Multidimensional and multitemporal energy injustices: Exploring the downstream impacts of the Belo Monte hydropower dam in the Amazon

Castro-Diaz, Laura; Lopez, Maria Claudia; Moore, Sharlissa; Radonic, Lucero; Hodbod, Jennifer; Moran, Emilio

doi:10.1016/j.erss.2024.103568

Title: Multidimensional and multitemporal energy injustices: Exploring the downstream impacts of the Belo Monte hydropower dam in the Amazon

Journal Article · Sat May 04 00:00:00 UTC 2024 · Energy Research and Social Science

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2024.103568 · OSTI ID:2481691

Castro-Diaz, Laura ^[1]; Lopez, Maria Claudia ^[2]; Moore, Sharlissa ^[3]; Radonic, Lucero ^[4]; Hodbod, Jennifer ^[5]; Moran, Emilio ^[2]

Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States); Univ. of Massachusetts, Boston, MA (United States)
Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Northern Arizona Univ., Flagstaff, AZ (United States)
University of Leeds (United Kingdom)

Energy transition technologies, such as hydroelectric dams, have been seen as symbols of progress, modernity, cheap energy, environmental sustainability, and resource abundance, leading to overestimating their benefits and underestimating their drawbacks. In this study, we use the tenets approach of energy justice and a qualitative case study to explore, from a multidimensional and multitemporal perspective, the impacts faced by the inhabitants of a community located downstream from the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam. Through in-depth interviews and observations, data were collected at three points: during the late stage of construction (2016) and early operation (2017, 2019). Furthermore, we found that individuals face multiple and diverse energy injustices at various stages of the dam construction, and its severity changes over time. For instance, distributional issues were more predominant at the beginning of data collection since fisheries, their main livelihood activity was impacted by dam construction. Then, other justice issues, such as capabilities, emerged in the last years of data collection.

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Research Organization:: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-76RL01830

OSTI ID:: 2481691

Report Number(s):: PNNL-SA--192190

Journal Information:: Energy Research and Social Science, Journal Name: Energy Research and Social Science Vol. 113; ISSN 2214-6296

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Title: Multidimensional and multitemporal energy injustices: Exploring the downstream impacts of the Belo Monte hydropower dam in the Amazon

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