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High‐resolution mapping of the world's reservoirs and dams for sustainable river‐flow management
Author(s) -
Lehner Bernhard,
Liermann Catherine Reidy,
Revenga Carmen,
Vörösmarty Charles,
Fekete Balazs,
Crouzet Philippe,
Döll Petra,
Endejan Marcel,
Frenken Karen,
Magome Jun,
Nilsson Christer,
Robertson James C,
Rödel Raimund,
Sindorf Nikolai,
Wisser Dominik
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
frontiers in ecology and the environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.918
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1540-9309
pISSN - 1540-9295
DOI - 10.1890/100125
Subject(s) - environmental science , hydrology (agriculture) , streamflow , geology , geography , drainage basin , geotechnical engineering , cartography
Despite the recognized importance of reservoirs and dams, global datasets describing their characteristics and geographical distribution are largely incomplete. To enable advanced assessments of the role and effects of dams within the global river network and to support strategies for mitigating ecohydrological and socioeconomic costs, we introduce here the spatially explicit and hydrologically linked Global Reservoir and Dam database (GRanD). As of early 2011, GRanD contains information regarding 6862 dams and their associated reservoirs, with a total storage capacity of 6197 km 3 . On the basis of these records, we estimate that about 16.7 million reservoirs larger than 0.01 ha – with a combined storage capacity of approximately 8070 km 3 – may exist worldwide, increasing Earth's terrestrial surface water area by more than 305 000 km 2 . We find that 575 900 river kilometers, or 7.6% of the world's rivers with average flows above 1 cubic meter per second (m 3 s −1 ), are affected by a cumulative upstream reservoir capacity that exceeds 2% of their annual flow; the impact is highest for large rivers with average flows above 1000 m 3 s −1 , of which 46.7% are affected. Finally, a sensitivity analysis suggests that smaller reservoirs have substantial impacts on the spatial extent of flow alterations despite their minor role in total reservoir capacity.