Drivers and Impacts of Dam Construction

The first major impact the dams have on the Enawene Nawe is that the increasing numbers of dams pollute the waters that the tribe fishes in. As the waters are being pollute the fish populations that the Enawene Nawe so heavily depend on are slowly decreasing. The reason for the pollution are the many dams that are being built and pose serious threat to the existence of the tribe. In addition the pollution will endanger the sacred Yãkwa tradition that is based on catching fish. Furthermore hydroelectric dams prevent the fish from reproducing at the end of the wet season for the next season. A member of the Enawene Nawe explains the process of building a dam at the beginning of the wet season to catch and trap fish to eat. However at the end of the wet season these are destroyed to let the fish swim upstream and reproduce in order for the next season to be successful. Dams block the way of fish trying to reach their spawning grounds in order to reproduce and lay their eggs safely. Fish however don't reach these areas as the dams are blocking the way and therefore the fish eggs have low chance of successful survival.

The fish the Enawene Nawe fish is their largest stock they economically depend as it is their primary source of food. The Enawene Nawe depend on their fish stock as they do not eat any red meat. In the dry season they poison the fish they catch with a certain vine which makes the fish float up and they catch them. In the dry season the tribe builds dams across rivers to put baskets in in which the fish will be trapped in due to the suction. When the baskets are removed they are filled with fish. These techniques secure their fish stock in two different times of the year and enables the tribe to economically survive. On the other hand Brazil is investing for the future in order to save money on constant maintenance like with fossil fuels. The big industrial companies in Brazil are institutions such as the ones which build the dams that are the number 1 leading in the world in front of China, Russia and the USA. This makes the market interesting for investors and overall boosts the Brazilian economy.

The next major impact that the Enawene Nawe face is from the Brazilian government, as they have planned 80 dams along the Juruena river without the consent of the tribe. “‘We didn’t know the white people were going to take our land. We didn’t know anything about deforestation. We didn’t know about the laws of the white men’, say the Enawene Nawe.” (Eede, J., National Geographic). The government took over the Enawene Nawe’s land and built dams leaving the tribe in devastation due to the harm done to the environment. Not only did the tribe not give consent, but there are plans for over 80 dams to be built along the Juruena river where the tribe is located. As Brazil wants to be a leading renewable energy country action has to be taken for their cause. After China, Brazil is one of the leading countries in hydroelectric power production and has installed large amounts of power plants that went online in 2014 with a large production capability. Brazil has major plans regarding their hydro electric expansion all over the country by building a lot more dams. This proves the need of staying at the top.

The final impact the the Enawene Nawe experience is a social factor as it motivates the Brazilian government for a rapid hydroelectric power expansion. Brazil is taking a global leading role regarding renewable energy resources and has a long lasting system built. As fossil fuels are running out the world is seeking for social examples for renewable energy in order to develop all over the world. However there is a social side affecting the tribes rituals as well, when spiritual land is taken for construction. The land means a lot to the Enawene Nawe as they believe their gods live within it and they also need the stock they get from the land in order to survive. As the land of the Enawene Nawe is significant spiritually due to their sacred fishing ceremonies and rituals the UNESCO organisation has decided to put them under safeguard to preserve the tradition as it is the only one off its kind.