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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

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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”

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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

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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

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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

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Rate of Large Dam Construction

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

<1900 1910s 1930s 1950s 1970s 1990s

Number of Dams

End of the large dam era? End of the large dam era? Worldwide rate of large dam constructionWorldwide rate of large dam construction