The 3Ps (profits, problems & planning) of dams as inevitable developmental source: a review

Since the beginning of river valley civilizations, humans have sought to harness the potential of flowing waters. The monumental structures of dams have been instrumental in damming these flowing waters and providing a wide range of benefits to society, including irrigation, drinking water, and generating clean energy. The present paper reviews in detail the hydropower reservoirs (dams) and presents a broader depiction of the 3Ps associated with their profits, problems, and planning. A literature review pertaining to dam construction and their impacts has been undertaken to analyze various approaches involving studies on socio-economic and environmental indicators and sustainability/risk factors related to dams. Various online search engines have been used to identify the desired studies and research for review. The first section of the paper gives a detailed account of the contribution (i.e., profits) made by dams to the economic development of humanity. The second part presents the negative social and environmental impacts (i.e., problems) of dams. As the paper proceeds, numerous tools/models analyzed during the literature review are presented that can be used to mitigate the negative fallouts of these dams (i.e., planning). However, it has been found that all these methods provide fragmented information with no certainty regarding which essential aspects require more emphasis while planning for these superstructures. Thus, a basic uniform frame is suggested, showcasing the fundamental and most critical aspects to be considered while planning a dam structure, which are described according to the three phases of dam construction, i.e., pre-construction, construction, and post-construction phases. While presenting the 3Ps (profits, problems and planning) of dams and analyzing their pitfalls, the 3Is (innovative keys) are recommended, emphasizing innovative technologies, innovative planning, and innovative solutions, which are needed in making these dams more optimal, judicious, and sustainable.