2017

RIVER SYSTEMS REPORT

Figure 1 Jirau Dam under on-going construction on the

Madeira River (The Washington Post)

Michael Soeldner
GESS I&S Class 9A
1/1/2017

Figure 2 The Trouble with Dams in the Amazon

(LEILA SALAZAR-LOPEZ, amazonwatch)
River Systems Report Michael Sldner, I&S Class 9A

TABLE OF CONTENT

INTRODUCTION..2

RIVER SYSTEM OVERVIEW.3

RIVER SYSTEM ISSUES.4

1.1 Introduction of river system issues..4

1.2 How a dam works....5

1.3 Environment Impact.6

1.4 Social Impact...7

CAN THE ISSUE BE RESOLVED..8

CONCLUSION......9

REFERENCES.10

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River Systems Report Michael Sldner, I&S Class 9A

INTRODUCTION
Rivers are very important for the well being of are planet, the flora and fauna that lives in and
around it as well as the people who live near it.
The Madeira River
One of the most important rivers is in the Amazon Bassin in South America. This is the
Madeira river. This river travels through Brazil and Bolivia which makes it one of the largest
and longest rivers in South America. It is also one of the major tributaries of the Amazon
River and therefore one of the largest waterways in the world. In this essay I will discuss a
major issue connected with this river. I will first introduce the river, followed by the key issue
of dam construction, the environmental impact of the dam construction, the social impact
before evaluating and drawing a conclusion.

Recently they have started constructing two major dams across the river; this has interrupted
the water flow and has caused turned this beaufiful river into a river of conflict. The
conflict is between the environmentalists, who have concerns regarding the watersystem, the
indiginous people and the government.

Figure 3 Jirau Dam on the Madeira River taken by Nationalgeographic (ejatlas )

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River Systems Report Michael Sldner, I&S Class 9A

RIVER SYSTEM OVERVIEW

The name Madeira River comes from the Portuguese language and means, "wood river".
The length of the Madeira River is 3,250 km and it's discharge volume is 24,400 m/s
(Talktalk)
The Mamore and Madre de Dios River confluence together to form the Madeira River, which
is why the Madeira River has multiple sources. The Mamor River has its source in the Sierra
de Cochabamba, east of Chimore, and the Madre de Dios River has its source in the
southeastern region of Peru called the Madre de Dios as well in the Sierra de Carabayas in
Peru too. The Madeira Rivers mouth is the Amazon River because the Madeira is actually a
tributary of the Amazon. It is home to a wide diversity of animals such as the spotted jaguar,
giant otter, pink dolphins as well as many other endangered species. One of the reasons for
the abundant wildlife it the fact that the Madeira River has very clear and clean water. "It has
been estimated that there are more than 900 fish species in the Madeira River Basin making it
one of the freshwater systems in the world with the highest species richness."( Hydroelectric
dam constructions in Amazonas). This is actually quite unlike the rest of the Amazon River,
which is usually very muddy.















Figure 4 Shows Map of the Amazon Basin with the Madeira
River highlighted (davidrumsey)

Figure 5 shows map of the

Amazon with The Amazon River
highlighted in blue and the
Madeira River highlighted in
pink (rivercruiseagent)

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River Systems Report Michael Sldner, I&S Class 9A

RIVER SYSTEM ISSUES

1.1 Introduction of the river systems main issue.

So, at present, the Madeira River has very little pollution. But all this is going to change. The
Brazilian government is constructing two huge hydroelectric dams on the Madeira. One is
located in Jirau (with an installed generating capacity of 3,750 MW) and the other one in
Santo Antonio (with an installed generating capacity 3,150 MW). These two dams are not
very far apart; the Santo Antonio dam is only about 100 km upstream from the Jirau dam.
They are also planning to construct two more dams upstream from the Jirau and Santo
Antonio dam. At present only the Jirau and San Antonio are under construction and the
government funded construction is already behind schedule. If construction work begins by
September 2008, the best hypothesis is that the Santo Antonio dam will become fully
functional by February 2016 (waterworld). But this has not happened. There are two reasons
for building the dam. Firstly, they are doing it to create new shipping lanes to move large
quantities of goods out of the Amazon region. This, according to the government, will
promote exports. Secondly, it also creates badly needed electrical power. "Brazil suffered
extensive outages that required power rationing in 2001 and President Luiz Inacio Lula da
Silva is determined to avoid this from happening again"(waterworld).The country will
benefit because the power generated will supply the southeast of Brazil, the largest consumer
region of the country" (waterworld).

