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Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
5. Dams, and riverine barriers at large, lead to the loss of habitat for species belonging to riverine ecosystems and severely impact the routes of migratory fish. Critically analyse. (250 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
At least 239 barriers – a record figure – were removed from rivers across 17 countries of Europe, the 2021 Dam Removal Progress report has revealed. This is a 137 per cent increase from the previous year.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the drawbacks of barriers and threats it poses to various ecosystem services.
Directive word:
Critically analyze – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a balanced judgment on the topic.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by mentioning the purpose of creating dams and barriers.
Body:
First, write about various negative impact of dams and barriers on ecosystem services – probabilities of a flash flooding and local landfalls, extinction of many fish and other aquatic species, the disappearance of birds in floodplains, huge losses of forest, wetland and farmland, erosion of coastal deltas and the issue of local land acquisition etc.
Next, write about the needs of dams and barriers for socio-economic purpose of the country.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing balanced opinion regarding dams and barriers.
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