The process and procedural context on construction of reservoir dam in Malaysia / Ariessa Mohd Noor

Dams and their associated reservoirs are common to several sectors, particularly hydroelectric power, and irrigation, domestic and industrial water supply. The dam and reservoir maybe multipurpose for all of the above, and can also provide flood control, recreation, fisheries, navigation and sediment control. However, these are also a large degree, competing uses for the water stored behind dams and each may imply a different diurnal or annual operating rule curve for the reservoir. Large dam projects can cause irreversible environmental changes over a wide geographic area and thus have the potential for significant (residual) impacts. Criticism of such projects has grown in the last decade. Severe critics claim that the social, environmental, and economic costs of dams outweigh their benefits and that the construction of large dams, therefore, is unjustifiable. Others contend that in some cases environmental and social costs can be avoided or reduced to an acceptable level by carefully assessing potential problems and implementing cost-effective corrective measures.