Technologies to harness the power of water are touted as crucial for a low-emissions future. But over many decades, the hydropower industry has caused serious damage to the environment and people’s lives.
More than 500 new hydropower dams are currently planned or under construction in the world’s protected areas. And some 260,000 kilometers of the last wild rivers—including the Amazon, Congo, Irrawaddy and Salween rivers—are threatened by proposed dams.
