DOCSLIB.ORG

Dirty Hydro: (Photo: Marcio Ruiz, [email protected]) Dams and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Dirty Hydro: (Photo: Marcio Ruiz, Ruizmarcio@Gmail.Com) Dams and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Dead trees from the Balbina reservoir. Dirty Hydro: (Photo: Marcio Ruiz, [email protected]) Dams AnD greenHoUsE Gas EMissions ydropower is often believed to be an inherently “climate-friendly” technology. HBut scientific studies indicate that the rotting of organic matter in reservoirs produces significant amounts of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. The warming impact of tropical reservoirs can be much higher than even the dirtiest fossil-fuel power plants. HoW Do DAMs boosT gLobAL WArMing? lowest layer of water in tropical reservoirs tends to be depleted Carbon dioxide (CO ) is formed by the decomposition of 2 in oxygen. A portion of the methane is oxidized to CO2 as it organic carbon in the reservoir. The main sources of this carbon rises to the reservoir surface. Shallow tropical reservoirs where are the vegetation and soils flooded when the reservoir was first bubbles have less time to become oxidized tend to have the filled; organic matter washed into the reservoir from upstream highest methane emissions. New research suggests that meth- (which may be from natural ecosystems, farms or sewage); ane production could be higher in small reservoirs in temperate plankton and aquatic plants which grow and die in the reser- zones than previously thought (see Box 1). voir; and the vegetation that grows on the “drawdown” land temporarily exposed during low reservoir periods (Figure 1). Nitrous oxide (N O) is a powerful greenhouse gas formed by Reservoirs absorb atmospheric CO due to photosynthesis by 2 2 the bacterial breakdown of nitrogen. There have been only a plankton and aquatic plants; this uptake can occasionally exceed handful of measurements quantifying nitrous oxide fluxes from CO emissions. 2 reservoirs. Emissions appear to be minor from boreal regions,1,2 but significant for at least some tropical reservoirs.3 Since N O Methane (CH4), a greenhouse gas that is 25 times more potent 2 is almost 300 times more potent than CO , more studies are than CO2, is formed by bacteria that decompose organic mat- 2 ter in oxygen-poor water and reservoir-bottom sediments. The imperative to better quantify its emissions. dddddd International Rivers | 2150 Allston Way, Suite 300, Berkeley, CA 94704 | Tel: + 1 510 848 1155 | internationalrivers.org NovembeR 2008 FigUrE 1: A sCHEMATiC oF kEy FACTors inFLUEnCing rEsErVoir grEEnHoUsE gAs EMissions. Wind Forcing CH4 CO2 Bubbles Diffusion Length of Annual Ice Cover Degassing Drawdown Growth & Decay Vegetation of Aquatic Plants Water Level Carbon Inputs Fluctuation from Watershed Decomposition Plankton of Flooded Growth Biomass & Soils & Decay HoW ArE THE gAsEs EMiTTED? It is particularly difficult to assess the net impact of dams upon The gases are released via diffusion across the water surface, CO2 fluxes. Net CO2 emissions may be significantly smaller in bubbles that rise from the reservoir bottom, and in the than gross emissions, mainly because some of the carbon emit- downstream degassing of water released through turbines ted from the reservoir will be offset by the consumption of and spillways. When water from below the surface of the atmospheric CO2 by plankton through photosynthesis. The reservoir is discharged at the dam, the pressure acting upon it difference between net and gross emissions for methane is not suddenly drops and – according to the chemical principle of likely to be significant, since reservoirs produce such huge Henry’s Law – it is able to hold less dissolved gas. Degassing amounts of methane relative to background fluxes. emissions are also due to the greater air/water interface creat- A team of Brazilian researchers led by Elizabeth Sikar has cal- ed when water is pulverized at the bottom of a long spillway. culated fluxes of greenhouse gases before and after construc- Dissolved greenhouse gases in reservoir water that are not tion of Manso and Serra da Mesa dams in the Brazilian cerrado released at the spillway and turbine may be emitted to the (savanna) ecosystems. The researchers found that the flood- ing switched the cerrados from a source to a sink of CO . In atmosphere further downstream. Elevated emissions of CO2, 2 CH and N O were detected