Kathmandu, Jan.10:The new guidelines prescribed in the World Commission on Dams’ (WCD) report for the development of water and energy resources was received coolly by Nepalese planners, decision-makers and hydropower experts.
Almost all the speakers, at a one-day workshop meant to discuss WCD’s new policy framework for the development of water and energy resources, thought the priorities set by the report was ‘too’ good to be practically applicable in a country like Nepal.
The workshop was organised by Nepal Committee on Large Dams (NCOLD), Jalsrot Vikas Samstha (JVS), International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), Nepal Chapter and Nepal Hydropower Association (NHA). The fund for the preparation of the report was made available by the World Bank.
This response has come despite claims by the Report that its recommendations will develop a rationale and framework that reflects a comprehensive approach to integrating social, environmental and economic dimensions of development; create greater level of transparency and certainty for all involved; and increase the ability of nations and communities to meet their future water and energy needs.
The Report has recommended 7 Strategic Priorities, 5 key decision making points and 26 policy principles for decision-makers for the development of any future project related to water and energy.
The Report has also come down heavily on large dams saying, while big dams have not achieved their intended outcome or indeed produced unanticipated outcomes such as displacement of people, the cost of big dams being disproportionately borne by poor, indigenous and other vulnerable people and while these people bear the social and environmental costs and risks of the large dams they are the ones who are not getting the social and economic benefits.
It also said the selections of big dams are often in the interest and aspiration of politicians and centralised government agencies, international aid donors and the dam-building industry. “Project planning and appraisal of large dams was confided primarily to technical parametres and the narrow application of economic cost-benefit analysis, leaving outside the social and environmental impacts.”
At the workshop Janak Lal Karmacharya, a JVS member, briefed about the report.
Speaking from the panel, Mohan Man Sainju, Executive Director of IIDS and former Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission, said provisions mentioned in the report such as participatory approach of the stakeholders and integration of social, economic and environmental issues have institutionalised the development of the water and energy sector and are commendable.
However, he doubted about the implementation of the guidelines and policy principles in a least-developed country like Nepal. He said Nepal might not be in a position to comply with the guidelines mainly because of the limited infrastructural base and weak institutional capabilities. He even said global guidelines could not be per se for LDCs countries and the guidelines should be country specific. Sainju was also sceptical about adopting several provisions of the guidelines. “When we cannot have a full consensus on a small issue like finding a place for dumping garbage, it would be very difficult to get acceptance from all the stakeholders on a big project like the hydropower unit.”
Another panelist, Shanker Krishna Malla, former General Manager of Nepal Electricity Corporation, said the social and environmental issues had not cropped up in the 60s and 70s when majority of the world’s dams were constructed. He said dams made in the past had failed in many fronts of social, economic and environmental issues. On the stipulated guidelines, he said to adopt these guidelines in a country like Nepal, a lot of adjustments should be made in infrastructure and in institutional capabilities.
Another speaker from the panel P.P. Adhikary of the Nepal Hydropower Association said as Nepal has been implementing several provisions, such as empowering people and formulating legal frameworks, in the development of water and energy sources. “Complying with all the guidelines and the policy principles of the Report, will slow down the development process.”
He said the guidelines could at the most be a checklist rather than a manual for our future water and energy projects.
Arjun Prasad Shrestha, Project Manager of the Pancheswhor Multi-purpose Project said, an umbrella guideline to encompass all aspect of the project is necessary, but the Report went for all the nitty-gritty, which is not possible socially, economically and environmentally.
“We countries like Nepal need to go for all those recommendations the donor agencies should make adequate funds available,” he said. He also said the guidelines should bind not only the countries, but also the donor agencies.
Commenting on the Report, Bishwonath Sapkota, said the Report has targetted mainly the developing countries. The report is good but he doubted about its implementation.
Similarly, Surya Nath Upadhyaya, former secretary and presently the Chief Commissioner of the Commission for the Investigation of the Abuse of Authority said there are provisions in the report, which do not address the problems of a country like Nepal. For example, the provision of lower riparian benefit does not serve our basic interest.
Likewise, Santa Bahadur Pun, Special Officer on duty at the Ministry of Water Resources, also said there already are some guidelines, formulated by donor agencies like the World Bank, in place since the last 20 years and Nepal has been following those guidelines. “If the guidelines mentioned in the WCD’s report is adopted all our development project would be stalled.
Adopting the guidelines in this report could only be an expensive experiment after we have lost a lot of time on experiments, he said. Meanwhile, it was informed during the workshop that the World Bank is also going to organise a seminar on WCD’s report.