SEA MSD Drivers & Quick Project Profiles
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Load more
Recommended publications
-
Connected & Flowing
THE VISION CONNECTED & FLOWING A RENEWABLE FUTURE FOR RIVERS, CLIMATE AND PEOPLE CONNECTED AND FLOWING 117 CHAPTER 2 THE VISION CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 1. INTRODUCTION 10 2. THE VISION 14 Lead author IUCN: James Dalton, Reviewers Jeff Opperman, WWF Rebecca Welling The following people 3. THE RENEWABLE REVOLUTION 28 served as reviewers (of this report Primary co-authors University of California, or earlier versions of it) and helped AND THE CHANGING ROLE FOR Joerg Hartmann (independent Berkeley: Daniel Kammen, strengthen the report. The content HYDROPOWER consultant), Mark Lambrides Isa Farrall and positions expressed in this (TNC), and Juan Pablo Carvallo report, however, are those of the (University of California, Stanford University and the 4. ACHIEVING LOW CARBON, 38 authors and do not necessarily Berkeley) Natural Capital Project: reflect the perspectives of LOW IMACT GRIDS Rafael Schmitt Spatial Analysis those who provided input. Emily Chapin, TNC University of Manchester: 56 Bruce Aylward (AMP Insights), 5. GLOBAL BENEFITS FOR RIVERS Julien Harou Additional Contributors Hannah Baleta (independent OF LOW-COST, LOW CARBON AND WWF: Chris Weber, Marc University of California, consultant), David Harrison LOW-IMPACT POWER SYSTEMS Goichot, Jill Hepp, Michele Los Angeles: Alex Wang (independent consultant), Thieme, Francesca Antonelli, Universität Tübingen: Jessica Penrod (Natel), 64 Jean-Philippe Denruyter, Stuart 6. MAKING SUSTAINABLE GRIDS Christiane Zarfl Jamie Skinner (IIED) Orr, Ying Qiu, Rafael Senga, A REALITY Please cite as: and Shannon Wang Editor Opperman, J., J. Hartmann, M. The Nature Conservancy: Richard Lee, WWF Lambrides, J.P. Carvallo, E. Chapin, 7. FISH AND GRIDS: SUSTAINABLE 76 Amy Newsock, Sharon Report design S. -
Mekong River Commission P.O
Mekong River Commission P.O. Box 6101, 184 Fa Ngoum Road, Unit 18 Ban Sithane Neua, Sikhottabong District, Vientiane 01000, Lao PDR Telephone: (856-21) 263 263. Facsimile: (856-21) 263 264 The ISH 0306 Study Development of Guidelines for Hydropower Environmental Impact Mitigation and Risk Management in the Lower Mekong Mainstream and Tributaries Volume 4 – Final Case Study Report Mainstream Dams Assessment Including Alternative Scheme Layouts March 2018 The Final Reports constitutes six volumes: Volume 1: Version 3.0 – Hydropower Risks and Impact Mitigation Guidelines and Recommendations Volume 2: Version 3.0 – Hydropower Risks and Impact Mitigation MANUAL – Key Hydropower Risks, Impacts and Vulnerabilities and General Mitigation Options for Lower Mekong Volume 3: Version 2.0 – Final Knowledge Base and Supporting Documents Volume 4: Version 2.0 – Final Case Study Report – Mainstream Dams Assessment Including Alternative Scheme Layouts Volume 5: ISH0306 Proposed Update of the Preliminary Design Guidance (PDG) and Hydropower Development Strategy Volume 6: Final Closure Report TABLE OF CONTENTS Abbreviations ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................................... 10 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ -
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. -
MRC Hydropower Mitigation Guidelines
Mekong River Commission P.O. Box 6101, 184 Fa Ngoum Road, Unit 18 Ban Sithane Neua, Sikhottabong District, Vientiane 01000, Lao PDR Telephone: (856-21) 263 263. Facsimile: (856-21) 263 264 The ISH 0306 Study Development of Guidelines for Hydropower Environmental Impact Mitigation and Risk Management in the Lower Mekong Mainstream and Tributaries Volume 1 – Hydropower Risks and Impact Mitigation Guidelines and Recommendations, Final Version March 2018 The Final Reports constitutes 6 volumes: Volume 1: Version 3.0 – Hydropower Risks and Impact Mitigation Guidelines and Recommendations Volume 2: Version 3.0 – Hydropower Risks and Impact Mitigation MANUAL – Key Hydropower Risks, Impacts and Vulnerabilities and General Mitigation Options for Lower Mekong Volume 3: Version 2.0 – Final Knowledge Base and Supporting Documents Volume 4: Draft Case Study Report, Version 2.0 - Final Mainstream Dams Assessment Including Alternative Scheme Layouts Volume 5: ISH0306 Proposed Update of the Preliminary Design Guidance (PDG) and Hydropower Development Strategy Volume 6: Final Closure Report 2 TABLE OF CONTENT Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................. 8 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 12 1.2.1 Overall Basin Development Context .................................................................................... 13 1.2.2 -
