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Report of the World Report of the World Commission on DamsCommission on Dams
remarks on its relevance in the remarks on its relevance in the Manitoba contextManitoba context
presented at theManitoba Clean Environment Commission
hearings onWuskwatim Generation and Transmission Projects
Winnipeg16 March, 2004
Patrick McCullyCampaigns Director
International Rivers NetworkBerkeley, California, USA
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Mission:Mission: “to halt destructive river development projects, “to halt destructive river development projects, and to encourage equitable and sustainable methods of and to encourage equitable and sustainable methods of meeting needs for water, energy and flood management”meeting needs for water, energy and flood management”
Provide technical and lobbying support for local groupsProvide technical and lobbying support for local groups Work to democratize energy and water policies and Work to democratize energy and water policies and
planning at international levelplanning at international level Seek to influence governments, international funding Seek to influence governments, international funding
agencies e.g. World Bankagencies e.g. World Bank
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Personal involvement in World Commission on DamsPersonal involvement in World Commission on Dams lobbied for its creation, encouraged NGO involvementlobbied for its creation, encouraged NGO involvement Member Dam Review Reference GroupMember Dam Review Reference Group Member, WCD ForumMember, WCD Forum Member, Steering Committee, UN Environment Programme Member, Steering Committee, UN Environment Programme
Dams and Development ProjectDams and Development Project Member, UNEP Dams and Development Project ForumMember, UNEP Dams and Development Project Forum
Not a Commissioner, do not speak on behalf of Not a Commissioner, do not speak on behalf of Commission (disbanded on publication of report)Commission (disbanded on publication of report)
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RReport of the eport of the WWorld orld CCommisommisssion on ion on DDamsams
www.dams.orgwww.dams.org
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What Was The WCD?What Was The WCD?
Independent commission sponsored by World Bank and Independent commission sponsored by World Bank and World Conservation Union (IUCN)World Conservation Union (IUCN)
Multi-stakeholder involvement in selection of commissioners, Multi-stakeholder involvement in selection of commissioners, mandate, funding ($10m)mandate, funding ($10m) Governments, agencies, dam industry, NGOsGovernments, agencies, dam industry, NGOs
Initiative began Gland, Switzerland, April 1997Initiative began Gland, Switzerland, April 1997
Commission launched November 1998Commission launched November 1998
Report released by Nelson Mandela, November 2000Report released by Nelson Mandela, November 2000
UN Environment Programme UN Environment Programme Dams & Development ProjectDams & Development Project to disseminate & promote discussion on reportto disseminate & promote discussion on report
66
Who were theWho were the Commissioners ?Commissioners ?
Kader AsmalGovernmentSouth Africa
Lakshmi Chand JainIndependent
India
Donald BlackmoreRiver Basin Agency
Australia
Joji CariñoIndigenous Rights Activist
Philippines
Jan VeltropDam Engineers
USA/Netherlands
Göran LindahlCorporate Sector
Sweden
Judy HendersonDevelopment NGO
Australia
Deborah MooreEnvironmental NGO
USA
Achim SteinerSecretary-General
Germany
José GoldembergAcademic/Government
Brazil
Medha PatkarAffected People
India
Thayer ScudderAcademia
USA
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Mandate of WCDMandate of WCD
““to review the development effectiveness to review the development effectiveness
of dams and assess alternatives for water of dams and assess alternatives for water resources and energy development”resources and energy development”
““to develop internationally-accepted to develop internationally-accepted
standards, guidelines and criteria for standards, guidelines and criteria for decision-making in the planning, design, decision-making in the planning, design, construction, monitoring, operation and construction, monitoring, operation and decommissioning of dams.”decommissioning of dams.”