Subsequently, this would change the Madeira into a modern industrial shipping canal,
providing power and transport. Amazon products which may shipped are: the agricultural
crops they are producing, like soy beans, rice, fruit and vegetables; the meat from cattle
ranching; rubber and wood. According to Mr. Farabundo: "The waterway would serve as a
corridor for the transport of minerals, grain, timber, and other products."
(ICE CaseStudies,american,amazondams).

Timber, such as logged tree trunks as well as processed wood, is to be shipped out of the
Amazon area which may perhaps be good for business but at the same time speeds up the
destruction of the Amazon Forest. "These resources could flow east towards Brazil's Atlantic
port of Belem, and eventually on to Europe, increasing the economic integration of South
America with the rest of the world. For example, the construction of the dam will allow
Brazil to transport an additional 35 million tons of soybeans every year," as stated in the
(ICE Case Studies, American, Amazondams). So good for business and the economy.












Figure 6 location of both
Figure 7 man in a canoe local boat at
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sunset (survivalinternational)
River Systems Report Michael Sldner, I&S Class 9A

HOW A DAM WORKS

Figure 8 this diagram shows how hydro electric dams work (petcorenergy)

To create energy Brazil has used Hydropower exentively and their hydropower projects have
been hugely successfull. A hydro electric plant works by using fast moving water which is
usually at an angle to spin a turbine. A turbine changes the kinetic energy of fast moving
water into mechanical energy ("energy of an object or system due to its motion or position[in
this case it is the turbine spinning which is postal energy or mechanical or kinetic energy they
are all the same]"(Reference), then a generator changes or converts mechanical energy from
the turbine into electrical energy which we can use in our every day life. Some people like
Whittington (2007) feel that hydropower is an excellent way of creating clean energy. He
states that "the value of hydropower comes from replacing fossil-based electricity demand
with a zero-emissions source of power, thus an overall significant reduction of GHG
emissions." (amazonwatch)

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 River Systems Report Michael Sldner, I&S Class 9A

1.3 Environment Impact

However, building a dam has many environmental implications. Many of these implications
are related to land erosion, deforestation and animal extinction.
"According to International Rivers, there are two main categories of environmental impacts
associated with dam construction: those inherent to dam construction and those caused by
operational features in each dam" (McCully, 2001).

When constructing a dam you need a height difference as you can see in figure 8 This is to
create the potential energy to turn the turbine. The dam will literally dam the river and create
a water height difference for example the height of the Jirau dam is 63m from the river bed,
(power-technology) then the water levels will rise because of this and there will be a flooded
area which is 258km2(dams-info) and the height of the Santo Antonio dam is 70 m from the
river bed (santoantonioenergia). The flooded area this will create is 271km2 (dams-info) and
these floods are will most likely put the riverbank forest under water.
This is one of the main factors that will destroy the riverbanks.

In addition, when you flood huge areas of forest, trees that will end up under water die and
decompose: methane gas will be released from the decomposing of the trees. Large amount
of this gas is very dangerous and not good for the environment. And it will increase
deforestation.

It will also transform the river from a free flowing natural river into a river cut up in pieces
with slow moving to still water in certain sections. This will change the river altogether and
destroy the habitat of the flora and fauna. It will block the migration routes of birds.
It will block the transport of sediment and stop the fish from moving through and change the
rivers unique ecosystem. 'The habitat of thirtythree [ already] endangered mammal species
will be destroyed.' according to (international rivers people-water-lives ). These problems
will affect Bolivia and Peru as well. The problem of the migration of the fish is especially
significant as the indiginous people rely on the fish travelling downstream for commercial
production, especially the giant catfish. "Of these commercially fished species, 80% are
migratory", according(WWF) Although the people that advocate building the dam say it will
open up large areas in the Bolivian Amazon for the profitable soybean culture, this will
actually only increase deforestation, and in the process, the fish migration routes will be
irriversibly affected.












Figure 10 Pirah tribe boy
(survivalinternational)
Figure 9 it shows that migratory fish die
because of the dame (Internationalrivers)
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River Systems Report Michael Sldner, I&S Class 9A

1.4 Social Impact

The building of these hydroelectric dams also means that they will have to cut roads through
the forest as people need to build the dams, and thus live there with the potential of leaving
waste behind and creating a pollution hazard. "We envisage the creation of 20,000 jobs, said
Joo Canellas, a director of Amel Ltd., a subsidiary of Camargo Correa a Brazilian
construction and infrastructure group. Thus, people will come from elsewhere to help with
the construction which will lead to problems with the existing infrastructure, as well as
overpopulation in the few existing cities. This may, in turn, bring about less desirable social
problems such as an increase in crime. Construction of these projects also means using
chemicals and building materials some of which could end up polluting the river.

