The floods caused by US dam constructions have raised concerns about the destruction of ecosystems and the cultural heritage and livelihoods of Native people.

A team of researchers at the Universities of Pennsylvania and Arizona has found that as much as 1.13 million acres of tribal land in the US have been submerged as a result of the construction of 424 dams all around the country. 

The data has been taken from records held by federal Indian reservations and Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Areas (OTSAs) alongside the locations of nearly 8000 dams across the US and the size of their reservoirs.

“The consequences of dam-induced land loss are far-reaching. The disruption of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems not only devastates natural resources but also destroys culturally significant sites,” said Heather Randell, Assistant Professor of Rural Sociology and Demography at Penn State University. 

“The impact on local communities’ livelihoods and displacement...