Âé¶¹´«Ã½

Concrete jungle

By Fred Pearce

22 December 2001

WHAT’s the point of gauging the environmental impact of a dam before it’s
built? Not a lot, if a row over a proposed hydroelectric scheme in Belize is
anything to go by.

A group of leading biologists reckon the Chalillo dam would destroy an area
of rainforest containing rare and threatened species. But the companies that
commissioned the biologists’ report are not following its recommendation that
the dam should not be built, one of the report’s authors told Âé¶¹´«Ã½.

The dispute has highlighted growing concerns over the value placed on
“environmental impact assessments”. Last year, a report by the World Commission…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with Âé¶¹´«Ã½ events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, today with our introductory offers

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop