1.2 Main Issues 5. There is convergence of views among all parties in recognising that there are social impacts caused by dams and that there is a need to pay attention to them. The concept of affected people needs to be clarified. Where the emphasis is placed on negative consequences of dams, the concept of affected people has been used normally to refer to communities involuntarily displaced. However, the concept of affected people is used here to include all people living in upstream, downstream and command sections of dammed rivers, as well as within urban and industrial centers benefiting from transfers of electricity and water.
Women are one of the key group among the affected people.
Given the fact that awareness about mitigation measures to deal with social and environmental impacts have changed over time, this analysis will also examine how the nature and extent of social impacts have changed. Some of the key issues to be reviewed are outlined below. Diverging perspectives 8. They recognize the need for corrective actions geared towards ensuring that the people directly affected by dams are better off than before. All parties in the dams debate agree on the need for paying attention to social aspects and equity dimensions of dam projects.