The people who have lived on the banks of this river, the indigenous people, will also be
affected. Of course these people were never asked for their opinion or consent. Their leader
and spokesman Valmir Parintintin, said "If the dam is built, what will happen to the Indians
way of life? Will anybody bring us food? No". Nobody will bring us anything. We are very
worried." (survivalinternational) The indigenous people mostly live on subsistance fishing. A
study from the WWF states that: " In the Amazon, fish are part of the diet for approximately
950,000 people in Bolivia, furthermore, roughly 155,000 people living along river banks in
the Departments of Beni, Pando, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba and La Paz carry out subsistence
fishing." (WWF). Approximately, 30,000 indigenous people will be displaced by the Madeira
Dam according to (American,amazondams) Some will be displaced because they live on the
land that will be flooded as part of the hydro electric projects. Some because their land will
be needed to be cleared for the additional agricultural lands. Some because of the new settlers
and yet others because of river bank erosion. It will not only displace some of them but also
affect their food security because of the impact on the local fish stocks and the affects on the
lowland agriculture. It will increase the breeding of mosquitos, and therefore malaria, as still
or slow moving water provides a perfect breeding ground for mosquitos. This will affect their
health in addition to 'new' diseases and illnesses the settlers bring with them for which they
have no immunity.

An expedition led by FUNAI and the Brazilioan NGO Kaninde in 2009, demonstrates the
stress a lot of the indigenous people are under. They found the presence of indigenous people
near the area where the dams are constructed. However, they found four indigenous groups
had already relocated, having fled their original lands because of the noise coming from the
construction sites. However, despite the many unfortunate disadvantages to the building of
the dams, there maybe a positive outcome to their construction. Cheaper transportation costs
will serve as an incentive to expand the soy production in the states of Rondonia and
Amazonas meaning an increased need for workers. "This situation might create a 'gold rush'
parallel, in which thousands of migrants travel to these states seeking a better life through
soybean production." (amazonwatch)

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Figure 11 local man peforming
ritual (survivalinternational)
River Systems Report Michael Sldner, I&S Class 9A

Can the issue can be resolved

This issue can not be resolved: the dams will be build or are already halfway finished. The
best outcome at present is damage control.

The government at present only sees the immediate financial and economic benefits of these
dams such as agricultural development only. They have asked scientists for their expert
opinion and use this to play down the issues mentioned.

Although some specialists agree that the expansion of soy or other monocultures to the North
region may lead to the alteration of Amazon ecosystems and create competition between
irrigation and energy generation they do not see this as a problem.

However, the expert's predictions are all based on the immediate or short term advantages.
We don't know what will happen as global warming increases either, making the issues
mentioned even more severe. E.g. they completely ignore the effect global warming has on
Glaciers. "The situation of the Bolivian glaciers is dramatic, according to comments to the
local press by Jefferson Simes, the glaciologist that represents Brazil in the Latin American
Snow and Ice Workgroup linked to UNESCO." (waterworld)
They dont actually know the financial risks of having changed the hydrologic flows of the
river systems. Then there is the increased deforestation that will cause an increase in the
destruction of the Amazon which will in turn worsen climate change too.

Of course the government disagrees. They state: "The governments response the North and
CenterWest regions hold 70% of the water available in the country and viability studies
undertaken from 2001 to 2005 conclude that annual average outflow of the Madeira River
was very similar, year after year, which means safe operation" (waterworld).

In other words the government at present doesn't see why they should come up with damage
control measures. Some environmental agencies though try and do something about it.

Damage control measures could and should include the following:

They could practice flood control (opening the flood gates at times to reduce the size of flood
plains) and sediment control by collecting sediment and moving it where it can not damage
the ecosystem. Other measures could include increased legislation to stop illegal farming and
logging practices. Increased policing and penalties should also be thought of to enforce these
practices.

8 | P a g e Figure 12 local men catching Figure 13 water level going down

cat fish ( wwf) (peakwater)
 River Systems Report Michael Sldner, I&S Class 9A

Conclusion

In conclusion the dam has many positive and negative aspects, this is why it is a river
conflict. The two main problems are the social and environmental impact. Economic progress
in the region will change the social structure and the environment forever. It will possibly
cause the extinction of many endangered species and destroy the tribal way of life. It may
possibly also bring material wealth to the region, better infrastructure, access to education,
healthcare and electricity.

Many environmental agencies and organisations are active in the region and inform the
public of the negative effects of the construction of the dams. However, the government has
largely ignored their demands for damage control. The Brazilian government focusses on the
economic benefits rather than the negative impact on the environment and local society.

