This ground-breaking book explains the history and politics of dam building worldwide and shows why large dams have become the most controversial of technologies. It describes the many technical, safety and economic problems which afflict the technology, the structure of the international dam–building industry, and the role played by international banks and aid agencies in promoting the technology in the South.
Silenced Rivers also tells the story of the rapid growth of the international anti–dam movement. It stresses how replacing large dams with less destructive alternatives will depend upon the opening up of the dam industry’s practices to public scrutiny.