up to 40 kilometers down- contrast, the reservoirs produced significant net emissions of 4 2 6 stream of the Petit Saut Reservoir in French Guiana.4 In the methane and turned nitrous oxide sinks into sources. case of the Balbina Reservoir in Brazil, downstream emis- Another study quantified the carbon fluxes after the con- sions of methane represented the equivalent of 3% of all struction of five small dams in Canada and concluded that 5 methane released from the central Amazon floodplain. the primary source of emissions was the rotting of flooded 7 The major component of the warming impact of boreal res- organic matter, which contributes to net emissions. A carbon balance calculation carried out for the Petit Saut Reservoir in ervoirs is diffusive CO2; the major component of the warm- ing impact from the surfaces of tropical reservoirs is methane French Guiana found that the carbon and methane emissions bubbles. For at least some tropical reservoirs the majority of during the first ten years were primarily due to the inunda- tion of the vegetation, which means that the emissions can their warming impact is due to methane degassing. be considered net.8 Forests in the Amazon are carbon sinks, while the region’s aquatic ecosystems are a source of roughly WHAT is THE DiFFErEnCE bETWEEn nET AnD gross the same order of magnitude. Researchers believe that net EMissions? CO emissions from the areas flooded by Amazonian reser- Ideally, a calculation of the warming impact of reservoirs 2 voirs were approximately zero prior to dam construction.9 should be based on net emissions. This requires adjusting measurements of gross emissions at the reservoir surface and Accurately calculating the global warming impact of dams dam outlets to allow for whatever sinks and sources of green- requires a life-cycle analysis, which should include the house gases existed in the reservoir zone before submer- impacts of dam construction and decommissioning. Dam gence, the uptake of carbon through photosynthesis in the construction releases greenhouse gases due to the use of fossil reservoir, and the impact of the reservoir upon the pre-dam fuels by machinery and the production of building materi- flows of carbon throughout the wider watershed. als, in particular cement. Construction emissions could make DirTy HyDro: DAMs AnD grEEnHoUsE gAs EMissions The Flatulent Wohlensee Wohlensee, a small run-of-river hydro small storage capacity, it was thought a fair one as it does not include the reservoir in central Switzerland, emits that water would not remain in the cement and fossil fuel consumption 780 metric tonnes of methane a year, reservoir for enough time to form from building the Wohlensee, or the according to a recent study from methane. This Eawag study throws likely initial spike in emissions due to Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute both these assumptions into the air. rotting vegetation when the reservoir of Aquatic Science and Technology.1 The study also destroys the hydro was first filled. The study only measured methane industry’s claims that reservoirs bubbles at the reservoir surface: are only high emitters for their first Currently, run-of-river dams that apply Actual emissions may be several decade or so after construction — for carbon credits from the Clean times higher due to the degassing of the Wohlensee was built in 1920. Development Mechanism do not have methane at the dam’s turbines and to account for any greenhouse gas spillway, and in the river downstream. Wohlensee’s methane bubbles have emissions. The Eawag study sug- a warming impact equivalent to 119 gests that these run-of-river projects It has usually been assumed that grams of CO2 for every kilowatt-hour are being granted permission to gen- methane emissions are negligible generated. This is 10 times higher erate many more carbon credits than from dam reservoirs in temperate than emissions for wind power, if cal- they deserve. regions and from run-of-river projects. culations take into account emissions 1. Del Sontro, T. et al. (2008) Wohlensee: Lake Run-of-river dams have relatively during wind-turbine manufacture and Flatulence and Global Warming, Eawag – small reservoirs and because of their installation. The comparison is not Annual Report 2007, Switzerland. up a significant component of the life-time emissions from emissions are ten times greater than those from a coal-fired a boreal dam, but