United Nations Environment Programme

Aware of the social and environmental impacts of dams and the wide and controversial debate surrounding them, IUCN became one of the founders of the World Commission on Dams (WCD) in 1997. Careful analysis of the report released by WCD in November, 2000, shows that its content represents a major step towards improving - if applied - the planning, construction and operations of dams and other water and energy infrastructures. A Statement giving IUCN's detailed views on the WCD report is appended below. In implementing its follow-up Strategy on Dams, IUCN wishes to collaborate with all stakeholders to avoid or mitigate the impacts of dams on biodiversity and livelihoods, and to apply the lessons learned to prevent such problems in the future.

Statement

The publication of the World Commission on Dams (WCD) report marks the end of a unique process to review the role of dams in development. At the same time, it is also the beginning of a new process to address infrastructure development in a different way. Many WCD stakeholders, including IUCN, have already agreed to disseminate and promote dialogues on the WCD recommendations through the Dams and Development Project.

The WCD report is not a final verdict on dams, nor a rigid prescription. But it is a major step in the debate on energy supplies and water resources development, and dams more specifically. It asks us to look for options that are more compatible with social equity and environmental sustainability.

IUCN recognises that dams will remain an important option to meet growing development needs, especially where the benefits outweigh social and environmental costs. Hence, IUCN strongly believes that the report provides an excellent "roadmap" from the present, often unsatisfactory, process to a more equitable and sustainable one. The report assists in the planning, construction and operations of water and energy infrastructures, including dams.

The views of IUCN on the report are summarised below.

The process followed by the WCD was both independent and intensive, given the methodology chosen and the limits imposed on the work programme in terms of time, budget and staff. It was rigorous in its scientific approach and analysis. The WCD consulted the three main groups concerned, namely civil society, government and the private sector. In addition, it accepted a large number of spontaneous contributions. These facts make the WCD process of consultation unparalleled by any current or previous study in its field.

The knowledge base created goes beyond what any individual organisation could possibly compile. It will remain a useful tool to any organisation interested in large dam issues in many years to come. The WCD used the results of high quality reviews, public hearings and thorough information gathering to substantially support both its analysis and its recommendations.

The WCD offers the first in-depth global review of current dam performances. It shows that dams have made an important contribution to development, but have also had significant, widespread and often irreversible social and environmental impacts. Social impacts (especially on downstream populations) continue to be underestimated, and it is most likely that dams can disproportionately affect vulnerable groups when no adequate compensation is offered.

The report clearly shows the limitations of past cost-benefit analysis and predictions. In the future, these must be combined with multi-criteria and risk assessment analysis. Given that water resources will need to be further developed, the report especially emphasises the importance of finding ways to mitigate all adverse impacts of dams on downstream human populations and ecosystems. The WCD supports an improved monitoring and evaluation framework to increase our understanding of the effectiveness of dams. In this respect, the report provides a unique opportunity to correct many of the mistakes made in the past, for example by implementing artificial releases and maintaining environmental flows to sustain aquatic ecosystems and resources.

The WCD report identifies a range of generally realistic alternatives for meeting energy and water needs. It often promotes well-known and emerging sensible options. More importantly, it supports a decision-making process that will allow an adequate assessment of options whose viability may vary from region to region.

Dams are controversial because decision-making is often flawed and improved decision-making should thus lead to less controversy. Therefore, the report makes a strong case for fully participatory decision-making processes for water and energy development. Such processes would involve all stakeholders, including local communities and indigenous people that are directly affected by the projects. They should clearly be given more influence over decisions than has been the case so far. Improvement in participatory planning can offset the weight of economic analyses, and better compliance by implementing agencies should lead to further reduction of negative impacts.

The core values advocated in the report for improving decision-making, such as the rights and risks approach, the emphasis on options assessment (including go/no-go options), the insistence on the fundamental pillars of good governance - openness, participation and accountability - form an important and very practical contribution to development.

The strategic priorities, policy principles and guidelines for good practice are focused and provide a good checklist. They have been well received by the widest range of stakeholders, including a large share of the dam constituency and the media, who have provided numerous and generally positive comments. Nevertheless, there has been significant debate about the WCD report and disagreement remains over some of the recommendations.

IUCN believes that the recommendations must be used in good faith and to the largest extent possible. If necessary, they must be refined based on their observed effectiveness in different settings and on an analysis of their costs, including the cost of much-needed advocacy, capacity building and institutional development programmes.

The WCD report is an important tool for change. It is a matter for all stakeholders, including donors, borrowers and planners, to decide on how to internalise the recommendations and use them adaptively according to specific situations. In any case, a large-scale and concerted promotional effort will need to be made - especially with those governments that have seen the report as a challenge to their decision-making prerogative. The extent of implementation of the WCD recommendations will depend greatly on a continued dialogue with governments, civil society and the industry.

The IUCN expert group in charge of reviewing the WCD report has identified a number of critical areas where additional work is needed to improve on current and future dam planning, development and operations. IUCN is committed to address a number of these as part of its existing programme on dams and related water and energy infrastructure development. Therefore, acting in support of the WCD recommendations, IUCN will endeavour to adopt some of the following suggestions:

The WCD report and findings need to be widely disseminated, especially to government bodies that have the mandate to review existing procedures and regulations, including licensing. Since the report requires extensive reading beyond the reach of many groups, it needs to be effectively summarised for greater impact. At local level, materials in local languages and extension work will be needed.

Taking into account that the report is not a "final verdict on dams", the comprehensiveness of the knowledge base can be improved. Some more reviews could be undertaken to further understanding of the performances (and potential benefits) of old and new dams in both developing and developed countries, together with a thorough characterisation of regional and national contexts. Additional case studies on affected people, especially those located downstream from dams, on ways to improve impact prediction, on environmentally and economically viable alternatives for meeting energy, water and food needs, and on monitoring and evaluation procedures would certainly form new and important contributions to the existing knowledge base.

The report describes the beginning of a process. The decision-making framework will need to be further developed, tested, and amended in the light of real-life situations. This can ensure that the framework is absorbed quickly into the policies and practices of the different stakeholder organisations. The WCD recommendations are already being tested at several dam sites in Africa and Asia, and more of such initiatives would certainly be most welcome by a majority of stakeholders.

IUCN co-founded the World Commission on Dams with the World Bank and has a long-standing interest in ecosystem management, equitable sharing and sustainability. IUCN is therefore committed to foster implementation, adaptation and testing of the recommendations produced by WCD. To this end, it will use the full strength of its unique membership, which brings together 79 states, 113 government agencies, 754 NGOs, and some 10,000 scientists and experts from 181 countries in a unique worldwide partnership.