Brokopondo Reservoir

Created by constructing a dam across Suriname River, Brokopondo Reservoir is constructed near the small town of Afobaka. Put into service in 1965, Brokopondo Reservoir dam was basically constructed in order to provide electricity to industries involved in the processing of bauxite into alumina. Besides the boost to the aluminum plants, the balance portions of the power generated is used to provide electricity to the Suriname capital city of Paramaribo.

The Brokopondo Reservoir significantly flooded more hectares of land per megawatt generated than any other large hydroelectricity project which was analyzed, thus garnering huge criticism as well. Roughly inundating 160,000 hectares of biologically valuable tropical rainforests, Brokopondo Reservoir has opened up an important World Bank debate on development. Surrounded by wooded areas on both sides, Brokopondo Reservoir offers a great potential for development of tourism in Suriname as well.