The Case Study Of New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project and Review of

Effects of Dam Construction on the Ecosystems of River Estuary and Nearby Marine

Areas

INTRODUCTION

The construction of dams have benefited the society for many years, starting from around

3,000 BCE until the modern times. Although a lot of dams were already constructed for the past

5,000 years, only those that were made for the last 100 years gave significant contributions in

dam engineering (A History of Dams, 2022). For ancient Mesopotamians, dams are used to

provide farmers with a steady source of water to irrigate crops, allowing them to provide food for

their growing population. White for Romans, dams are used to divert water for basic purposes

like drinking, bathing, and irrigation. The start of the construction of bigger dams happened

during the era of Industrial Revolution. These dams are more capable of holding back large

amount of water to power the big machinery of factories and mines (Dams, n.d.) According to

Anul (n.d.), these human-made structures became advantageous when it comes to flood

prevention, supply of drinking and domestic water, generation of energy, and for irrigation

purposes since the ancient times. However, dam projects could possibly cause harm on the

human population and the environment despite their benefits such as meeting basic requirements

of the society and increasing living standards (Anul, n.d.).

In the Philippines, environmental activists have been opposing the construction of dams

because its destructive effects on the environment and their community (Remollino, 2009).

Because of the detrimental effects of dams in the biodiversity, anti-dam movements continue to

arise not just in the Philippines but also in other countries. Engineering projects like dam
construction are highly opposed because some groups who are against them believe that

engineering studies causes disorders in the natural balance (Anul, n.d.). For instance, dams alter

wetland ecosystems by inducing changes in river flow regimes, sediment regimes and wetland

morphology and geomorphology, which are some of the factors that maintain global biodiversity

in wetland ecosystems (Wu et al., 2019).

On the other hand, Zhang (2022) mentioned that the development of dams has a

significant impact on surrounding marine ecosystems and biological settings downstream. These

include decreased river flow, decreased sediment flux, altered water temperature, altered estuary

delta, altered nutrient composition and distribution, altered phytoplankton population structure

and distribution, fragmented habitat, and blocked migration routes in river segments and nearby

seas.

With this, researchers, environmentalists, and wildlife campaigners throughout the world

have therefore been interested in how building dams affects biodiversity (Jacobsen et al., 2012,

Wu et al., 2015 as cited in Wu et al., 2019). Also, several studies were already conducted about

how the construction of dams affects microbes, benthos, plankton, aquatic animals, botany, and

birds (Rechisky et al., 2013, Wu et al., 2017 as cited in Wu et al., 2019).

In this case study, the researchers aim to provide a more comprehensive explanation of

the effects of dam construction on the environment by reviewing the effects of dam construction

on river estuary and nearby marine area ecosystems in China and the Kaliwa Dam in the

Philippines.
METHODOLOGY (ALONDRA)

The research methodologies utilized for these studies were discussed by various methods

in gathering the data and analysis relevant to the two (2) case studies and will be focused on the

Kaliwa Dam Project in the Philippines and the Effects of Dam Construction on the Ecosystems

of River Estuary and Nearby Marine Areas in China. Comparative analysis techniques will be

incorporated into the approaches.

The ISI Web of Knowledge database was used by the researchers in the Review of Effects of

Dam Construction on the Ecosystems of River Estuary and Nearby Marine Areas in China to

perform the systematic bibliometric analyses, which aims to gather literature related to the

previous research topic and its effects on the environment. This process tries to identify the

topics pertaining to the Earth and Planetary Sciences, Environmental Sciences, and Agricultural

and Biological Sciences. This was done to ensure that all of the files that were found were

pertinent to the estuary and the neighboring maritime environments. While, in assessing and

defining the range of activities, alternatives, and environmental repercussions throughout the

construction of the Kaliwa Dam Project, the researchers used the DENR. These are portrayed

through the project's methodology and components, such as socioeconomics, air/nose quality,

soil management, water quality, vegetation, and wildlife, as well as risk assessment.

Overall, in order to perform a comparative analysis of these two (2) studies, it is

important to note that both of their goals were to understand the environmental effects of dam

construction, and both are likely to have a negative impact on biodiversity and habitat

fragmentation, especially in the agricultural and socioeconomic sectors. On the other hand, the

methods used by the group of researchers to collect data vary.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

There are numerous studies on dam reservoirs and downstream for the research area for

the Kaliwa dam project in the Philippines and the Effects of Dam Construction on the

Ecosystems of River Estuary and Nearby Marine Areas in China. While few studies have been

done on the estuary and the surrounding maritime environment. For the study. Specifically, most

of the research that was published looked at how building dams affected flow flux. Some

addressing nutrients and biodiversity, and sediment movement; downstream of the river and near

the shore.