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WCD Work ProgramWCD Work Program 8 detailed studies of individual projects/basins8 detailed studies of individual projects/basins
From 5 continents From 5 continents • Grand Coulee in US/CanadaGrand Coulee in US/Canada
Survey of 125 damsSurvey of 125 dams
2 country studies - India, China2 country studies - India, China 17 thematic reviews17 thematic reviews
Social/environmental issuesSocial/environmental issues• Including Hydro Quebec-hosted workshop in Montreal on Including Hydro Quebec-hosted workshop in Montreal on
greenhouse gas emissions from reservoirsgreenhouse gas emissions from reservoirs Economic/financial issuesEconomic/financial issues Non-dam optionsNon-dam options Institutional issuesInstitutional issues
4 regional hearings4 regional hearings 1000 submissions1000 submissions
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Canadian Involvement in Canadian Involvement in the WCDthe WCD
53 financial/in-kind contributors included:53 financial/in-kind contributors included: Manitoba Hydro Manitoba Hydro Hydro Québec Hydro Québec Canadian International Development AgencyCanadian International Development Agency SNC Lavalin, Inc. SNC Lavalin, Inc.
Hydro Québec actively involved inHydro Québec actively involved in• WCD ForumWCD Forum• UNEP Dams and Development Programme UNEP Dams and Development Programme
Steering Committee and ForumSteering Committee and Forum
1010
WCD Findings: Social ImpactsWCD Findings: Social Impacts
estimated 40-80 million physically displaced estimated 40-80 million physically displaced significant number of othersignificant number of otherss affected affected Impacts have been Impacts have been
“devastating”“devastating” negative impacts fall negative impacts fall disproportionately ondisproportionately on
indigenous people, indigenous people, ethnic minorities and ethnic minorities and womenwomen
Local economic benefits Local economic benefits of construction “often transient”of construction “often transient”
1111
WCD Findings: BiodiversityWCD Findings: Biodiversity
20% of 9000 freshwater fish species threatened, 20% of 9000 freshwater fish species threatened, endangered or extinctendangered or extinct, mainly due to habitat loss, mainly due to habitat loss
N. AmericaN. America 123 species of fish, molluscs, crayfish, amphibians extinct 123 species of fish, molluscs, crayfish, amphibians extinct
during 20th centuryduring 20th century 38% of 292 US freshwater mussel species extinct/critically 38% of 292 US freshwater mussel species extinct/critically
imperiledimperiled Extinction rate of US freshwater species 0.5% per decade Extinction rate of US freshwater species 0.5% per decade
(comparable to losses of tropical rainforest biodiversity)(comparable to losses of tropical rainforest biodiversity)
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WCD Findings:WCD Findings:Ecosystem mitigationEcosystem mitigation
Efforts to mitigate ecosystem impacts Efforts to mitigate ecosystem impacts meet with limited success:meet with limited success: Lack of attention to anticipating and avoiding Lack of attention to anticipating and avoiding
impactsimpacts Poor quality and uncertainty of predictionsPoor quality and uncertainty of predictions Difficulty of coping with all impactsDifficulty of coping with all impacts Lack of monitoring and complianceLack of monitoring and compliance
For 87 projects that provided WCD data, 60% of For 87 projects that provided WCD data, 60% of impacts identified were unanticipatedimpacts identified were unanticipated
1313
WCD Findings:WCD Findings: Technical & economic performanceTechnical & economic performance
63 large dams with hydropower reviewed; 63 large dams with hydropower reviewed; 35 generated less power than predicted35 generated less power than predicted7 met targets only through increasing installed 7 met targets only through increasing installed capacitycapacity
Cost overrun on 81 large dams averaged 56%Cost overrun on 81 large dams averaged 56% Only half dams reviewed completed within one year Only half dams reviewed completed within one year
of targetof target
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Seven Strategic PrioritiesSeven Strategic Priorities
• Gain public acceptance Gain public acceptance
• Assess options Assess options
• Address existing damsAddress existing dams
• Sustain rivers and livelihoods Sustain rivers and livelihoods
• Recognise entitlements and share benefits Recognise entitlements and share benefits
• Ensure complianceEnsure compliance
• Share rivers across boundariesShare rivers across boundaries
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Strategic Priority 2: Strategic Priority 2: Comprehensive Comprehensive Options AssessmentOptions Assessment
Priority given to maximizing efficiency of Priority given to maximizing efficiency of existing systems existing systems before before building new building new projectsprojects Clearly formulate development needs Clearly formulate development needs and objectives through open, participatory and objectives through open, participatory processprocess Comprehensive assessment of energy Comprehensive assessment of energy needs and options needs and options
