Qi Shu

About

During my year at the Royal College of Art, I have had a deep concern about the Pisão Dam project, particularly its potential impact on the local ecosystem and bat colonies. Historically, dam construction has often been accompanied by significant environmental damage. In the case of the Alqueva Dam project in the Alentejo region of Portugal, for example, more than 1.3 million trees were felled, leading to the destruction of habitats and foraging areas, with severe impacts on arboreal species such as bats in particular Although the negative impacts of dam construction on the environment and biodiversity are well known, there has been a lack of sufficient attention to the specific impacts on bats.

The newly proposed Pisão Dam project, as part of the Alentejo Irrigation Scheme, is bound to exacerbate these ecological challenges. Located 100 kilometres north of the Alqueva dam, the project is intended to provide water to the CIMAA region and generate electricity for the Alto Alentejo region. However, the project will result in the deforestation of 540 hectares of cork oak and the inundation of 726 hectares of land, which poses a significant threat to local bat communities, forcing them to change their range and destroying their habitat.

To better understand these potential impacts, my group and I proposed a series of listening walks to gain insight into current ecological dynamics. Documenting existing soundscapes and ecological interactions through these listening walks prior to dam construction will provide a baseline for assessing the impacts of the Pisão Dam project on local wildlife, particularly bats. And I will continue this project for the rest of the year, continuing to record the environment and soundscape of the dam and its surroundings until three years after the completion of the dam. This approach will not only help to document and highlight ecological changes and potential losses, but it will also draw greater attention to ecological conservation from the community.

I am deeply concerned about the impact of current human interventions on the environment. I will continue to be concerned about the various human interventions in the environment, and we must take measures to ensure that our fragile ecosystems are carefully considered and protected in the development process. The goal of sustainable development can be achieved only through comprehensive assessments and effective ecological protection measures.