Project Descriptors: Dam, Hydropower

Storage Capacity: 0.0123 km³9,971.772 acre-feet

Start Date: 1984

Construction of the Itaipu Dam began in 1973 and completed in 1991. Community conflicts arose during the construction of the project due to little or no compensation to those who were displaced. However, after involvement from joint planning between the Brazilian and Paraguayan governments the major ecological and social impacts were mitigated.^[1] Itaipu is the largest hydroelectric project in the world and a result of a 1973 bilateral agreement between Paraguay and Brazil. The hydroelectric dam cost the two governments and other international participants US$15 billion and 20 years to construct. The generating capacity is 26,000mW and supplies 26% of all of the electricity for Brazil and 78% for Paraguay with zero emissions.^[2]

^ Newton, Joshua T. (2007). Hydropolitical Vulnerability and Resilience along International Waters. United Nations Environment Programme. Chapter 3. pg 55.
^ Product of the Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database, Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University. Additional information about the TFDD can be found at:http://www.transboundarywaters.orst.edu/database/DatabaseIntro.html

External Links

Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database (TFDD) (2012). Oregon State University. — The Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database (TFDD) is a database intended for use in aiding the process of water conflict prevention and resolution. We have developed this database, a project of the Oregon State University Department of Geosciences, in collaboration with the Northwest Alliance for Computational Science and Engineering.