Proliferation of hydroelectric dams in the Andean Amazon and implications for Andes-Amazon connectivity.

ABSTRACT: Due to rising energy demands and abundant untapped potential, hydropower projects are rapidly increasing in the Neotropics. This is especially true in the wet and rugged Andean Amazon, where regional governments are prioritizing new hydroelectric dams as the centerpiece of long-term energy plans. However, the current planning for hydropower lacks adequate regional and basin-scale assessment of potential ecological impacts. This lack of strategic planning is particularly problematic given the intimate link between the Andes and Amazonian flood plain, together one of the most species rich zones on Earth. We examined the potential ecological impacts, in terms of river connectivity and forest loss, of the planned proliferation of hydroelectric dams across all Andean tributaries of the Amazon R

SUBMITTER: Finer M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3329437 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature