Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Hydropower expansion creates tension between renewable energy goals and freshwater ecosystem health. However, the global impacts of dams across the full spectrum of freshwater biodiversity remain poorly quantified. Here, we combine remote sensing and global threatened species datasets to assess dam-related risk patterns for fish, mollusks, mammals, odonates, and amphibians. We show that threatened freshwater species are consistently more common near dams than elsewhere, with mammals showing the highest exposure. Most species whose risk status changed between 1996 and 2022 shifted toward higher threat levels in dam-influenced areas affected by habitat loss and reduced river connectivity. Planned future dams, concentrated in Global South countries, may further elevate extinction risk, particularly for critically endangered fish. These findings support sustainable planning that balances energy development with freshwater conservation.
Institutions: Harbin Normal University, Henan University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, The University of Queensland, Monash University, East China Normal University, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, University of Canberra, CSIRO Environment, Maastricht University
Language: English
Subfield: Nature and Landscape Conservation
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,490
Funders: Natural Science Foundation of Jilin Province, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, People's Government of Jilin Province, Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Science and Technology Department of Gansu Province, Youth Innovation Promotion Association
OpenAlex ID: W7128425872