The impact of building dams on some of the environmental characteristics of the river

estuary and the nearby maritime area were examples. River flow was controlled through dams,

and their impact on ecosystems was reduced low of silt, alteration of reservoir water

temperatures, erosion of estuarine deltas, and modifying the structure and distribution of

nutrients, the composition and distribution of habitat fragmentation in downstream rivers and the

sea next to them, as well as phytoplankton areas.

Reduce water flow

Ph1 through Ph4 are situated at the upstream station, Ph5 through Ph8 are taken from the

midstream region, and Ph9 through Ph12 are situated at the downstream stations. The reduce

water flow for downstream users during construction, from Kaliwa River the streamflow will be

diverted through two tunnels on the left bank which will discharge downstream of the

Kaliwa-Queborosa Creek confluence. Water will continue to flow downstream bypassing the

construction area and SitioQueborosa.Water will be used during construction for the workers, for

the materials needed for the project, for concreting, and for watering the tools. The daily

household use equals 0.1 MLD or 100 m3/day if there are a maximum of 1000 workers and a
daily per capita consumption of 100 liters (lcpd). 800 MLD or 9.27 m3/sec was calculated as the

80% predictable flow. This indicates that the water use is less than 0.15 percent of the steady

flow. As a result, the use of water during the construction phase will only minimally decrease the

flow and will practically have little impact on home usage or any other uses downstream.

The Effects of Dam Construction on the Ecosystems of River Estuary and Nearby Marine

Areas in China’s reduction of water flow is due to the effects of the monsoon, rainfall varies

throughout the year (Sein, M. Z. M. (n.d.).) . Recent years have seen a lot of climatic changes,

which affect precipitation and negatively affect agricultural production (Mie Sein, Z.M. et al.

2021.) Dams could stabilize the water supply to facilitate agricultural irrigation in delta areas by

storing water during wet seasons and releasing it during dry seasons (Sakho, I et al. 2017.) An

obstruction caused by a static reservoir formed by a dam causes the river to be segmented and

reduced in flow. Following the building of the Xingó reservoir, the lower So Francisco River's

average, lowest, and maximum flows decreased by 31%, 21%, and 35%, respectively

(Nascimento do Vasco et al. 2019.).Additionally, it has been claimed that the amount and

frequency of flow alteration are impacted by the operation of the dam (Gierszewski, P.J. 2020).

By lowering the peak flow and altering the flow periodicity, the construction of dams may have

an impact on the hydrological regimes of rivers (Peng, F. et al. 2022). According to reports, dams

have significant effects on sediment dynamics and geomorphic processes in addition to how

rivers flow (Chong, X.2021, Manh, N.V. 2015. et. al)

Sediment flux

The objective is to evaluate how a number of major dams will affect the river's suspended

sediment fluxes. incorporating a climate model into the INCA model to analyze the interaction
between sediment trapping brought on by dam building and a changing climate. The findings

demonstrate that dams erected in PR China are mostly to blame for past sediment flux decreases,

and that sediment trapping will rise as a result of new dam construction in the future. If all of the

dams that are currently slated to be constructed over the next two decades are completed,

suspended sediment flux will decline by 50% (47-53% 90% confidence interval (90%CI)) from

its current levels (99 Mt/year at the delta apex), which could have negative effects on local

economies and ecosystems. (Bussi, G.; Darby, S.E.; Whitehead, P.G.; Jin, L.; Dadson, S.J.;

Voepel, H.E.; Vasilopoulos, G.; Hackney, C.R.; Hutton, C.; Berchoux, T.; et al, 2021)

Influence of Dam Construction on Oceanic Sediment Flux underneath the effect of the

monsoon, rainfall varies by month. of late years, frequent climate changes impact precipitation,

which negatively affects production of agriculture. Dams could retain water and release it during

the rainy seasons ensuring a stable water supply to facilitate agricultural irrigation during dry

seasons delta regions A dam divides a river into pieces, preventing it from flowing as one. to one

with reduced river flow caused by a static reservoir. The typical, minimal, and maximum flow

decreased in the lower San Francisco River by 31%, 21%, and 35% following the building of the

Xingó reservoir. The river flow into Bengal Bay downstream showed a deficiency of 75% after

the Farakka dam was built in India. Similar to the Aswan dam, which at the time of its

construction stopped 90% of the Nile's runoff, the Mediterranean fisheries collapsed.

