1 © Published by the Rivers Coalition in Cambodia, May 2009. This publication may be quoted or copied for non-commercial purposes provided that full acknowledgement of the source is given. Suggested Citation Baird, Ian G. 2009. Best Practices in Compensation and Resettlement for Large Dams: The Case of the Planned Lower Sesan 2 Hydropower Project in Northeastern Cambodia. Rivers Coalition in Cambodia, Phnom Penh. About the Rivers Coalition in Cambodia The Rivers Coalition in Cambodia is an advocacy and information-sharing alliance of national and international civil society organizations dealing with the impacts of hydropower dam projects on the environment and local communities. For more information, please contact: [email protected] . Disclaimer This report has been prepared for the Rivers Coalition in Cambodia. The views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those of the Rivers Coalition in Cambodia and its member organisations. sm<½n§Tenøkm<úCa sm<½n§rvagGgÁkarsgÁmsIuvilnanaEdleFVIkaredIm,IkarBar nigsþar eLIgvijnUvRbB½n§eGkULÚsIuTenø ngi CvI PaBEdlBwgEpk¥ eTAelITenø enAkúñ gRbeTskm<úCa Rivers Coalition in Cambodia An Alliance of Civil Society Organizations Working to Protect and Restore River Ecosystems and River-based Livelihoods in Cambodia 2 Acknowledgements This study of the Lower Sesan 2 dam was initiated by the Rivers Coalition in Cambodia (RCC), a network of civil society organisations committed to protecting Cambodia’s valuable river resources, and was coordinated at the Phnom Penh-level by The NGO Forum on Cambodia (NGOF). Tonn Kunthel, Bun Chantrea and Ame Trandem provided excellent assistance. Thanks also to Ngy San and Chhith Sam Ath for their overall support. Funding was provided by Oxfam America. It would be impossible to individually thank all of the hundreds of people who participated in this study, and assisted in various ways. However, it is particularly important to thank Peak Saven from the Culture and Environment Preservation Association (CEPA), who assisted in conducting the fieldwork in Stung Treng Province. Thanks also to Tek Vannara and Tep Bunnarith from CEPA for their assistance with valuable documentation and other support. In Ratanakiri Province, the 3S (Sesan, Srepok and Sekong) Rivers Protection Network (3SPN) coordinated fieldwork. Thanks to Kim Sangha and Meach Mean for their efforts, and to members of the 3S community network, including Ngong Bunchan and Pheut Pheua from Ta Veaeng District, for their assistance during fieldwork conducted in that Ta Veaeng District. Thong Lien and Nou Phit coordinated activities in Veun Sai District. Nang Noy, Sin Thonglao, and Thon Bunhan from 3SPN, and the 3S community network, assisted in organising fieldwork in Lumphat District. Many other villagers made exceptional contributions during the two field data verification meetings held in Ban Lung, Ratanakiri and Stung Treng town. Thanks to Hok Menghoin of the Land Information Center at NGOF for preparing the maps. The wildlife photos were provided by Andy Maxwell of WWF. Other support was provided by Megan MacInnes of NGOF, Yorth Bunny from the Cambodian Legal Education Centre (CLEC), Andy Maxwell of WWF, Hugo Rainey and Tom Evans from Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Paul Humphrey from 3SPN, and other NGO workers concerned with relocation and resettlement issues in Phnom Penh and other parts of Cambodia. They generously shared ideas and information with me, as did Grainne Ryder from Probe International, David Hall from Sechaba Consultants, and Jonathan Padwe. Thanks also to Pao Narit from the NGO Development Partners in Action (DPA) in Stung Treng for assistance in providing important documentation related to the Lower Sesan 2 dam. 3 Abbreviations 3SPN – 3S (Sesan, Srepok, Sekong) Rivers Protection Network ADB – Asian Development Bank CEPA – Culture and Environment Preservation Association CITES – Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species CLEC – Cambodian Legal Education Centre DPA – Development Partners in Action EIA – Environmental Impact Assessment EMP – Environmental Management Plan ERAV - Electricity regulatory Authority of Vietnam EVN – Electricité du Viet Nam or Electricity of Vietnam GAA – German Agro-Action Ha – Hectare Hp – Horsepower JICA – Japanese International Cooperation Agency KCC – Key Consultants Cambodia Kg – Kilogram Km - Kilometre MoE – Ministry of Environment (Cambodia) MDGs – (United Nations) Millennium Development Goals MEF – Ministry of Economics and Finance (Cambodia) MIME – Ministry of Industry, Mines, and Energy (Cambodia) MOWRAM - Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (Cambodia) MRC – Mekong River Commission MW – Mega Watt NGO – Non-government Organisation NGOF – The NGO Forum on Cambodia NTFP – Non-timber forest product PECC1 – Power Engineering Consulting Joint-Stock Company 1 PFD – Partnerships for Development (US NGO) PRA – Participatory Rural Appraisal RCAF – Royal Cambodian Armed Forces RCC – Rivers Coalition in Cambodia SIA – Social Impact Assessment TIA – Transboundary Impact Assessment WCD – World Commission on Dams WCS – Wildlife Conservation Society WFP – World Food Programme WHO – World Health Organisation WWF – World Wide Fund for Nature 4 Table of Contents Acknowledgements......................................................................................................................03 Abbreviations...............................................................................................................................04 Executive Summary...................................................................................................................13 1) Introduction.....................................................................................................................16 2) Methodology ..................................................................................................................21 3) Review of Specific Expected Impacts of the Lower Sesan 2 Dam ................................25 3.1) Relocation Due to Inundation..................................................................................25 3.1.1) Problems Related to Relocation...........................................................................25 3.1.2) Compensation and Relocation.............................................................................29 3.1.2.1) Villages in the Reservoir Area ..........................................................................29 3.1.2.1.1) House Replacement and Compensation..............................................30 3.1.2.1.2) Fruit Tree Compensation....................................................................31 3.1.2.1.3) Agriculture Land Replacement and Compensation............................31 3.1.2.1.4) Forestry Resources and Grazing Land Compensation........................33 3.1.2.1.5) Fisheries Compensation....................................................................34 3.1.2.1.6) Domestic Ground Water Compensation..............................................36 3.1.2.1.7) Other Compensation Issues.................................................................36 3.1.2.2) Villages Upstream from the Proposed Reservoir Area..........................37 3.1.2.3) Villages Downstream from the Proposed Dam Site .............................37 3.2) Fisheries....................................................................................................................38 3.2.1) Fisheries Impacts Upstream from the Dam Reservoir in the Sesan and Srepok Rivers in Ratanakiri Province....................................................................39 3.2.1.1) Streams in the Srepok River Basin in Cambodia...............................................47 3.2.1.2) Streams in the Sesan River Basin in Cambodia.................................................51 3.2.2) Fisheries Impacts in the Reservoir area in Stung Treng Province........................53 3.2.3) Fisheries Impacts Downstream from the Sesan 2 Dam in Stung Treng Province.................................................................................................................54 3.2.4) Widespread Downstream Fisheries Impacts in the Mekong River, Tonle Sap and Mekong Delta...........................................................................................58 3.3) Forestry and Wildlife................................................................................................62 3.3.1) Forestry..................................................................................................................62 3.3.2) Wildlife..................................................................................................................63 3.3.3) National Protected Area Management...................................................................65 3.4) Re-routing National Road #78..................................................................................65 3.5) Tap Water Supply in Stung Treng............................................................................66 3.6) Fish Loss and Nutritional Problems..........................................................................67 3.7) Cumulative Impacts..................................................................................................68 3.8) Livelihood Losses.....................................................................................................69 4) Field Research Results.....................................................................................................71