would likely be insignificant compared to power plant.12 (Because it is an outlier, Balbina is not includ- total emissions from a tropical project. Dam decommission- ed in the tropical reservoir average.) ing may result in the mobilization of a significant amount of accumulated sediments, potentially leading to a large pulse of ConCLUsion carbon emissions. Although there has been more than a decade of serious sci- entific research into this issue, the belief that hydropower WHAT is THE gLobAL ConTribUTion oF DAMs To is inherently climate friendly is still common among policy gLobAL WArMing? makers. Part of the reason for this is that the science is com- Ivan Lima and colleagues from Brazil’s National Institute for plex and subject to numerous uncertainties. The hydro lobby Space Research (INPE) have calculated that the world’s large has exploited these uncertainties, much as climate change dams (those taller than 15 meters) emit 104 million metric deniers have exploited the uncertainties in climate science as tonnes of methane annually from reservoir surfaces, turbines, a whole and used them to lobby decision makers not to take 10 spillways and rivers downstream. This calculation implies reservoir emissions seriously. that dam methane emissions are responsible for at least 4% of the total warming impact of human activities.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Methane Emissions from Large Dams As Renewable Energy Resources: a Developing Nation Perspective
    Mitig Adapt Strat Glob Change (2008) 13:193–206 DOI 10.1007/s11027-007-9086-5 ORIGINAL PAPER Methane Emissions from Large Dams as Renewable Energy Resources: A Developing Nation Perspective Ivan B. T. Lima Æ Fernando M. Ramos Æ Luis A. W. Bambace Æ Reinaldo R. Rosa Received: 14 November 2006 / Accepted: 5 February 2007 / Published online: 2 March 2007 Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007 Abstract By means of a theoretical model, bootstrap resampling and data provided by the International Commission On Large Dams (ICOLD (2003) World register of dams. http://www.icold-cigb.org) we found that global large dams might annually release about 104 ± 7.2 Tg CH4 to the atmosphere through reservoir surfaces, tur- bines and spillways. Engineering technologies can be implemented to avoid these emissions, and to recover the non-emitted CH4 for power generation. The imme- diate benefit of recovering non-emitted CH4 from large dams for renewable energy production is the mitigation of anthropogenic impacts like the construction of new large dams, the actual CH4 emissions from large dams, and the use of unsustainable fossil fuels and natural gas reserves. Under the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol, such technologies can be recognized as promising alternatives for human adaptations to climate change concerning sustainable power generation, particularly in developing nations owning a considerable number of large dams. In view of novel technologies to extract CH4 from large dams, we estimate that roughly 23 ± 2.6, 2.6 ± 0.2 and 32 ± 5.1 Tg CH4 could be used as an environmentally sound option for power generation in Brazil, China and India, respectively.
    [Show full text]
  • Call for Applications Regional Manager South Asia
    CALL FOR APPLICATIONS REGIONAL MANAGER SOUTH ASIA Effective: October 2020 ROLE PURPOSE International Rivers works to protect rivers and the rights of communities that depend on them. Working with an international network of dam-affected people, grassroots organizations, environmentalists, human rights advocates and others who are committed to stopping destructive river projects and promoting better options; International Rivers has expertise in big dams, energy and water policy, climate change, and international financial institutions. We support partner organizations and dam-affected people by providing advice, training and technical assistance, and advocating on their behalf with governments, banks, companies and international agencies. International Rivers is looking for an experienced, skilled, dynamic Program Manager for our South Asia and global campaigns. The preferred location of this full-time position is Delhi, Mumbai, Guwahati or Kolkata, but other locations in South Asia will be considered. The Program Manager will work with partner organizations in South Asia and other parts of the world, and with colleagues in our California and regional offices in South East Asia, South America and Africa. Job responsibilities include domestic and international travel. The position will report to the International Rivers Director of Programs. This position is full-time and offered on a consulting basis. [Upon completion of the one-year term, International Rivers may make a permanent offer.] ROLE DIMENSIONS Status: 1.0 FTE Location: Delhi,
