Cho, M. S., & Qi, J. (2025). Remote sensing-based assessment of dam impacts on hydrology, geomorphology, ecosystems, and society–a review. Environmental Earth Sciences, 84(12), 344.

Dams exemplify the complex environmental consequences of human intervention. While delivering substantial benefits, dams alter hydrologic regimes and trigger cascading effects on geomorphology, ecosystems, and human systems. Remote sensing provides critical spatiotemporal observations—particularly in data-scarce regions—enabling assessment of dam impacts beyond the reach of conventional in-situ monitoring and supporting attribution by separating dam signals from climatic variability. Here, this study reviewed 73 studies to synthesize how remote sensing has been used to quantify dam-related impacts across hydrology, geomorphology, ecosystems, and society, with attention to the datasets, analytical methods, and attribution strategies employed. We then identify key limitations in the current literature and outline research priorities to advance remote sensing–based understanding of dam-driven change.

Cho, M. S., & Qi, J. (2023). Determination of Spatial Pattern of Environmental Consequences of Dams in Watersheds. Land, 12(12), 2154.

Many hydro-dams have been built for beneficial gains, but they are bringing numerous unintended negative effects on the environment and society. Since dams affect even distant areas through the hydrological alteration within watersheds, quantifying the dam impacts is complicated. For a better estimate of the consequences of dams, the distance and areas of the consequences of dams in watershed scale should be studied. Thus, this paper quantifies the spatial boundaries of the distant effects of dams on watershed and the anisotropic spatial patterns of dams on upstream and downstream watershed. The spatial characteristics of watersheds and hydrological connectivity between dams and wetlands were analyzed to spatially determine the distant effects on watersheds. The results showed that dams affect up to from 1.1 to 655.2km of upstream watersheds and from 33.7 to 1577.5km of downstream watersheds. This paper provides the spatial boundaries in assessing the environmental impacts of dams on the environment and quantifies the anisotropy of spatial patterns for the environmental consequences of dams. 

Cho, M. S., & Qi, J. (2023). Characterization of the impacts of hydro-dams on wetland inundations in Southeast Asia. Science of the Total Environment, 864, 160941.

Dynamics of wetland inundated areas play a significant role in wetland ecosystems. The wetland dynamics in Southeast Asia make the region one of the most biodiverse hotspots in the world and have sustained more than 80 million people for thousands of years. However, the recent boom in hydro-dam constructions and intensified human activities have significantly altered the wetland dynamics, imposing multiple threats to its biodiversity and ecosystem services. Complex and large-scale impacts of dams, climate variability, and local human interventions complicate our understanding of wetland changes. In this study, we quantified the spatial relationship of wetlands with dams to characterize the influence of dams on the inundated areas of wetlands and to better understand the impacts of climate variability and local anthropogenic influence. Specifically, 362 natural wetlands in three major basins in Southeast Asia were analyzed to assess their characteristics of wetland inundations as a function of their distances and locations from hydro-dams. The natural pattern, trend, intra-annual variability, and amplitude of wetland inundations changed significantly over the past 8 years (from 2014 to 2021), but the magnitudes vary significantly depending on their geographic locations with respect to the dams. Local water uses, land covers, and climate variability were other major driving forces in wetland alterations. This study advances the current understanding of the role of human in large-scale wetland changes.