An Analysis of China's Investment in the Hydropower Sector in The
Environ Dev Sustain (2013) 15:301–324 DOI 10.1007/s10668-012-9415-z An analysis of China’s investment in the hydropower sector in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region Frauke Urban • Johan Nordensva¨rd • Deepika Khatri • Yu Wang Received: 15 April 2012 / Accepted: 15 September 2012 / Published online: 30 October 2012 Ó Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2012 Abstract The Mekong River’s natural resources offer large benefits to its populations, but it also attracts the interest of foreign investors. Recently, Chinese firms, banks and government bodies have increasingly invested in large hydropower projects in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region. Due to China’s rapid economic growth, its rapid industrialisation and its limited domestic natural resources, the Chinese government has issued the ‘Going Out Strategy’ which promotes investments in overseas natural resources like water and energy resources. In search for climate-friendly low-carbon energy, cheap electricity and access to a growing market, Chinese institutions turn to Southeast Asia where Chinese institutions are currently involved in more than 50 on-going large hydropower projects as contractors, investors, regulators and financiers. These Chinese institutions have influence on envi- ronmental and social practices as well as on diplomatic and trade relations in the host countries. Currently, there are major gaps in understanding who is engaged, why, how and with what impacts. This paper therefore aims to assess the motives, actors, beneficiaries and the direct and indirect impacts of China’s investment in large hydropower projects in F. Urban (&) Centre for Development, Environment and Policy (CeDEP), School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, London, UK e-mail: [email protected] J. -
The Impacts of Hydropower Dams in the Mekong River Basin: a Review
water Review The Impacts of Hydropower Dams in the Mekong River Basin: A Review Akarath Soukhaphon 1,*, Ian G. Baird 1 and Zeb S. Hogan 2 1 Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; [email protected] 2 Department of Biology and Global Water Center, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +1-414-368-7465 Abstract: The Mekong River, well known for its aquatic biodiversity, is important to the social, physical, and economic health of millions living in China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. This paper explores the social and environmental impacts of several Mekong basin hydropower dams and groupings of dams and the geographies of their impacts. Specifically, we ex- amined the 3S (Sesan, Sekong Srepok) river system in northeastern Cambodia, the Central Highlands of Vietnam, and southern Laos; the Khone Falls area in southern Laos; the lower Mun River Basin in northeastern Thailand; and the upper Mekong River in Yunnan Province, China, northeastern Myanmar, northern Laos, and northern Thailand. Evidence shows that these dams and groupings of dams are affecting fish migrations, river hydrology, and sediment transfers. Such changes are negatively impacting riparian communities up to 1000 km away. Because many communities depend on the river and its resources for their food and livelihood, changes to the river have impacted, and will continue to negatively impact, food and economic security. While social and environmental impact assessments have been carried out for these projects, greater consideration of the scale and cumulative impacts of dams is necessary. -
What Are the Challenges and Development Spaces for Women and Men If the Sambor Hydropower Dam Is Developed?
