History Repeats? Hydro Dams and the Riverine Ecosystems of Mesoamerica: The Case of La Amistad Biosphere Reserve, Panama, and its Implications

contribute to fisheries, plus most of the crayfish, were eliminated from six states of the United States. And assume that this and consequent secondary effects on riverine ecosystems, including several large rivers lying within national parks and forests, were documented in the scientific literature. And let us suppose that the blame for this damage could clearly be assigned to a single type of human activity, undertaken without adequate prior consideration of ecosystem effects. Now, imagine that decades into the future the exact same activities were proposed for six more states. It is easy to imagine what comes next: Conservationists rush to the barricades, biologists predict the consequences, volumes of correspondence land on the desks of elected officials and bureaucrats, alternatives are proposed, fundraising campaigns are launched.... The second half of this scenario is being enacted right now, not in the continental United States, but just to the south, and the impact stands to be felt in most of the national parks, biosphere reserves and protected areas of the Mesoamerican isthmus, stretching for over 1,000 miles from Chiapas (Mexico) to the Choco (Colombia). This is what will occur in Mesoamerica if current plans for development of hydropower to industrialize the region in the name of free trade are realized. According to an inventory carried out by Conservation Strategy Fund, there are presently 381 dams proposed for the regio