Report of the World Commission on Dams

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Report of the World Commission on Dams
www.dams.org
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Dams and Development Presentation of the
Commissions Report

• About the Commission why, who, what
• Findings from the Knowledge Base
• The way forward

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Why a World Commission on Dams ?
In response to escalating conflicts over the role
of dams in development, all constituents
came together to establish
the Commission
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The Debate

• Needs are intensifying concerns are growing
• Major investments significant impacts
• Dam projects increasingly questioned
• WCD - an unprecedented response to the controversy

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Needs are intensifying

• freshwater withdrawals doubled in 50 years
• 1 billion lack freshwater
  2 billion lack electricity
• competition for water increasing
• aquatic ecosystems are declining
  wetlands have been lost

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Major investments
Number Of Dams
6 000

• 45,000 large dams worldwide
• 2 dams commissioned
  per day in1970s
• total investment exceeds
  2 trillion
• 40 billion expenditure
  per year at peak
• estimated 40 80 million people displaced
• flow in 60 of worlds rivers affected

4 000
2 000
0
1900
1990s
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Dam projects increasingly questioned

• affected populations strongly oppose dams
• proponents point to urgent development demands
• opponents point to
  adverse impacts
• uprisings against
  globalisation
• little space for
  constructive dialogue

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Unprecedented response to the controversy

• WCD created through unanimous agreement
• broad based mandate to review development
  effectiveness assess alternatives
• and develop internationally acceptable criteria
  
  and guidelines
• address global problems through local
  understanding

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Who is the Commission ?
Donald Blackmore
Joji Cariño
Judy Henderson
Deborah Moore
José Goldemberg
Jan Veltrop
Göran Lindahl
Achim Steiner
Medha Patkar
Thayer Scudder
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WCD - Diverse Perspectives
WCDs authority and credibility rests on the
diversity of the Commissioners
which was a guiding theme throughout its
inclusive, transparent and
participatory work programme
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Independent and Legitimate

• established through agreement
• multi-stakeholder selection process
  of Commissioners
• no vested interest - reports to the world
• hands on experience with all aspects of dams
• 53 financiers - untied broad based

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Inclusive, Participatory Transparent

• full range of perspectives civil society to
  governments, private sector to NGOs,
  financiers to foundations
• outreach through work
  programme and networks
• extensive review process
• WCD Forum as a reference point
• draft studies on website www.dams.org

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Commissioners
World Commission on Dams
Forum
Financiers
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What did the Commission accomplish ?
The most comprehensive, global and independent
review of dams from which it developed
recommendations for future decision-making
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The Process

• Knowledge driven review listening and learning
  from the past
• Multifaceted analysis integrated assessment
• Extensive negotiations within WCD led to agreed
  recommendations

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Knowledge driven review

• experiences from 79 countries 1000 dams
• 7 detailed case studies, 3 country
  studies, 125 cross check dams
• 17 thematic reviews, 130
  contributing papers
• four regional consultations - 1400 people
• 950 submissions

Dams and Development - Report of the World
Commission on Dams
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Multifaceted analysis

• assessed performance against planned targets
• analysed social environmental impacts
• assessed alternatives for water energy services
• analysed planning, decision-making compliance
• examined how criteria have changed over time

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Extensive negotiations within WCD led to agreed
recommendations

• linked the dam debate to development discourse
• nine Commission meetings
• listened debated, examined analysed
• common problems specific contexts

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What did the Commission find from the knowledge
base ?
Dams have delivered considerable benefits In too
many cases the price paid to secure those
benefits has been unacceptable
and often
unnecessary
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Findings from WCD Knowledge base

• Dams have made a significant contribution
• A considerable number have fallen below targets
• Economic and financial under-performance
• Significant impacts on riverine
  downstream ecosystems
• Heavy toll on affected communities
• Alternatives often exist
• Lack of compliance

