Feb 9, 2021 | World Commission on Dams
By Bill Adams Recently, I have found myself wondering how far the world of dams has changed since I began my career. Thirty years ago, I sat down to write the book Wasting the Rain. In it, I tried to challenge the dominant approach to large scale water development...
Nov 20, 2020 | News, Uncategorised, World Commission on Dams
By Christopher Schulz and Bill Adams On 16 November 2000, the World Commission on Dams (WCD) launched its final report in London, in the presence of Nelson Mandela. This event marked the conclusion of an unlikely process. WCD was composed of 12 eminent personalities...
Oct 22, 2020 | News, Research, World Commission on Dams
Latin America is currently seeing a boom in the construction of new dams. Brazil is the world’s third largest producer of hydroelectric energy, largely thanks to its abundant water resources. Small-scale hydropower dams (locally known as PCHs) have become an...
Mar 2, 2020 | News, World Commission on Dams
Christopher Schulz participated in the Xth International Meeting of the Latin American Water Network (WATERLAT-GOBACIT), held at the University of Concepción, Chile in October 2019. He presented preliminary findings of the Cambridge Geography team* from their ongoing...
Aug 7, 2019 | Research, World Commission on Dams
FutureDAMS is all about improving the decision-making around large dams. Where to build them, how to reduce negative impacts, how to maximise positive impacts, and, occasionally, when not to build them. Twenty years ago, the World Commission on Dams (WCD, 1998-2000)...
Feb 28, 2018 | Uncategorised, World Commission on Dams
The FutureDAMS consortium (originally known as DAMS 2.0) hosted a public lecture by Professor Bill Adams of Cambridge University to mark the start of the project. The lecture focused on ‘Designing Dams that Don’t Cost the Earth’, providing a historical...