    [Show full text]
  • Warming the Earth Hydropower Threatens Efforts to Curb Climate Change
    WARMING THE EARTH HYDROPOWER THREATENS EFFORTS TO CURB CLIMATE CHANGE The Petit Saut reservoir floods a French Guyana forest, emitting greenhouse gases. Caption: Jacky Brunetaud he hydropower industry is eager to promote dams as “climate-friendly” alternatives to Tfossil fuel plants, hoping to benefit from subsidies intended to curb global warming. But, growing evidence suggests that dams and reservoirs are globally significant sources of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and, in particular, methane. Scientists have studied more than 30 reservoirs, and The science of quantifying reservoir emissions is still found emissions at all of them. In tropical countries, young, however, and filled with uncertainties which several of the hydropower plants studied appear to have are the subject of a heated scientific – and political – a much greater impact on global warming than natural debate. The controversies include determining the gas plants generating equivalent amounts of electricity. best methods for measuring emissions from reservoir While the global warming impact of hydropower out- surfaces, how to account for sources and sinks of side the tropics does appear to be significantly lower gases in the watershed before a dam was built, the than that of fossil fuel-generated electricity, it is not magnitude of emissions generated when water is dis- negligible as has commonly been assumed. charged from the dam, and how to compare hydropower emissions with those from fossil fuels. HOW EMISSIONS ARE PRODUCED Gross reservoir emissions are those measured directly Reservoirs emit greenhouse gases because of the rot- at the reservoir surface and dam. But the actual ting of organic matter – the vegetation and soils impact of a dam on the global climate depends on net flooded when the reservoir is created, the plants that emissions.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding the Climate Risks to Rivers And
    Fishing boats on the Sesan River in Cambodia. The Understanding the Climate river’s fishery has seen dramatic losses as a Risks to Rivers and result of dam construction. Photo: Communities International Rivers he impacts of climate change on freshwater ecosystems will be complex and diffi- Tcult to predict. These impacts will lead to changes in the quantity, quality, and timing of river flows. Some of these changes are already having major effects on freshwater ecosystems around the world, including: 6 Q Shifts from snow to rainfall, and changes in the timing of snowpack melting Q Alteration of surface runoff and groundwater recharge patterns Q Shifts in the timing of floods and freshwater pulses, and more frequent and intense floods 10 | INTERNATIONAL RIVERS CIVIL SOCIETY GUIDE TO HEALTHY RIVERS AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE Q Increased evaporation, especially from shallow PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE water bodies and reservoirs The effects of climate change on rivers POPULATION IN are already becoming apparent as major WATER-STRESSED Q Saltwater intrusion in coastal and delta areas changes in river discharge now affect RIVER BASINS from rising sea levels watersheds around the world. Increasing Based on temperatures will mean that globally, climate-change Q More intense runoff events, which can lead to predicitons more precipitation will fall as rain rather increased sediment and pollution loads 1995 & 2050 5 billion than snow (though the amount will vary projected Q Increased extremes in water temperatures geographically and temporally). Areas that have substantially higher rainfall or Q More intense and/or frequent droughts that will have more intense storms will experience more flooding, especially in For a comprehensive table of expected and existing areas with fewer riparian wetlands and impacts, see Appendix 2: Climate Change Impacts on forests along rivers, both of which act to Rivers and Species.