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Significant contribution

• 19 percent of electricity
  from hydropower
  more than 50 in 63 countries
• dams support 30-40 of irrigated area
  12-16 of global food production
• 12 of all dams have a water
  supply function
• 75 countries have dams for flood
  control

Dams and Development - Report of the World
Commission on Dams
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Considerable number have fallen below targets

• irrigation almost half have under-performed
• opportunities for efficiency gains
• hydropower on average met expectations but
  considerable variability
• flood control dams have attenuated floods, but
  some increased vulnerability
• physical sustainability safety improving,
  but dams are
  ageing and costs rising
• loss of storage, 0.5 to 1.0
  per year

Kariba
Predicted vs actual generation
TWh
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Predicted
6
Actual
0
1960
2000
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Economic financial under-performance

• average cost overruns of over 50
• 50 in survey with one year or more delay
• cost recovery in hydropower but not irrigation
• poor economic and financial results from
  irrigation
• mixed results for hydropower

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Significant impacts on riverine
downstream ecosystems

• loss of riverine
  terrestrial biodiversity
• adverse impacts on
  livelihoods in floodplains
• 67 of ecosystem
  changes in survey are negative
• poor record of ecosystem mitigation
• some reservoirs have created habitats for
  biodiversity
• reservoirs emit green-house gases

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Heavy toll on affected communities

• estimated 40-80 million physically displaced
• significant number of others affected
• failure to adequately
  recognise respond to
  those affected
• negative impacts fall
  disproportionately on
  disadvantaged
• inequity is not addressed in balance sheet
  approach

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Alternatives often exist

• reduce demand by increasing end-use efficiency
• defer new supply by enhancing supply conveyance
  efficiency
• extend life and performance through improved land
  water management
• promote alternative supply options, including
  small-scale locally appropriate approaches

Dams and Development - Report of the World
Commission on Dams
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Lack of compliance

• weak regulatory frameworks lack
  of enforcement
• little public participation scrutiny
• top down decision-making, often
  politically motivated
• past conflicts remain unresolved with no
  legal recourse
• vested interests in favour of large
  infrastructure
• no incentives or sanctions

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Summary findings

• lack of systematic evaluation of dam projects
• considerable scope to improve performance
• economic profitability is elusive many
  externalities
• all too often impacts on people ecosystems are
  unacceptable and avoidable
• alternatives to dams exist that are acceptable
  viable depends on location
• the means to improve development outcomes exists
  but are not yet common practice

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The way forward New framework for
decision-making
To improve development outcomes, the Commission
presents a new framework for decision-making
based on recognising rights and assessing risks
of all interested parties
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The Way Forward

• Move beyond the simple
  balance sheet approach
• to shared values, objectives and goals
• Internationally accepted norms are basis
  for WCD recommendations
• Adopt a rights and risks approach
• Define whose rights and what risks

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Move beyond the simple balance-sheet approach
that

• trades off losses and gains between groups
• impoverishes some people
• excludes people and limits awareness
• overlooks sustainability aspects
• induces conflict and higher costs

Dams and Development - Report of the World
Commission on Dams
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Towards shared values, objectives goals

• equity
• efficiency
• participatory decision-making
• sustainability
• accountability

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Internationally accepted norms are basis for WCD
recommendations

• UN Declaration of Human Rights
• Declaration on the Right to Development
• Rio Principles

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Adopt a rights risks approach

• Future planning decision-making
  should be guided by -
• a recognition of rights
• an assessment of risks
• to determine who has a legitimate place in
  negotiating outcomes

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Define whose rights what risks
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Turning Conflict Into Consensus

• Gain public acceptance
• Assess options
• Address existing dams
• Sustain rivers and livelihoods
• Recognise entitlements and share benefits
• Ensure compliance
• Share rivers across boundaries

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Gaining public acceptance

• dams affect existing rights create wide range
  of risks
• opportunities exist for achieving a higher level
  of equity
• recognise rights of indigenous tribal peoples
  
• achieve outcomes through binding formal agreements

Dams and Development - Report of the World
Commission on Dams
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Comprehensive options assessment

