3rd Mekong Forum on Water, Food & Energy 2013. Presentation from Session 9: Managing the impacts of dams across cascades.

1. The Se San and Nam Theun/Nam Kading
Hydropower Dam Cascades
Managing for sustainability
Jeremy Carew-Reid, Peter Ward and Peter-John
Meynell
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2. Nam Theun/Nam Kading Basins
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3. Se San Basin
Gia Lai
 Large HP projects (> 30 MW): 6
 Small HP projects (<30 MW): 74
 Built: 33 projects
 Planned: 41
 Gia Lai authority revoked 9 projects
Kon Tum
 Large HP projects (> 30 MW): 2
 Small HP projects (<30 MW): 44
 Built: 9 projects
 Planned: 14
 Kon Tum authority revoked 21 projects
• Vietnam (64%) – Kon Tum
and Gia Lai
• Cambodia (36%) - Ratanakiri
and Stung Treng
• Catchment of 17,100 km2
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4. KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF CASCADE
AREAS
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5. Location of cascades
Key characteristics of cascades areas:
• Geographically and institutionally isolated and
poorly serviced
• Very high proportion of ethnic minority
communities
• Very high poverty levels in affected communes
• Very high biodiversity importance
• Relatively high projected climate change threats
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6. Poverty and hydropower
Catchment
Se San
Nam Theun Nam Kading
Province
Ethnic Minorities
% of population
Poverty %
Ethnic Minority
Poverty %
Kon Tum
Gia Lai
Ratanak Kiri
54
45
80
29
25
44
74
74
Very High
Stung Treng
Bolikhamxay
Xiang Khouang
15
28
52
47
52
55
Very High
Very High
Very High
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7. Poverty and
hydropower
Isolated
communities with
high poverty
incidence and
ethnic minority
populations
Gia Lai Kon Tum
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Ethnic minorities 45%
54%

8. Se San - biodiversity
•
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9. Nam Theun/Nam Kading: biodiversity
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10. Climate Change – Temperature and Rainfall
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11. 8-9%
increase in
rainfall
across the Se
San basin
Comfort zones
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12. Comfort zones
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13. UNWANTED AND UNPLANNED
IMPACTS OF THE CASCADES
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14. Impacts of existing and planned cascade dams in
Se San and Nam Theun - Nam Kading
In the affected areas, the cascades have:
 Reduced agricultural land area and production
 Required extensive resettlements and
dislocation
 Aggravated local poverty reduction efforts and
quality of life indicators especially in ethnic
minority communities
 Reduced biodiversity especially habitat
complexity and species
 Failed to consider the significant implications of
climate change
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15. Ecological impacts of the cascades
(all with livelihood and social wellbeing implications)
Alteration of natural water flow regimes has:
• Severely modified and reduced channel and
floodplain habitats;
• Disrupted timing of reproduction and other
life cycle stages in aquatic species;
• Broken lateral and longitudinal hydraulic
connectivity;
• Facilitated invasion of exotic and introduced
species
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16. IMPROVING CASCADE
PERFORMANCE
Agree on where we want to go – then
we can decide how best to get there
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17. Where are we going?
Sign posts for cascade sustainability
Broad management goals for dam reoperation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Mimicking natural flow conditions
Reactivating natural flood pulse and flow into floodplain
forests, wetlands and designated agricultural areas to reactivate
natural flood storage, nutrient disbursement , water purification
benefits and ecological benefits
Recovering fish and other wildlife populations valued for
livelihoods and biodiversity
Regaining habitat complexity by restoring the dynamic balance
between river erosion and sedimentation,
Restoring watershed condition and enhancing agricultural
productivity
Arresting and reversing losses in ecosystem and social integrity
associated with
a)
b)
c)
geomorphic imbalances;
cultural and spiritual uses of rivers; and
other socially valued products and services.
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18. Specific reoperation objectives
For each of the broad goals need reoperation
objectives/tasks which:
1. Are specific to the river and cascade
2. Have measurable target levels
3. Have specific dates for phased achievement,
4. Include target which can be achieved almost
immediately.
