United Nations Environment Programme

--Kader Asmal, Chair

World Commission on Dams

By the release of its final report focusing on dam development issues, the World Commission on Dams is proclaiming a new democracy for international dam building.

In reaching agreement among its 12 commissioners, the Commission could do no less. The diverse perspectives represented by the commissioners necessitated that their deliberations produce a broad, inclusive result.

The Commission's report, "Dams and Development: A New Framework for Decision-Making," was released November 16, 2000. And, as Commission Chair Kader Asmal has declared, the "real work" must now begin. This work includes reducing the broad findings of the Commission into practical, implementable policies and practices. These, in turn, can lead to the creation of socially beneficial, politically acceptable, and affordable and financeable developments -- including new dam based water resource projects.

In recent years, many promising project initiatives have been stymied by seemingly unresolvable conflicts between parties favouring and opposed to dam construction projects. Financing institutions -- notably, the World bank -- have been unable to navigate through the noise of such conflicts and, consequently, have withdrawn support from many controversial schemes.

Now, WCD-derived principles promise to help in shaping work able development processes, clearing a path through the tangle of obstacles that have become a dominant focus of dam-building initiatives. And, while it would be foolhardy to expect the most strident anti-dam activists to become less clamorous, sensible processes embraced by many stakeholders can ultimately lead to serving real needs -- delivering water and electricity to an ever-increasing number of world citizens.

The landmark efforts of the Commission deserve thoughtful, open-minded consideration. Over the coming weeks and months, many reactions and responses to the Commission's final report will be forthcoming.

HRW is interested in your comments on the report. Please send by e-mail to: info@hcipub.com, or by fax to: (1) 816-931-2015.

Carl Vansant

Editor-in-Chief