Dammed deltas: Sinking Asian deltas in a warming world

Suzanne McGowan, Andy Large, Andrew C.G. Henderson, and Nicholas Wallerstein

Published in ‘One Earth’

Abstract

Deltas depend on rivers to provide thewater, sediment, and nutrients on whichdelta inhabitants rely. Upstream damsfor hydroelectric power (HEP) generationare disrupting rivers, placing additionalstresses on populous delta regions andamplifying downstream pressures ofhigh resource demand, pollution, and sa-line intrusion. This presents a deep-rooted paradox, that of balancing theneeds of communities for livelihoodimprovement—which requires energy—versus the environmental degradation,and associated threat to livelihoods,caused by expanding use of HEP to sup-ply that energy. In contextualizing howupstream activities affect entire river ba-sins including their highly vulnerable deltasocial-ecological systems, we highlightwhere progress needs to be made andthe important role for transdisciplinary ap-proaches to livelihood transformation.