Hydroelectric Dams Threaten Tribal Groups Worldwide, Report Says

Numerous giant hydroelectric dam projects being planned or already under construction in remote regions worldwide will devastate tribal people by driving them off their lands or destroying hunting and fishing grounds, according to a new report. More than 300,000 indigenous people in parts of Brazil, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Peru, and Guyana face economic ruin as a result of major dam projects, according to a report by the advocacy group Survival International. In some cases, tribal populations could face extinction, the report says. With nations seeking low-carbon electricity projects to meet the energy needs of growing populations, dam construction has seen a resurgence in recent years. But indigenous people living in the vicinity of these projects receive few benefits, the report says. In Sarawak, Malaysia, about 10,000 people have been displaced by the Bakun Dam, which is scheduled to open next year. In Ethiopia, as many as 200,000 people from the self-sufficient tribes of the Lower Omo Valley may be so adversely affected by the Gibe III dam that they will be forced to rely on international aid.