Dams could sustainably feed 1.15 billion people

Plus: Researchers engineer a river that can be turned off and on. Nov 22, 2022 [Blueprint]( Two-thirds of the world's major rivers are dammed (not damned). Well, I say that, but dams are notoriously unpopular with environmentalists. But on the flip side, hydroelectric dams supply a renewable energy resource that contributes a huge proportion of the world's renewable energy. Now, a [recent study by Stanford researchers]( has demonstrated that dams could actually help feed the world's eight billion people more sustainably (albeit as a last resort). This is because they claim that the vast quantities of water storage these structures already provide can be tapped into, to maximize crop irrigation. But before you decide whether those rivers are damned or in fact just dammed, [check out this video](. It shows a river that has been engineered to be turned on and off, amazingly. Good morning. I’m Alice, an Editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s get started. Last Sunday, Blueprint subscribers heard about how and why we’re closer than ever to proving that wormholes exist. Don't miss out — [subscribe to IE+]( today to receive exclusive interviews, features, and much more. [Play]VIDEO OF THE DAY [Researchers engineer a river that can be turned on and off.]( [Researchers engineer a river that can be turned on and off.]( It’s not exactly what you’d call going with the flow. [Must Read]MUST READ [Dams could sustainably feed 1.15 billion people, but as a last resort. [premium]]( [Dams could sustainably feed 1.15 billion people.]( Researchers at Stanford University have examined the amount of freshwater created and replenished by regular hydrological cycles, including groundwater bodies. As part of their study, they also determined the water demands of the current crop mixes on irrigated and rainfed farms. The aim of their research is to see if (as a last resort) [dams might be able to sustainably feed 1.15 billion people](. They say storage-fed irrigation of existing dams could do exactly that. The Ganges-Brahmaputra basin in particular stood out with regard to the potential volume of storage-fed irrigation. Located in the Bengal Delta in Asia, it covers a surface area of some 100,000 square kilometers (62,137 square miles) and is the world's largest delta. Researchers found that this basin alone could provide food for a total of 189 million people. → They also concluded that 3,700 prospective dam locations surveyed for their hydroelectric potential could also be used partly for irrigation. If that were to be the case, the world's dams would be able to store enough water to irrigate crops for an additional 641 million people. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [Facebook]( [SCIENCE]SCIENCE [4.6 billion-year-old meteorite that crashed into Earth solves the mystery of water on our planet.]( In 2021, a rare carbonaceous meteorite crashed into a driveway in Gloucestershire. 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