    [Show full text]
  • River Keepers-Forpdf-4
    RIVER KEEPERS HANDBOOK A Guide to Protecting Rivers and Catchments in Southern Africa International Rivers Network RIVER KEEPERS HANDBOOK A Guide to Protecting Rivers and Catchments in Southern Africa by Lori Pottinger Published by International Rivers Network Editorial Team Tendai Chitewere L Liane Greeff L Ryan Hoover Steve Rothert L Olive Sephuma L Richard Sherman Acknowledgements Many people contributed to this booklet, adding insights, information and ideas on how to make it a more useful document. In particular, we'd like to thank Keith Cooper, Richard Hunt, Chris Neme, Mike Scholand, Bahman Sheikh, the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia and everyone at International Rivers Network. Special thanks to the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund and the Compton Foundation for making this booklet possible. Published by International Rivers Network, Berkeley, CA, USA, 1999 ISBN 0-9662771-2-0 Designed by Jeanette Madden Graphic Design Printed by West Coast Print Center TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction . 1 Part 1 Catchment Basics What is a Catchment? . 3 Sidebars and Graphics Water in the Landscape . 4 The Water Cycle . 5 Key Issues in Water Management . 6 Part 2 Threats to Catchments . 8 The Big Dams Debate . 13 Sidebars and Graphics Southern African Water Index. 11 Sustainable Water Planning . 13 The Major Impacts of Dams . 15 The World Commission on Dams . 18 Map: Rivers in Peril . 19 River Projects to Watch. 20 Part 3 Making a Difference Becoming a Catchment Keeper . 22 Hope for the Future: Creating Catchment Communities. 27 New Approaches to Energy and Water Supply. 31 Sidebars and Graphics Rethinking the Planning Process. 24 Write Letters! .
    [Show full text]
  • Free Flowing Rivers, Sustaining Livelihoods
    Free-Flowing Rivers Sustaining Livelihoods, Cultures and Ecosystems About International Rivers International Rivers protects rivers and defends the rights of communities that depend on them. We seek a world where healthy rivers and the rights of local river communities are valued and protected. We envision a world where water and energy needs are met without degrading nature or increasing poverty, and where people have the right to participate in decisions that affect their lives. We are a global organization with regional offices in Asia, Africa and Latin America. We work with river-dependent and dam-affected communities to ensure their voices are heard and their rights are respected. We help to build well-resourced, active networks of civil society groups to demonstrate our collective power and create the change we seek. We undertake independent, investigative research, generating robust data and evidence to inform policies and campaigns. We remain independent and fearless in campaigning to expose and resist destructive projects, while also engaging with all relevant stakeholders to develop a vision that protects rivers and the communities that depend upon them. This report was published as part of the Transboundary Rivers of South Asia (TROSA) program. TROSA is a regional water governance program supported by the Government of Sweden and managed by Oxfam. International Rivers is a regional partner of the TROSA program. Views and opinions expressed in this report are those of International Rivers and do not necessarily reflect those of Oxfam, other TROSA partners or the Government of Sweden. Author: Parineeta Dandekar Editor: Fleachta Phelan Design: Cathy Chen Cover photo: Parineeta Dandekar - Fish of the Free-flowing Dibang River, Arunachal Pradesh.
    [Show full text]
  • Position Description Curriculum Consultant
    February 12, 2021 POSITION DESCRIPTION CURRICULUM CONSULTANT International Rivers is excited to announce an opportunity to join our team for a short term position as a Curriculum Consultant to support the development of trainer modules for our Community based Water Governance Curriculum (CBWGC). Over the past 2 years, International Rivers has been developing and piloting the CBWGC with local community partners in the Teesta basin in India and Bangladesh. The main aim of the CBWG curriculum is to be a comprehensive tool from which communities can engage with water and river governance issues in their areas. We found that current water governance systems arise from a narrow “anthropocentrism” which has impacts on inter-generational equity and the sustainability of our rivers, watersheds and biodiversity. As the curriculum consultant, you will be responsible for collaborating with members of the TROSA Team at International Rivers to convert our existing curriculum content into trainer modules for uptake and use by civil society partners and educators. ABOUT INTERNATIONAL RIVERS International Rivers (IR) works at the intersection of the environment, human rights, and social justice. Working primarily in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, we work with an international network of dam- affected people, grassroots organizations, environmentalists, human rights advocates and others who are committed to stopping destructive river projects and promoting better options. International Rivers brings expertise in big dams, energy and water policy, climate change, and international financial institutions. We support partner organizations and dam-affected people by providing advice, training and technical assistance, and advocating on their behalf with governments, banks, companies and international agencies.