International Conference on the Mekong, Salween and Red Rivers: Sharing Knowledge and Perspectives Across Borders | Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University | 12th November 2016 What Are the Challenges and Development Spaces for Women and Men If the Sambor Hydropower Dam Is Developed? Suon Siny Abstract The Sambor hydropower dam in Cambodia is still a pending decision. This paper explores the proposed scenario of the development of the Sambor dam and the challenges and development spaces for livelihood options this would present for both women and men. The Sambor project is predicted to impact upon the livelihoods of more than a million fisheries-dependent Cambodians and result in the resettlement of 19,000 people (ICEM, 2010). For this research, 200 families were selected for interview from five potentially affected locations. The interviews were conducted with an equal gender balance. This study found that both men and women in Sambor currently have similar challenges and opportunities to conduct their respective livelihood strategies and provide a similar share of the household income. Women actively contribute to all income generating activities and contribute a higher percentage of work than men for vegetable and livestock production and generation of household income through self-employment activities. As self-produced and wild-harvested food is not sufficient for meeting the needs of the household, cash income from both men and women is required to purchase additional food. However, women have a greater burden than -
Old and New Hydropower Players in the Mekong Region: Agendas and Strategies
2 Old and New Hydropower Players in the Mekong Region: Agendas and Strategies Carl Middleton, Jelson Garcia and Tira Foran INTRODUCTION The countries of mainland Southeast Asia and Yunnan Province, China, threaded together by the Mekong River, are currently enjoying a period of stability and rapid economic growth not experienced for centuries. As a result, the region demands increasing quantities of electricity, especially in China, Thailand and Vietnam. Government electricity-demand forecasts and plans to meet this growth are, however, challenged by civil society. Since the early 1950s, frequently controversial and as-of-yet only partly fulfilled plans for extensive large-scale hydropower development have been high on the agenda of the Mekong country governments. Yet, in a region where millions of people depend upon the natural resources that rivers provide, many proposed dams pose risks for the environment and rural communities, as well as, ultimately, for project developers and the host governments. The World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), international agencies such as the United Nations (UN), bilateral donors and an entourage of largely Western hydropower companies and consultants have long played a role in pushing forward the hydropower agenda. Their motives have ranged from the ideological to the political to simple fi nancial gain. Yet, as the new century has dawned, new economic realities and political relationships have emerged. Today, private-sector hydropower developers, mainly from Thailand, Vietnam, China, 24 HYDROPOWER EXPANSION IN THE MEKONG REGION Malaysia and Russia, have picked up hydropower plans abandoned by Western companies during the Asian fi nancial crisis – often backed by infl uential political players and their governments’ bureaucracies and with the support of fi nanciers from their own countries. -
The New Great Walls: a Guide to China's Overseas Dam Industry
The New Great Walls A GUIDE TO CHINA’s OVERSEAS DAM INDUSTRY Second Edition,INFRASTRUCTURE November FOR WHOM? 2012 | 1 The New Great Walls A GUIDE TO CHINA’s OVERSEAS DAM INDUSTRY Published in November 2012 by International Rivers Second edition About International Rivers International Rivers protects rivers and defends the rights of communities that depend on them. With offices in four continents, International Rivers works to stop destructive dams, improve decision-making processes in the water and energy sectors, and promote water and energy solutions for a just and sustainable world. International Rivers’ China Program works with its partners to communicate the experiences of the international movement for “people, water, and life” to new dam financiers and builders in China. In addition, International Rivers’ China Program provides information about China’s role in global dam building and supports groups in countries affected by Chinese dams. Acknowledgments This revised guide was made possible by the generous support of the Blue Moon Fund and the MacArthur Foundation. Publication Information Written and published by International Rivers 2150 Allston Way, Suite 300 Berkeley, CA 94704, USA Tel: +1 510 848 1155 Fax: +1 510 848 1008 internationalrivers.org guojiheliu.org Design by Design Action Collective Cover photo: Bakun Dam, Malaysia. In 2011, after five decades of delays, the Sarawak government began operating the 2,400 MW Bakun Dam, a project that Transparency International labeled a “monument to corruption.” The project was developed by the Malaysian government and Chinese state-owned dam builder Sinohydro with support from the China Export Import Bank. At 205 meters high, the Bakun Dam is one of Asia’s largest dams and has submerged 70,000 hectares of forests. -
