Cambodia: Study faults contracts for dams' negative impacts

Cambodia: Study faults contracts for dams' negative impacts

Subpar project contracts may be to blame for the destruction of livelihoods
and changes to ecosystems caused by foreign-run hydropower dams, a new
report in the peer-reviewed journal Water has determined.

In a study of the Kamchay dam in Kampot province, operated by the Chinese
firm Sinohydro, researchers from the London-based School of Oriental and
African Studies (SOAS) found that industries relied upon by local
populations, such as bamboo collection and tourism, had been significantly
harmed by the dam.

"Villagers reported they are only able to collect a low quantity of bamboo
since the dam was built. This is because the old bamboo area has been
flooded and the new bamboo area is far away and difficult to access," the
paper reads. "The only livelihood alternative for the bamboo collectors is
to work as construction workers; however the income they can get is not
enough to support their family needs."

Guiseppina Siciliano, the study's main author, maintains that damage to
local ecosystems occurs when it's unclear who should take responsibility for
mitigating a dam's impact - a flaw inherent in the build-operate-transfer
(BOT) contracts favoured in Cambodia, which effectively assign companies
oversight of themselves. Altering contracts could prevent international
companies from flouting local environmental protection laws, she said.

"BOT contracts are more common where there isn't local expertise capable of
running a dam, and these are the most common in Cambodia," Siciliano said.
"This makes it very difficult to define who is responsible, and the way the
company communicates with the government is not very clear."

Instead, countries like Ghana hire foreign firms to run hydropower projects
using engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contracts, Siciliano
said. This allows the government to have more oversight.

"Things were done better in Ghana, the government was involved and
international standards were met," she said.

In the case of the Kamchay dam, for example, Sinohydro violated Cambodia's
environmental impact assessment law by failing to complete an assessment of
the dam until seven months after the project was completed, Siciliano noted.

Meanwhile, advocates say that Cambodia's government and hydropower companies
should communicate more closely with local residents.

"Right now, their assessments aren't open to local communities, and
sometimes they don't even do them," said Mory Sar of the Cambodian Youth
Network, which educates young people on the impact of dams. "The
consultation process isn't open and the voices of the people are ignored."

Un Chakrey, of the World Wildlife Foundation, agreed.

"We propose building smaller dams that would have a minor impact on the
river and only produce a little less electricity," he said. "But no one
listens."

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Ref:
http://m.phnompenhpost.com/national/study-faults-contracts-dams-negative-imp
acts

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com