Spatiotemporal changes in river network connectivity in the Nile River Basin due to hydropower dams.

ABSTRACT: Dams offer indispensable services, including hydropower generation, water for irrigation, and flood mitigation. These barriers disrupt natural river flows, affecting river ecosystems structural and functional connectivity. The number of hydropower dams in the Nile River Basin has increased during the last decades. However, little is known regarding the spatiotemporal variation in the river network fragmentation and the individual dam contributions. We used the Reach Connectivity Index (RCI) and network centrality measures to assess temporal and spatial changes in longitudinal connectivity. We selected the Equatorial Nile and Blue Nile basins, the major hotspots for present and future hydropower developments. We collated 101 existing, under construction, and proposed dams in the Equatorial

SUBMITTER: Basooma A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12040129 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature