Shrinking and sinking deltas: major role of dams in delta subsidence and effective sea level rise
The direct impacts of delta subsidence and effective seas level rise abetted by dams include inundation of coastal areas, saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifers, increased rates of coastal erosion, an increased exposure to storm surges, etc, in addition to the threat to food security, livelihood security, water security to millions and huge loss of biodiversity. These threats have implications for hundreds of millions of people who inhabit the deltaic as well as the ecologically sensitive and important coastal wetland and mangrove forests. The current environmental governance surrounding dams does not identify or address this issue and hence does not attempt to mitigate it. The report analyses the latest scientific studies in this field and puts together a picture that is disturbing and needing urgent attention.