When the government takes action, its actions have so far not changed any business
decisions."In February 2009, Energia Sustentvel do Brasil (ESBR by its acronym in
Portuguese), the consortium responsible for building the Jirau dam, was fined twice by
IBAMA, the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources
is the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment's administrative arm. They were fined for
serious violations of environmental laws. Both cases involved illegal deforestation. Both
fines, which total $ 1,375,000 remain unpaid"(amazonwatch). The government has to do
more and enforce its laws and ensure that fines are paid and collected. The fines should be an
incentive to change company policy.

Brazil has to do this not just for their own people but also for the rest of the world

" Respect Nature and it Will Provide You with

Abundance"(Venkatmails)

Figure 14 satellite photo of the Santo

Antonio dam (maaproject)

Figure 15 the m Madeira Rive near poro velho (britannica)

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River Systems Report Michael Sldner, I&S Class 9A

REFERENCES
the amazon. RIVER CRUISE AGENT, rivercruiseagent.com/Page/AmazonRiverCruises. Accessed

19 Jan. 2017.

the amazon. talk talk, www.talktalk.co.uk/shop. Accessed 14 Jan. 2017.

Amazon River Cruise Offers. RIVER CRUISE AGENT, rivercruiseagent,

rivercruiseagent.com/Page/AmazonRiverCruises. Accessed 19 Jan. 2017.

BRAZIL TO BUILD $15.6 BILLION IN DAMS IN AMAZON REGION. waterworld,

www.waterworld.com/articles/wwi/print/volume-22/issue-6/editorial-spotlight/brazil-to-

build-156-billion-in-dams-in-amazon-region.html. Accessed 17 Jan. 2017.

Catfish dam. PlanetCatfish, UTC,

www.planetcatfish.com/shanesworld/shanesworld.php?article_id=360.

DAMS MAPS. maaproject, maaproje.org/category/sectors/dams/. Accessed 19 Jan. 2017.

fact sheet: The Madeira Dam Complex. amazonwatch, amazonwatch.org/assets/files/BMD2011-

madeira-complex.pdf. Accessed 19 Jan. 2017.

Fearnside, Philip. Impacts of Brazils Madeira River Dams: Unlearned lessons for hydroelectric

development in Amazonia. science direct, sciencedirect,

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462901113002724.

Gerao plena da Hidreltrica Santo Antnio. santoantonioenergia, Projeto financiado pelo

BNDES, www.santoantonioenergia.com.br/. Accessed 16 Jan. 2017.

Guzman, Olimar Maisonet. Amazon Battle Dams conflicts. american edu,

www1.american.edu/ted/ice/amazondams.html. Accessed 15 Jan. 2017.

How do I define mechanical energy? Reference, reference, www.reference.com/science/define-

mechanical-energy-3b84f69f8b423705. Accessed 19 Jan. 2017.

International Center for Tropical Agricultures favorite photos from other Flickr members. CIAT,

flickr, www.flickr.com/people/38476503@N08. Accessed 19 Jan. 2017.

irau Hydroelectric Power Plant, Rondnia, Brazil. power-technology, Kable, a trading division of

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Kable Intelligence, www.power-technology.com/projects/-jirau-hydroelectric-power-plant-

rondonia/. Accessed 19 Jan. 2017.

Jirau Dam on the Madeira River. Nationalgeographic, ejatlas, 2012, ejatlas.org/conflict/jirau-and-

santo-antonio-dams-on-madeira-river-brazil. Accessed 19 Jan. 2017.

Jirau Dam Profile. Dams info, econ, dams-info.org/en/dams/view/jirau/. Accessed 14 Jan. 2017.

Jirau Dam under on-going construction on the Madeira River. Washington Post, ejatlas,

ejatlas.org/conflict/jirau-and-santo-antonio-dams-on-madeira-river-brazil. Accessed 18 Jan.

2017.

LOPEZ, LEILA SALAZAR. The Madeira River at dusk. amazonwatch, 25 Mar. 2011,

amazonwatch.org/news/2011/0325-chaos-on-the-madeira-the-trouble-with-dams-in-the-

amazon. Accessed 19 Jan. 2017.

madeira River, britannica, 10 July 2015, global.britannica.com/place/Madeira-River. Accessed 19

Jan. 2017.

Madeira River. International Rivers, www.internationalrivers.org/campaigns/madeira-river.

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Madeira River dams. survivalinternational, survival,

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Madeira River dams. survivalinternational, survival, survivalinternational. Accessed 17 Jan. 2017.

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A new and accurate map of Peru, and the country of the Amazones.

davidrumsey, http://www.davidrumsey.com/detail?id=1-1-2602-

280018&name=Peru++Amazones. Accessed 18 Jan. 2017.

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madeira/. Accessed 19 Jan. 2017.

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