Gland, Switzerland, 5 November 2001 (IUCN) - IUCN - The World Conservation Union approved a Strategy for policy change and local action that will promote and implement the recommendations of the World Commission on Dams (WCD) for sustainable water resources and energy development.
During the 1990s, dam construction amounted to US$ 39 billion per year and, currently, there are 1700 dams under construction of which almost 500 in Brazil and over 700 in India. Dams have brought energy and water supply for many, but have also displaced downstream communities (40 - 80 million people) and caused environmental damage. Twenty per cent of fish species has become extinct due to the fragmentation of rivers.
The report of the WCD, published in November 2000, offers principles and guidelines for the decision-making process for dams and improvement of their performance. The IUCN Strategy takes these recommendations to (inter)national policy and local action. It is to ensure that dams are planned, constructed and operated in consultation with all stakeholders and that environmental damage is avoided. "The Strategy will help stakeholders to examine all options for development and, when dams are the best option, to avoid the problems we have seen in the past", says Yolanda Kakabadse, President of IUCN.
The Strategy follows the IUCN Statement on the WCD Report, the result of a thorough review of the WCD report by representatives from Governments, industry and civil society and experts with a variety of scientific backgrounds. They concluded: "The WCD Report is a major step in the debate on energy supplies and water resources development, and dams more specifically"; and: "IUCN believes that the recommendations must be used in good faith and to the largest extent possible."
This positive review led to the commitment to implement the findings of the WCD where it relates to IUCN's mandate on biodiversity, sustainable development and multi-stakeholder dialogues. At the same time, IUCN calls upon all parties involved in the WCD process, including the World Bank, to do the same. "Financiers, builders and planners must work with the WCD report. Especially the World Bank can do more on sustainable energy and infrastructure development. We believe that the forthcoming Water Resources Sector Strategy of the Bank must reflect its commitment to implement the WCD recommendations", says Director General Achim Steiner.
The Strategy will promote discussion and application of the WCD recommendations by Governments, financing institutions, donor agencies, the private sector, and non-governmental organisations. It will also implement ecological rehabilitation projects in many rivers where the ecosystem is affected by the construction of dams, such as the Logone river (Cameroon), Senegal river (Mauritania), and the Zambezi river (Southern Africa). "IUCN will collaborate with all committed stakeholders to avoid or mitigate the impacts of dams on biodiversity and livelihoods. Where rivers have been damaged, IUCN will help to restore them", says Jean-Yves Pirot, Co-ordinator of the IUCN Wetlands and Water Resources Programme.
Measures to mitigate or reverse the damage to downstream ecosystems and the livelihoods of local communities are available. The example of the Senegal river in Mauritania shows how fishers saw their annual catches decline to 10 tons because of a dam, and then increase to 110 tons after the introduction of artificial floods by IUCN and its national partners.
Finally, the experiences of measures that mitigate adverse impacts will be used to develop tools for the design and operation of dams. For instance, the question how much water is needed by the downstream ecosystem to sustain biodiversity and livelihoods will be examined and tools for public participation in planning will be developed.
The foreseen investment for the Strategy over the coming years is US$ 15 million, US$ 5 million of which has been secured from various sources, including the IUCN Water & Nature Initiative.
More information
Mr. Elroy Bos
Tel +41.22.999.0251
Fax +41.22.999.0025
Elroy.Bos@iucn.org
A copy of the IUCN Statement on the World Commission on Dams report and the IUCN Strategy on Dams are available from Elroy.Bos@iucn.org or http://iucn.org/themes/wetlands/WCD.html.
The WCD Report is available from http://www.dams.org and http://www.earthscan.co.uk/
Created in 1948, IUCN - The World Conservation Union brings together 77 states, 112 government agencies, 735 NGOs, 35 affiliates, and some 10,000 scientists and experts from 181 countries in a unique worldwide partnership. IUCN’s mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to con-serve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.
IUCN is the world's largest environmental knowledge network and has helped over 75 countries to prepare and implement national conservation and biodiversity strategies. IUCN is a multi-cultural, multilingual organisation with 1000 staff located in 42 countries. Its headquarters are in Gland, Switzerland.
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