    [Show full text]
  • CEPF Final Project Completion Report
    CEPF Final Project Completion Report Organization Legal Name: Chumchon Thai Foundation Empowering Thai Journalists for Accountable Project Title: Transboundary Investment Grant Number: 65883 CEPF Region: Indo-Burma II 6 Engage key actors in mainstreaming biodiversity, Strategic Direction: communities and livelihoods into development planning in the priority corridors Grant Amount: $99,910.00 Project Dates: March 01, 2016 - February 28, 2018 Date of Report: November 06, 2017 Implementation Partners List each partner and explain how they were involved in the project [Myanmar] Myeik 88 Generation, Karen Rivers Watch, School for Shan State Nationalities Youth, Kachin News Group, Shan Herald Agency for News, Karen River Watch [Thailand] Spiritual Education Movement, Network of Thai People in 8 Mekong Provinces, International Rivers, Salween Community Network in Mae Hong Son Province, Chiang Khong Conservation Group, Living River Siam, Regional Center for Sustainable Development Chiang Mai University, Thai National Human Rights Commission, Thai journalists from mainstream media- Thai TV Channel 3, Thai PBS, Thai Post Newspaper, Komchadluk , Matichon. In preparation for media trip, we coordinate with local civil society groups, scholars and relevant state agencies. The case of the Mekong River issues, for example, partners includes The Network of Thai People in Eight Mekong Provinces, Chiang Khong Conservation Group, and International Rivers, to prepare initial field information. We then coordinate with academics to gather their views, research, and analysis. To work with state bodies, we also work with Thai National Human Rights Commission. For our work on powerplant project in Southern Myanmar, we coordinate with local conservation groups, the 88 Generation, local Myanmar and Thai academics.
    [Show full text]
  • 21 March 2011 Re: Global Call to Cancel The
    21 March 2011 Re: Global Call to Cancel the Xayaburi Dam on the Mekong River mainstream in Northern Lao PDR Your Excellency Thongsing Thammavong, The Prime Minister of Lao PDR, Your Excellency Abhisit Vejjajiva, The Prime Minister of Thailand, We, the undersigned 263 NGOs from 51 countries, respectfully call upon the Governments of Lao PDR and Thailand to cancel the Xayaburi Dam proposed for the Mekong River’s mainstream in Xayaboury province, Lao PDR. We believe this project to be exceptionally destructive and a threat to development and conservation efforts both within the region and globally. Irreparable damage caused by the Xayaburi Dam to the Mekong River would be a permanent loss to the livelihoods of people of the region and also to one of the most valuable rivers in the world. The Mekong River is host to the world’s largest freshwater fishery, which is central to the food security and livelihoods of millions of people throughout the region. With more than 1,000 species, the Mekong River is also a treasure trove of biodiversity and the second most biodiverse river system in the world. Located in northern Laos, the proposed 1,260 megawatt Xayaburi Dam is the most advanced of a planned eleven-dam cascade for the Mekong River’s lower mainstream. The project’s lead developer is the Thai construction company Ch. Karnchang and the project is proposed to be financed by Thailand’s Kasikorn Bank, Bangkok Bank, Siam Commercial Bank and Krung Thai Bank. 95% of the project’s electricity will be exported to Thailand, while the impacts will be most acutely felt by riverside communities in Lao PDR and neighboring countries.
