population, irrigations, industry), water dams had been built already in the history, created by valley dams (the El Kafara dam in Egypt of the year 2,600 A.D., the Armenian dam Mokhrablur from the 3rd-4th millennium A.D.). In Slovakia, in the vicinity of Banska Stiavnica, 54 dams and reservoirs have been built since the year 1510.
The protectors state that dams represent the greatest threat in the last decades. They are speaking of high financial costs, the need to move people from the flooded area, large conquest of soil, failure of the function of dams during large floods, creation of precipitation shadows in dam regions, threatening failure of dams, jeopardy for human lives, insufficient communication of constructors with the population, and refusal of criticism.
The arguments that dams may fail must be taken into consideration, however, the same applies for plane crash or ship sinking. However, no one has stopped to fly and sail. They have many other objections against building of dams, and request to declare a moratorium against construction thereof.
In spite of all objections, the constructions and existence of dams and reservoirs have many positive contributions which much exceed the risks connected therewith (water resource, protection against floods, recreation, an important element of the environment, and many others).
V. HOLCIK - In: Water Management Bulletin.- Year 43, No. 3(2000), p. 22.
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