What are the advantages of dams?

Dams provide economic, environmental and social advantages. They provide flood control, recreation, hydroelectric power, waste management, river navigation and wildlife habitat, and they control water supply.

Dams provide recreational facilities in the forms of boating, fishing, camping and picnic areas. By providing flood control, dams help farmers and prevent deaths and property damages caused by flooding. Dams provide water storage that can be used for industrial, municipal and agricultural purposes. They help to irrigate cropland and provide jobs that are tied to producing crops by using irrigated water. Dams produce hydropower that does not cause air pollution, acid rain or global warming.