For many developing countries hungry for energy sources, hydropower is an attractive option. But dams also can place heavy burdens on surrounding populations and eco-systems. While China touts its Three Gorges dam — the world’s largest — as environmentally friendly, the United States has begun tearing down a number of its own structures for safety, economic, and environmental reasons. To broaden your knowledge of dams around the world, explore below the economic, environmental, social, and political aspects of five big dam projects in Turkey, Brazil, Laos, Lesotho, and China.