• failure to adequately define needs assess
  options led to dispute
• an early and open examination of options can
  avoid poor projects
• raise the significance of social
  environmental aspects
• increase the effectiveness of existing systems as
  a priority

Dams and Development - Report of the World
Commission on Dams
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Address existing dams

• most dams that will operate in the 21st century
  already exist
• considerable scope exists for improving benefits
• remedy outstanding social issues
• enhance mitigation, restoration enhancement of
  ecosystems
• use licences to formalise operating agreements

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Sustain rivers and livelihoods

• rivers support millions of livelihoods
• dams cause significant and often irreversible
  effects on ecosystems
• value rivers, ecosystems endangered species
• emphasise avoidance
  of impacts
• maintain ecosystem
  integrity through
  environmental flows

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Recognise entitlements share benefits

• many people displaced - many more unrecognised
• including those who depend on a rivers resources
• recognise rights and assess risks as a basis
  for negotiations
• agree legally enforceable entitlements
• adversely affected people become first among
  beneficiaries

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Ensure compliance

• many policies and guidelines exist..
• but often a failure to fulfil obligations
• need a compliance plan covering all commitments
  to people and the environment
• introduce initiatives to reduce corruption
• develop incentive framework for compliance

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Share rivers across boundaries

• conflicts over transboundary rivers due to
  power imbalance
• experience suggests disputes can be resolved
• endorse the UN Convention principles
• go beyond sharing water - to sharing the benefits
• encourage consistent policies for financing
  agencies

Dams and Development - Report of the World
Commission on Dams
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The Commissions Criteria Guidelines
Government
Civil Society
International Agreements
International Standards
Multilateral Bilateral Organisations
Private Sector
Professional Organisations
in a wider framework
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Five key decision points
Dam Options
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Guidelines for good practice
Which include
Environmental flow
Stakeholder analysis
Performance bonds
Greenhouse gas emissions
Prior Informed consent
Compliance plan
Multi-criteria analysis
Project benefit-sharing
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Dams in the pipeline - general

• Establish a stakeholder forum based on rights
  and risks approach
• Undertake distribution analysis
• Promote development opportunities and benefit
  sharing
• Provide for an environmental flow
• Include recourse and compliance mechanisms

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Dams in the pipeline - its not too late

• Feasibility - assess all options
• - gain public acceptance
• Design - prepare Compliance Plan
• - contractualise benefit sharing
• - determine environmental flow
• Construction - formalise commitments

Dams and Development - Report of the World
Commission on Dams
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Improve Development outcomes
Using the WCDs framework will reduce cost, save
time and avoid conflicts while achieving more
equitable outcomes
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Implementing the Report

• Improved outcomes for nation, affected people and
  the environment
• Improved outcomes for decision-makers
  developers
• 5 generic points of entry
• Stakeholders chart specific actions

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Improved outcomes for nation, affected people
the environment
Development opportunities for all by..

• respecting human rights
• meeting development needs for water, food
  energy
• sustainable resource use

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Improved outcomes for decision-makers
developers

• time, money conflict reduced
• greater certainty in an evolving global
  national context
• benchmarks against which to assess compliance

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5 generic points of entry

• review the report objectively
• issue public statements feedback
  (info_at_dams.org)
• review dams currently under development
• ensure evaluation, monitoring learning
• promote capacity building to meet
  planning needs

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Stakeholders should take specific action

• Governments
• Civil society
• Affected peoples
• Professional associations
• Private sector
• Bilateral and multilateral agencies

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The WCD has

• conducted first comprehensive review
  of performance
• focused on options and compliance
• shown that conflict is not inevitable
• promoted a rights, risks approach to negotiate
  outcomes
• shown that common ground can be reached

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Dams and Development presents a unique
opportunity to
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we have told our story
what happens next is up to you
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Dont plan, build, protest, operate,
decommission, propose, oppose or discuss a dam
without it
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Report of the World Commission on Dams
www.dams.org