5. Define monitoring methods and frequency of
data collection
6. Define institutional responsibilities
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19. Regaining habitat complexity and biodiversity
Specific reoperation objectives
• Se San – the most important migratory fish for
catch has gone from the river - Henicorhynchus (2
species) – objective: (i) re-establishing upstream
migration for spawning of these indicator species
(eg by creating natural fish passes) (ii)
establishing sustainable populations
• Nam Theun - Nam Kading (fish migration may
not be feasible) – objective: establishing natural
fish biodiversity in reservoirs (increase spawning
habitats and access to tributaries for native
species) – need indicator species
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20. Maintaining social and cultural diversity
Specific reoperation objectives
Objectives:
1. Identify and maintain sacred places in the river
channels (eg waterfalls, islands, rapids, deep pools)
2. Establish community user groups for specific places
(eg fish conservation zones within and outside
reservoirs – artificial wetlands and natural deep
pools)
3. Establish benefit sharing cascade funds to go long
term to effected communities
4. Payment for ecosystem services to upstream
watershed management communities
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21. Reactivating natural flood flow
Specific reoperation objectives
Objectives
1. Identify and create flood relief areas on
original flood plain (total area, timing of
floods and management precautions)
2. Retain wetland ecosystem functioning
3. Mimic natural flood seasonality (eg for
triggering fish migration)
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22. Restoring geomorphic imbalances
Specific reoperation objectives
Objectives:
1. Increase sediment and nutrient mobilisation for
maintaining habitats and conditions for
productive use (habitat
stability, access, navigation) (restoring natural
conditions not feasible)
2. Mimic natural seasonal sediment/nutrient
content conditions
3. Maintain channel morphology and flushing by
coordinated seasonal short high intensity flow
releases (eg confluence of Nam Kading with
Mekong)
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23. Increasing agricultural production
Specific reoperation objectives
Objectives
Dam reoperation:
1. increase area of irrigated land (eg total potential irrigable
area in Se San is estimated at 28,348 ha)
2. Increase productivity from existing agricultural land
through appropriate irrigation regime (eg Se San needs
wet season irrigation)
3. Reservoir routing – reducing reservoir height prior to
floods (to mimic river flood conditions within reservoir)
Enhancing life of cascade reservoirs:
1. Reducing agricultural cultivation from unsuitable uplands
2. Increase forest cover and reduce soil erosion in uplands
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24. INSTITUTIONAL PREREQUISITES
FOR CASCADE SUSTAINABILITY
Achieving the reoperation objectives
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25. Institutional and management
challenges
• Need to move towards realising one foundation
principle:
Main obstacles:
1. Many plans and policies (with inconsistent and
competing objectives)
2. Many agencies (with defuse and overlapping
authority)
3. Single project orientation
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26. Nine obstacles to sustainability
1. A single project by project approach to development
2. No plans by river basin including all small, medium and large
scale projects
3. Limited cumulative and strategic environmental assessment
4. Too many agencies with overlapping and inconsistent
mandates and limited coordination and regulatory control
5. Private sector companies dominate river management
6. Lack of transparency in planning and decision making
7. Limited enforcement of environmental plans and safeguards
8. Lack of community participation in planning, assessment
and management
9. Short term perspective on financial and technical support to
affected communities and ecosystems
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27. Nine management responses for
sustainability
1.
2.
3.
A river basin agreement
A river basin management plan
A river basin regulatory authority to ensure:
a)
b)
c)
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Predictability of flows
Rigor and competence in strategy and techniques in managing flood
flows
Adherence to environmental and benefit sharing plans
A conservation off set arrangement and investment fund
A benefit sharing arrangement
A long term horizon in financing and support
An ongoing monitoring and response program to meet local
community and ecosystem needs
An open and transparent appeals mechanism
Expanded flood and flushing arrangements and environmental flows
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28. River Basin agreements
1. Se San River Basin Management International
agreement between Vietnam and Cambodia
2. Nam Theun/Nam Kading River basin management
policy
• Setting out broad management goals and specific
reoperation objectives covering:
1) power production;
2) ecological restoration and maintenance and
3) social diversity and benefit sharing
• An iterative process including design, negotiation
and redesign to achieve the agreed objectives
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29. River basin management plans
Setting out:
1. The goals and objectives
2. What will be constructed, when and where
3. Managing and regulating arrangements
4. The tasks for to achieve a balance in the three main
objectives – power production, ecological
maintenance and social equity
5. The distribution of financial benefits
6. Monitoring and evaluation program
7. Institutional arrangements, responsibilities and timing
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30. Cascade plan governing principles
• Net provincial economic gain: Provincial economies should not be
left worse off by the plan
• User pays: HP operators should contribute to meeting all direct and
indirect environmental and socio-economic costs of the plan
implementation in the long term
• Multiple use: HP projects with reservoirs should be designed and
managed for multiple use of water resources
• Safe operations: Implement operational regimes and institutional
arrangements to reduce droughts and floods and prepare for
disasters
• Net biodiversity gain: Avoid and minimize harm to biodiversity and
introduce conservation offsets
• Net gain in minority well being: Reduce poverty and increase food
security in affected minorities
• The precautionary principle: Take care to avoid permanent loss of
provincial assets
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31. Thank you
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