Additionally, it has been noted that the amount and frequency of flow alteration are

impacted by the operating of the dam. By lowering the peak flow and altering the flow

periodicity, dam construction may have an impact on the hydrological regimes of rivers. In order

to prevent influx of persons outside the project region, priority of local hire will be implemented.
With regard to the Kaliwa Dam project, this should be closely coordinated with the LGU.

Typically, sediment flux is used to contrast the report on the Yangzte River.

The Kaliwa River's discharges must be diverted while the Kaliwa Dam is being built. A

diversion cannot be implemented in the river channel itself due to the dam's height and the river's

relatively narrow bed. One or two diversion tunnels will be built through the rock abutments as a

solution. The steeper slopes on the left abutment allow for less excavation during tunnel

construction, making it the ideal location. The Kaliwa Dam reservoir is expected to hold around

80% of the entire sediment influx given its storage capacity of 57 Mm3 and average annual

inflow of 1,000 Mm3.

The Kaliwa Dam reservoir could experience significant sedimentation without a Laiban

Dam to intercept the majority of the sediment, which could compromise its water delivery

function in 10 to 20 years. Under typical circumstances, a reservoir with a catchment that is 33%

larger than the Laiban watershed might hold around 300,000 m3 of sediments annually. The

worst-case scenario, which would involve an intake of up to 1.5 Mm3/year and fill the Kaliwa

reservoir completely in less than 40 years, may arise in the event of greater erosion brought on

by human activity or by extremely heavy rainfall. Even with the typical inflow of sediment, the

dead storage would quickly fill up and begin to cause issues in dry years, even if this scenario is

fairly unlikely to occur. The Laiban catchment's erosion may worsen as a result of climate

change. As a result, it is not advised to construct the Kaliwa Dam without the Laiban Dam.

distribution

River systems in NE Algeria had their nutrient distribution and fluxes into and out of

dams as well as into coastal waters examined over the course of a year at three sites for each
river: at the entry and departure of the dam as well as at the outlet. The major features of the

rivers were their high concentrations of NH4 and PO4, even at the dam entrances, in contrast to

their low SiO4 levels upstream of the dams. Depending on the nutrient, the dams annually

trapped 42 to 93% of the inorganic nutrient incoming fluxes, but released large amounts of

dissolved organic forms at their exits. Dissolved nitrogen loadings at the catchment scale are 338

kg/km2/yr, with up to 34% organic percentage, while dissolved phosphorus loadings are 172

kg/km2/yr, with a good organic fraction. (Ounissi, M. 2013, Bouchareb, N. 2013)

Distribution of the 30-sampling sites per vegetation type (agroforestry, forest, riparian and

tributaries) and per sampling location (Tunnel and Watershed area)

For evaluating biodiversity, the regional distribution of plant species has been quite

helpful values of nations, islands, and regions. species unique to a location should be mentioned

specific conservation management techniques because they are more susceptible to disturbance

because of their limited range. But classifying a species as endemic depends heavily on the

accessibility of current updates, nomenclatural modifications, and fresh data from various among

other subjects, systematics.

 The quantity of endemic species found in this study compared to the endemism of the

country is much lower. Based on Merrill's Enumeration of Philippine Flowering Plants, it is

estimated to be 60%. The changes in nomenclature as well as a decrease in percentage values can

be geographical mapping of plant populations, which in turn reflects a new understanding of

evidence from a variety of sources. In any case, this study's alleged endemism is much lower

than the country's reported plant endemism. This is reasonable given that the study most of the

time, marginal areas have agroforests and open canopy forests ecosystems.

The remaining 38 species are exotics (species not native to the nation), of which 30 were

found along the tunnel's alignment and 18 in the watershed areas. Some of these exotics are

growing in many disturbed habitats, such as hagonoi (Chromolaena odorata) and natal grass

(Melinis repens), which are described in some literature as invasive or species that may affect the

growth of other species. The majority of these exotics are planted for production purposes, such

as yemane (Gmelina arborea), manga (Mangifera indica), bayabas (Psidium guajava).

Bar plots showing endemicity of species to either native (endemic,

indigenous) and non-native (exotic) species

 Plankton is the name given to small aquatic organisms that have little to no resistance

against live free-floating and suspended in natural waters and currents. planktonic vegetation,

this paper discusses both phytoplankton and zooplankton, which are planktonic animals. The

microalgae called phytoplankton can take the shape of filamentous, colonial, or unicellular

organisms. Phytoplankton, in particular, has a long history of usage as a water quality indicator.

