Health impact of Dams: lessons from a case study

The issue of large dams is regularly debated with particular reference to their environmental, social, and health impacts. The assessment of the health impacts of these facilities is complex and should not be limited to only the direct impacts related to vector-borne diseases. The approach, based on a broad definition of health, must take into account both positive and negative impacts. This article details the different components of the assessment of the health impacts of large dams and analyzes international recommendations for the health impact assessment of these facilities. It details the implementation of such studies and their results on the hydroelectric dam Nam Theun 2 in Laos. (authors)