    [Show full text]
  • A Dangerous Trajectory for the Mekong River UPDATE on the STATUS of MEKONG MAINSTREAM DAMS
    Fishermen navigate the rapids in Siphandone, close to the site of the Don Sahong Dam, June 2017 A Dangerous Trajectory for the Mekong River UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF MEKONG MAINSTREAM DAMS s the world’s largest inland freshwater fi shery, the Mekong River feeds more than 60 million Apeople who live within its basin. Its extraordinary aquatic biodiversity is second only to the Amazon. The Mekong River and its tributaries support a large number of globally threatened species, and provide habitat for diverse fi sh, plants and invertebrate. The Mekong’s connectivity and fl ood-drought cycles are essential to maintain its rich fi sheries, ecology, and the sediment and nutrient balance necessary for sustainable production of food crops on its fertile fl oodplains. Despite the signifi cance of the Mekong River Basin to the completed a regional consultation process under the people of mainland Southeast Asia, a dam-building boom is framework of the 1995 Mekong Agreement. Dams on the underway, threatening the basin’s vital ecosystems. A cascade Mekong River mainstream will block the major fish of dams is planned for the Mekong mainstream, with many migrations that feed and provide income to millions of people, more dams proposed and under construction on its and threaten the ecological integrity of the entire river system. tributaries. Two dams are already under construction on the The impacts of dams planned and under construction on the lower Mekong River mainstream - the Xayaburi and Don lower stretch of the Mekong River are compounded by a Sahong Dams. The Pak Beng Dam, the third project cascade of dams on the upper Mekong River, or Lancang, as proposed for construction within the cascade, has recently it is known in China.
    [Show full text]
  • Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Project the Real Cost of a Controversial Dam
    Long term production of the Nakai Plateau’s reservoir fishery is in doubt. nam theun 2 hydropower project the reaL cost of a controversiaL dam he US$1.3 billion Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Project (NT2), located in the small Southeast TAsian country of Laos, has been marketed as a model dam project and a development panacea for cash-strapped Laos. But more than 110,000 people continue to suffer project impacts and are paying the real price of NT2. LiveLihoods on the nakai pLateau not and restoration of forest cover in the watershed has been a sustainabLe fundamental objective of Nam Theun 2.1 Instead, however, Three years after being relocated by the project, more the project has exacerbated pressures on the protected area by than 6,200 ethnic minority people are still struggling to opening up access via the reservoir. According to the Panel of recover their livelihoods after they lost access to their paddy Experts, the illegal harvest of rosewood and poaching of and swidden fields, forests, and grazing lands. There is little wildlife within the NPA appear to be more serious than doubt that these families now have better local infrastructure, before.2 including houses, electricity, roads, schools, and health centers. Yet, many of the project’s plans for ensuring that their liveli- downstream impacts and Lack of appropriate hoods are recovered and sustainable have failed to come to frui- compensation mechanisms tion. The poor quality of the land in the resettlement sites con- Due to water diverted by the dam, over 110,000 people tinues to cause problems for villagers, who are unable to grow living in 71 riverside villages and 101 hinterland vil- sufficient food to feed their families, the long-term production lages along the Xe Bang Fai River have been affected by of the reservoir fisheries is in doubt, and outsiders are encroach- changes to the river ecosystem.3 Villagers have suffered poor ing on the villagers’ community forest areas.
    [Show full text]
  • The World Bank and Dams Part 1: Lessons Not Learned*
    Villagers Gather in Front of World Bank’s Headquarters to Protest Nam Theun 2 Dam. Photo courtesy of Premrudee Daorung. The World Bank and Dams PART 1: LESSONS NOT LEARNED* s it rejoins a worldwide dam boom, the World Bank claims that the major impacts that Acharacterized its dam legacy are a thing of the past. But the Bank’s more recent history demonstrates that benefits of its large hydro portfolio have been significantly overstated, while its track record on addressing the environmental and social harms of its dam projects remains seriously flawed. Is the Bank failing the poor with its hydro-heavy investments? “We will drown but we will not move.” So read the signs on mies. But these projects also left behind a legacy of environmen- houses to be destroyed for the World Bank-funded Sardar tal devastation and impoverishment of communities that helped Sarovar Dam in the Narmada Valley, placed by people who for catalyze a global effort to reform the World Bank. years risked their lives as the waters rose behind the giant dam. Their struggle eventually led to the Bank pulling out of large Destructive World Bank projects such as the Sardar Sarovar Dam dams for a time, but not before displacing 10 million people in India’s Narmada Valley, as well as the resistance movements they with its large dams. engendered, led to the establishment of critical safeguard protec- tions for communities and the environment, and the creation of The World Bank was once the world’s principal financier of an Inspection Panel to investigate project-induced harms.
    [Show full text]