Some species thrive in waters that are highly eutrophic, others are extremely sensitive to organic

and/or toxic wastes. Some plants produce poisonous blooms that can occasionally produce

tasteless foods. and scents that cause animal deaths or human illness, as well as toxic or anoxic

situations. In evaluating water quality, species assemblages of phytoplankton and zooplankton

may be helpful.

Damming will have an impact on the marine ecosystems in the upstream, estuary, and nearby

areas. The Redfield coefficient is a constant proportion that describes how nutrients are taken up

by phytoplankton in the ocean. The growth and composition of phytoplankton will be impacted

by the nutrient ratio's divergence from the Redfield coefficient in saltwater (Kumar et al.2022).

There is a relationship between rising nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and falling silicon

concentrations.To changes in the number of damaging red tide outbreaks and changes in the

species composition and growth of phytoplankton communities (Friedl, G. et al.2002 ;Lum,

W.M. et al. 2021). Changes in phytoplankton number and composition can have an impact on
benthic invertebrates, fish, plants, and birds(Tumer, R.E. et. al.2002:Senneville, S.

2018).Phytoplankton are crucial components of aquatic food webs.

Basta ito ung pagfocusan na hanapin,

decreased river flow, decreased sediment flux, altered water temperature(walang ganto

sa kabila related lng ito sa fish), altered estuary delta, altered nutrient composition and

distribution, altered phytoplankton population structure and distribution, fragmented habitat,

and blocked migration routes in river segments and nearby seas.

how the construction of dams affects microbes, benthos, plankton, aquatic animals,

botany, and birds

Plankton kineme ng study sa yangzte

Plankton is the name given to small aquatic organisms that have little to no resistance

against live free-floating and suspended in natural waters and currents. planktonic vegetation,

this paper discusses both phytoplankton and zooplankton, which are planktonic animals. The

microalgae called phytoplankton can take the shape of filamentous, colonial, or unicellular

organisms. Phytoplankton, in particular, has a long history of usage as a water quality indicator.

Some species thrive in waters that are highly eutrophic, others are extremely sensitive to organic

and/or toxic wastes. Some plants produce poisonous blooms that can occasionally produce

tasteless foods. and scents that cause animal deaths or human illness, as well as toxic or anoxic

situations. In evaluating water quality, species assemblages of phytoplankton and zooplankton

may be helpful.
CONCLUSION

As a result, we could establish some relatively general conclusions between the

differences and similarities of the two studies. Observations of how dams affect ecology in

downstream river basins and their nearby sea regions. Temperature of water, particle flux,

hydrological cycle, and eroding are all impacted by dams. Estuary elements can be considered,

nutritional characteristics and dissemination, cellular structure, and biological population fish

species, plankton groupings, and habitats in nearby seas and downstream rivers. Most studies on

how dams affect the estuary's hydrological processes and Dams have been demonstrated to alter

estuary quality and diminish river flow in adjoining coastal areas.modifying temperature of

water, geomorphological movements, and sedimentation flux.

Geomorphological processes display symptoms of deterioration along higher uncovered parts

elevation; stream erosion riverbanks, together with mass behaviors that predominantly

poorly consolidated and remnant materials which encompass the hillsides. Local Sliding was

observed upstream of where a dam would be completed. Thethe primary and the Kaliwa Delta
the Kaliwa River's sources floods on a regular basis different levels, and to salinization.Often

these vegetation is an attribute that an Sustainable farming setting where Agribusiness is

prominent agricultural production crops left excess of undeveloped woodlands along the incline

river bank slopes. Vegetation fauna also represents the current condition of watersheds instability

or reduction, but still showcase a diverse range of plants particularly near riparian zones in which

common biodiversity in the foreseeable promotes the existing ecosystem

The analysis of the dam failure caused by the probable maximum flood (PMF) reveals

that the extreme rainfall precipitated by the Kaliwa Dam collapse will progressively decrease

it will only have a minimal effect on Infanta and Gen. Nakar. There seems reduction

caused by the flood's long journey, as well as its geometry and winding form the river's course.

Consequently, the possibility of the Kaliwa Dam failing because of dam break. is very

minute.And as was already stated, if it does happen, the flood wave will have been

approximately 35 kilometers from the populated places, deflected and having little impact.

downstream.In a comparable manner, the implications of dam construction go beyond their

immediate effects on downstream. In addition to human life, habitats and hydromorphology also

affect environmental settings. of the river and the surrounding coastal region . To equalize the

inherent benefits and economic impacts of new reservoir construction, dam construction, and

management. There should be strategy research. Government strategies for mitigation are an

approach to environmental restoration.