Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Site Tools

  • AAAS
  • Subscribe
  • Feedback

Site Search

Search Advanced

Science 15 April 2005:
Vol. 308. no. 5720, pp. 405 - 408
DOI: 10.1126/science.1107887
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Reports

Fragmentation and Flow Regulation of the World's Large River Systems

Christer Nilsson,1*{dagger} Catherine A. Reidy,1* Mats Dynesius,1 Carmen Revenga2

A global overview of dam-based impacts on large river systems shows that over half (172 out of 292) are affected by dams, including the eight most biogeographically diverse. Dam-impacted catchments experience higher irrigation pressure and about 25 times more economic activity per unit of water than do unaffected catchments. In view of projected changes in climate and water resource use, these findings can be used to identify ecological risks associated with further impacts on large river systems.

1 Landscape Ecology Group, Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
2 Global Priorities Group, Nature Conservancy, 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203, USA.

* These authors contributed equally to this work.

{dagger} To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: christer.nilsson{at}emg.umu.se

Read the Full Text


E-Letters:

Read all E-Letters

Large dams are only part of the truth
Christian Wolter
Science Online, 24 May 2005 [Full text]

ADVERTISEMENT
Click Me!

ADVERTISEMENT

To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)