Citation
(2003), "Silenced Rivers: The Ecology and Politics of Large Dams", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 12 No. 4, pp. 341-341. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2003.12.4.341.6
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited
To purchase a copy, contact Zed Books, 7 Cynthia Street, London N1 9JF, UK. Tel: (020) 7837 4014. Fax: (020) 7833 3960; E‐mail: zed@zedbooks.demon.co.uk; Web site: www.zedbooks.demon.co.uk/
The book explains the history and politics of worldwide dam building and why large dams have become so controversial. It details the ecological and human impacts of large dams, and shows how the arguments for dam projects in national interests are used to legitimise uneconomic and unjust projects. The author describes the technical, safety, and economic problems of dam technology; the structure of the international dam‐building industry; the role played by international banks and aid agencies; and the rapid growth of the international anti‐dam movement. In addition, he outlines alternatives to dams, and argues that their replacement by less destructive measures requires that the industry’s practices be open to public scrutiny.