"Large Dams in the Americas: Is the Cure Worse than the Disease?", analyses the problems with large dams from the perspective of human rights and international environmental law.

Our objective is to promote a greater understanding of the situation, demonstrate the connection between the grave environmental impacts and human rights violations potentially caused by large dams, and to encourage a more comprehensive assessment and implementation of these projects.

Through the analysis of five case studies representing different regions of Latin America, including México, Central America, the Andean region, Brazil and the Southern Cone, we describe how States and other actors are continuously causing serious impacts to the environment and ignoring multiple international laws and standards when implementing large dam projects. 

Among the most important impacts that this report covers, are, among others: the destruction of strategic ecosystems; the forced displacement of communities, particularly disadvantages ones such as indigenous, campesino and afro-descendent communities; the loss of food sources and livelihoods; the lack of public participation and access to information; and the contribution to and impacts from climate change.

Read and download the Executive summary (in English)

Read the full report (in Spanish)