Science Advances · 30 October 2026 · From issue 60
Dams not to blame for all reservoir carbon emissions from retained organic carbon
In a global simulation, dams raise carbon emissions by just 21.5%, far less than past estimates.
Wenqing Shi, Xiangyu Min et al.
Dams trap bits of dead plants and other organic matter, which rot and release carbon dioxide and methane. But that matter would still rot even without a dam, as it floated downstream or settled near the coast. A computer model of 5,346 dams compared each one to what would happen with no dam at all. Dams really do raise carbon emissions, but only by 21.5%, much less than older estimates claimed.
The average rise in carbon emissions caused by dams, once natural decay without a dam is subtracted.
Model only, covering 5,346 dams, not direct field measurements.
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