Improved Planning of Large Dam Operation: Using Decision Support Systems to Optimize Livelihood
Benefits, Safeguard Health and Protect the Environment. This project was undertaken with the aim of
providing information to assist policy-makers, water resource managers and other interested
stakeholders in the planning and management of large dams in Africa. The project highlighted the
importance of considering environmental and social (including health) issues in dam planning and
operation and illustrated how contemporary Decision Support Systems can be used to assist decision
making processes. Key project findings relate to: i) the importance of stakeholder involvement in
decision-making and how to enhance it; ii) the effectiveness of EIA follow-up; iii) the malaria
implications of large dam construction; iv) the simulation of environmental impacts of large dam
development and v) estimates of environmental flows.
ey aspects of dam planning and operation have been developed.