The Mekong : River Under Threat / Milton Osborne ISBN: 9781921004384 (Pbk) ; Series: Lowy Institute Paper ; 27 Notes: Bibliography
Lowy Institute Paper 27 the Mekong RIVER UNDER THREAT Milton Osborne First published for Lowy Institute for International Policy 2009 Milton Osborne has been associated with the Southeast Asian region since being posted to the Australian Embassy in Phnom Penh in 1959. A graduate of Sydney and PO Box 102 Double Bay New South Wales 1360 Australia Cornell Universities, his career has been divided almost www.longmedia.com.au equally between government service and academia and [email protected] he has served as a consultant to the United Nations High Tel. (+61 2) 9362 8441 Commissioner for Refugees. He is the author of ten books Lowy Institute for International Policy © 2009 on the history and politics of Southeast Asia, including ABN 40 102 792 174 The Mekong: turbulent past, uncertain future (2006) and Southeast Asia: an introductory history which is about All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part to be published in its tenth edition. Milton Osborne is of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (including but not limited to electronic, a Visiting Fellow at the Lowy Institute and has been an mechanical, photocopying, or recording), without the prior written permission of the Adjunct Professor and Visiting Fellow in the Faculty of copyright owner. Asian Studies at the Australian National University. Cover photo © copyright Milton Osborne 2009 Cover design by Longueville Media/Nina Nielsen Typeset by Longueville Media in Esprit Book 10/13 National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Author: Osborne, Milton E. -
(TWINS): Xayaburi Dam Case Study
water Article Modified Transboundary Water Interaction Nexus (TWINS): Xayaburi Dam Case Study Richard Grünwald 1,*, Wenling Wang 1,2,* and Yan Feng 1,2,* 1 Institute of International River and Eco-Security/Asian International Rivers Center, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China 2 Yunnan Key Lab of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-Security, Kunming 650091, China * Correspondence: [email protected] (R.G.); [email protected] (W.W.); [email protected] (Y.F.) Received: 16 January 2020; Accepted: 1 March 2020; Published: 5 March 2020 Abstract: The Mekong River comprises six riparian states and supports the livelihood of more than 65 million people. Although the rapid joint river development enlarges the pie of benefits, it also deepens existing conflict of interests and motivating downstream countries to use more power to get better control over shared waters. The purpose of the article is to operationalize a new Transboundary Water Interaction Nexus (TWINS) and interpret interchange of cooperation and conflict between Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam about the Xayaburi hydropower dam in the last 19 years (2000–2019). Our results show that (1) there is significant disparity between the official and public attitude towards the Xayaburi dam, (2) since 2013, the debates about the Xayaburi dam issue has been substituted by other mainstream hydropower dams, (3) the Xayaburi dam indicates that hydropower dams are one of the national priorities that will be pursued at all cost, (4) Laos gained confidence and significant political leverage on downstream countries since the groundbreaking ceremony of the Xayaburi dam in November 2012, (5) failure of the Mekong River Commission’s Procedure of Notification and Prior Consultations (PNPCA) with the Xayauri dam motivated downstream countries to redesign the institutional arrangements and stakeholder consultations. -
Key Findings of NHI's Sambor Hydropower Dam Alternatives
Key Findings of NHI’s Sambor Hydropower Dam Alternatives Assessment The Sambor Hydropower Dam Alternatives Assessment was conducted by an international team of experts directed by the Natural Heritage Institute (NHI) under a formal agreement (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Ministry of Mines and Energy of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC), executed on October 20, 2014. The MoU charged the NHI Team to assess siting, design and operational alternatives to the originally proposed Sambor Hydropower Dam on the mainstream of the Mekong River and also a no-dam alternative for power generation. The 2600 MW project would be the largest hydropower dam constructed on the Lower Mekong and it would create a complete barrier to migratory fish that are a valuable source of protein and income to people in Cambodia, and block sediment that replenishes the Mekong Delta and nourishes the food chain of the Tonle Sap Great Lake. This exacerbates climate change impacts, such as sea-level rise, and reduces the region’s ability to build resiliency. NHI’s Sambor Alternatives Assessment developed a set of environmental performance standards (e.g. max fish survival and sediment passage) selected to maintain the natural functions of the Mekong river system, and then considered how a major hydropower facility could be sited, designed and operated to achieve those standards while maximizing power production and maintaining economic viability. This document summarizes the process behind and the key findings of the Sambor Alternatives Assessment. The full report can be downloaded from the links provided on page 6. Background • The Mekong River is the most productive fishery in the world, producing a harvest valued at $1.7 billion per year.