Compare impacts to other dams

John Reid (staff) - May 21st, 2009

Here you can compare the people displaced and hectares flooded per installed MW in any analysis in the HydroCalculator to a list of "good dams" and "bad dams" compiled by researchers at the World Bank.

Project (country) Installed capacity (MW) Resevoir area (hectares) People displaced Hectares flooded/MW People displaced/MW
Arun II (Nepal) 402 43 775 <1 2
Pehuenche (Chile) 500 400 0 <1 0
Pangue (Chile) 450 500 50 1 <1
Guavio (Colombia) 1,000 1,530 4,959 2 5
Tehri (India) 2,400 4,200 100,000 2 42
Ghazi Barotha (Pakistan) 1,450 2,640 899 2 1
Nam Theum-Hinboun (Laos) 210 630 0 3 9
Ertan (China) 3,300 10,100 30,000 3 9
Fortuna (Panama) 300 1,050 446 4 1
Chixoy (Guatemala) 300 1,400 3,445 5 11
Grand Coulee (United States) 6,494 33,306 10,000 5 2
Three Gorges (China) 18,200 110,000 >1,300,000 6 >71
Tarbela (Pakistan) 3,478 24,280 96,000 7 28
Salvajina (Colombia) 270 2,030 3,272 8 12
Zimapan (Mexico) 280 2,300 2,800 8 10
Itaipu (Brazil/Paraguay) 12,600 135,000 59,000 11 5
Victoria (Sri Lanka) 210 2,270 45,000 11 214
Kararao/Belo Monte (Brazil) 8,381 116,000 n.a. 14 n.a.
Aguamilpa (Mexico) 960 13,000 1,000 14 1
Betania (Colombia) 510 7,370 544 14 1
Urra I (Colombia) 340 7,400 6,200 22 18
Mangla (Pakistan) 1,000 25,300 90 25 90
Bakun (Malaysia) 2,400 70,000 9,000 29 4
Ataturk (Turkey) 2,400 81,700 55,000 34 23
El Cajon (Honduras) 300 11,200 4,000 37 13
Ilha Solteira (Brazil) 3,200 125,700 6,150 39 2
Guri Complex (Venezuela) 10,300 426,000 1,500 41 <1
Salto Grande (Argentina/Urugua) 1,890 78,300 n.a. 41 n.a.
Nam Theum II (Laos) 1,086 45,000 5,700 41 5
Arenal (Costa Rica) 157 7,000 2,500 45 16
Yacyreta (Argentina/Paraguay) 3,100 165,000 50,000 53 19
Tucurui (Brazil) 3,980 243,000 30,000 61 8
Narmada (India) 100 90,820 80,500 91 81
Porto Primavera (Brazil) 1,815 225,000 15,000 124 8
Churchill Falls (Canada) 5,225 665,000 0 127 0
Khao Leam (Thailand) 300 388,000 10,800 129 36
Kedung Ombo (Indonesia) 29 4,600 29,000 159 1,000
Kainji (Nigeria) 760 126,000 50,000 166 66
Pak Mun (Thailand) 34 6,000 4,945 176 145
Cabora Bassa (Mozambique) 2,075 380,000 250,000 183 120
Aswan High (Egypt) 2,100 400,000 100,000 191 48
Nam Ngum (Laos) 150 37,000 3,000 247 20
Sabradinho (Brazil) 1,050 415,000 65,000 395 62
Kariba (Zambia/Zimbabwe) 1,260 510,000 57,000 405 45
Balbina (Brazil) 250 236,000 1,000 944 4
Akosombo (Ghana) 833 848,200 80,000 1,018 96
Bayano (Panama) 30 35,000 4,400 1,167 147
Kompienga (Burkia Faso) 14 20,000 1,842 1,426 132
Brokopondo (Suriname) 30 160,000 n.a. 5,333 n.a.

n.a. = Data not available

Source: World Bank, Latin American and Caribbean Region Sustainable Development Working Paper 16, "Good Dams and Bad Dams: Environmental Criteria for Site Selection of Hydroelectric Projects", November 2003, p.12; compiled from Goodland 1997, Goodland 1995, Mason 1995, several World Bank project reports, and data provided during the World Commission on Dams Regional Consultation (Sao Paulo, Brazil, August 1999)