IMPACTS OF DAMS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Introduction
Water is everything; nothing covers the world more than water. A dam is a
barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve
the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as
floodgates or levees (also known as dikes) are used to manage or prevent
water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage
hydroelectricity are often used in conjunction with dams to generate
electricity. A dam can also be used to collect water or for storage of water
which can be evenly distributed between locations.
Dam projects generate numerous impacts both on the region where they are
located, as well
As at an inter-regional, national and even global level. These include socioeconomic, health,
Institutional, environmental, ecological, and cultural impacts.

Impacts
Water for irrigation
Most of kenya been semi arid dams and its dependency on rain fed agriculture has
really hurt the economy. Agriculture accounts for a quarter of gross domestic
product in east Africa's largest economy, generating 45 percent of income and
contributing more than half of foreign exchange earnings. The rise in global food
prices and fertilizers has driven up local food prices in Kenya, where the annual
inflation rate was 28.4 percent in October. Stripping out food items, the rate was
13.0 percent. "We have the potential to become the grain-basket for this region and
beyond. Our farmers are capable of doubling productivity so that we have food
security for our people and a surplus for export," Kibaki told an agriculture
conference.
For economy to grow the country must feed its citizens; no one can work on an
empty stomach, one such project is Sabaki river dam in malindi a place known for
the wrong reasons. But with the dam food security has been achieved

Dam

Irrigated
land

Dry land
Water supply for a town or city
A clean, sustainable water supply is vital for our health and one of the most
important issues facing the region. The provision of a safe and secure water supply
is one of the main responsibilities of govt, as is the treatment of wastewater to
environmentally safe standards

The works undertaken include

Dams/weirs and diversion works

Boreholes and water pans
Pumping stations
Water treatment works
Water pipe networks
Irrigation

One of such dam is Koru dam on River Nyando, Nyanza Province. Principally the
dam is to control of the perennial flooding of the Nyando plains. Use of the dam to
supply water to Kisumu City will have a great economic impact on kisumu city which
does not have a constant water supply
Generate hydroelectric power;
Electricity is the cheapest renewable source of energy. There is no economy that
can develop without a cheap reliable source of energy. Power is directly linked with
the economy, the energy is used to run manufacturing plants and the end product
contributes in economy development.

Power used to run business and for domestic use also contributes to the economy.
Geothermal plants have been set up and hydro power projects set up
Job creation
During dam construction employment is created and there after this all translates to
money earned and this drives the economy
Infrastructures development
To transport materials and to harbor the workers infrastructure is set up , with the
movement of goods and services the economy is set up running Health centers
and schools are also set up
Fishing and wild life conservation
New economic activities are created and the change in feeding habits in
surrounding communities
Social economic impacts
Reduction of grazing and fishing opportunities as a result of the project. The livestock pressure on
the remaining lands will increase considerably, because the ousted traditional pastoralist tribes will
have to see to their subsistence and existence elsewhere. It is feared that overgrazing will the
increase, followed by serious erosion and the loss of natural resources and thus reduction in
economic activities for families living downstream