View of a town on the Kennebec River. © NRCM   Dams Benefit Billions of People Globally, many dams have yielded enormous economic benefits and relief from life-threatening problems such as flooding. They have made development possible in poverty-stricken areas. In drought-ridden countries, irrigation from dam impoundments has prevented famine. For example, irrigation has enabled India to be self-sufficient in food production since 1974. Reservoirs are important for community water storage, and they can prevent disease caused by the lack of potable water. Dams can create navigable waterways, making transportation in some areas cheaper and more efficient. Though expensive to build, hydropower plants are inexpensive to run and are quite efficient. In other words, many dams are essential to the well-being of large human populations. However, there are also enormous environmental and social costs that go along with damming a river. As new dam construction and dam removal projects are considered, it’s important to keep these costs in mind.      2 of 11