For example, the fields of Western farmers feed the United States and many other parts of the world, and India's irrigation systems have enabled that country to be self-sufficient in food production since 1974. In addition, in many parts of the world dams have helped to remedy life-threatening problems such as poverty from lack of economic development, famine as a result of drought, devastation from floods, and continued disease from lack of potable water supplies.
Dam building prevents life-threatening situations.