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Strategic Priority 3: Strategic Priority 3: Addressing Existing Dams Addressing Existing Dams
Introduce comprehensive post-project monitoring Introduce comprehensive post-project monitoring and evaluation processand evaluation process
should involve affected stakeholdersshould involve affected stakeholders where relevant should be at basin-levelwhere relevant should be at basin-level
Establish formalized operating agreements with Establish formalized operating agreements with time-bound license periods for all large damstime-bound license periods for all large dams
agreements/licenses should set out obligations for agreements/licenses should set out obligations for dam operator and provide legal basis for stakeholder dam operator and provide legal basis for stakeholder participation in decisions on changes in project design or participation in decisions on changes in project design or operationoperation
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Addressing Existing Dams (2)Addressing Existing Dams (2) Decomissioning should be option within Decomissioning should be option within relicensing processrelicensing process
e.g. for safety or where environmental costs outweigh e.g. for safety or where environmental costs outweigh benefitsbenefits
Identify outstanding social issues; develop Identify outstanding social issues; develop remedial mechanisms with affected communitiesremedial mechanisms with affected communities
“ “Priority must be given to financing a negotiated Priority must be given to financing a negotiated reparation plan before funding new dam projects in a reparation plan before funding new dam projects in a specific location or river basin”specific location or river basin”
Identify and act on environmental mitigation and Identify and act on environmental mitigation and restoration opportunitiesrestoration opportunities
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Strategic Priority 4:Strategic Priority 4:Sustaining rivers and livelihoodsSustaining rivers and livelihoods
Basin-wide understanding of ecosystem functions, Basin-wide understanding of ecosystem functions, values and requirements and how livelihoods depend values and requirements and how livelihoods depend on them required before development decisions madeon them required before development decisions made
““project proponents must assess ecosystem consequences of project proponents must assess ecosystem consequences of the cumulative impacts of dams, dam-induced developments the cumulative impacts of dams, dam-induced developments and other options along the full length of the river”and other options along the full length of the river”
emphasize avoidance of impacts emphasize avoidance of impacts maintain ecosystemmaintain ecosystem integrity through environmental integrity through environmental
flowsflows
1919
WCD recommendations relevant WCD recommendations relevant to climate changeto climate change
Consider impacts on performance and safety of Consider impacts on performance and safety of changing hydrology changing hydrology (hydro industry currently in (hydro industry currently in denial)denial)
Assess carbon emissions through field studies and Assess carbon emissions through field studies and modeled predictions:modeled predictions: assess the carbon and nitrogen cycles in the assess the carbon and nitrogen cycles in the
preimpoundment watershedpreimpoundment watershed assess future changes to carbon inputs in the watershed assess future changes to carbon inputs in the watershed
from various activities, including deforestation;from various activities, including deforestation; assess the cumulative emissions from multiple dams assess the cumulative emissions from multiple dams
where a dam and its operations are linked to other dams.where a dam and its operations are linked to other dams.
2020
Water resources and climate changeWater resources and climate change
Climate change will intensify hydrological Climate change will intensify hydrological cyclecycle Some areas will get wetter, some drierSome areas will get wetter, some drier Severity and frequency of floods and droughts Severity and frequency of floods and droughts
likely to increase everywherelikely to increase everywhere Major impacts on glacier- and snow-fed riversMajor impacts on glacier- and snow-fed rivers
• More floods in winter, less flows in summerMore floods in winter, less flows in summer
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Hydro and climate changeHydro and climate change
Reduced power generation due to Reduced power generation due to drought and greater evaporationdrought and greater evaporation
Increased hydrological Increased hydrological uncertaintiesuncertainties
Increased sedimentationIncreased sedimentation Safety threatened by floods Safety threatened by floods
outside design-range of spillways outside design-range of spillways and reservoir operationand reservoir operation
Dams increase impacts of climate Dams increase impacts of climate change on riverine biodiversity change on riverine biodiversity