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8/6/2019 Comments concerning the Environmental Impact Assessment and Social Impact Assessment documents provided fo
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CommentsconcerningtheEnvironmentalImpactAssessmentandSocial
ImpactAssessmentdocumentsprovidedfortheXayaburiHydroelectric
PowerProject,LaoPDR.August2010
ApublicdocumentpreparedbyTEAMConsultingEngineeringandManagementCo.LtdfortheProjectdevelopers,CH.KARNCHANGPublic
CompanyLtd.
By:DavidJ.H.Blake,PhDcandidate,SchoolofInternationalDevelopment,UniversityofEastAnglia,
U.K.Email:djhblake@yahoo.co.uk
Foreword
Iwritethisshortreportingoodfaithasaconcernedmemberoftheinternationalcommunitywho
haslivedandworkedinNortheastThailandandLaoPDRforoveradozenyears,includingpostsasa
wetlandstechnicaladvisorwiththeIUCN(TheWorldConservationUnion)ontheMekongWetlands
BiodiversityConservationandSustainableUseProgramme(MWBP),asasmall-scaleaquaculture
extensionadvisorwithaUnitedNationsDevelopmentProgramme(UNDP)projectinXayaburi
ProvinceandanindependentresearcheronanumberofhydropowerprojectsintheMekong
Region.Beyondmyprofessionalinvolvementwithcommunitydevelopment,naturalresources
conservation,aquaculture,fisheriesandrurallivelihoodsrelatedprojectsandresearchsince1990,I
havespentcountlesshoursbeside,onandinthewatersoftheMekongRiverandappreciatingits
richanddiverseculturesfromnorthernLaoPDRdowntotheDelta.Icandeclareapersonal
attachmenttotheMekongthatisdeep,enduringandethereal.Hence,Iamonlytooconsciousofthefactthatitisnotonlyaneconomiclifelineformillionsofpeopledependentonitsnaturalbounty
fortheirlivelihoods;italsooccupiesthespirituallivesofmanyothersastheMotherofWaters.
Thus,eventhoughIcurrentlylivefarawayfromtheMekongsshores,IbelievethatItooshould
haveaminorstakeinthedecisionsthataremadetodayaboutwhatkindofconditionitishandedon
tofuturegenerations.Inshort,theMekongRivertranscendsitsgeographicalbordersandtouches
thelivesandthoughtsofunknownnumbersofpeoplearoundtheworld.
Contents
Foreword...............................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................2
CommentsoncontentofEIAregardinglivelihoods..............................................................................5
Generalcomments..............................................................................Error!Bookmarknotdefined.
Scopeofstudy.....................................................................................Error!Bookmarknotdefined.
CommentsoncontentofSIAregardinglivelihoodsandmitigationandcompensationmeasures
proposed..............................................................................................................................................14
MajorgapsanddeficienciesinEIA/SIA...............................................................................................18
Conclusions..........................................................................................................................................22
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BIBLIOGRAPHY.....................................................................................................................................23
Summaryofmainpoints
TheEIAandSIAdocumentscompiledbytheconsultingcompanyhiredbytheprojectdeveloperare
ofastandardthatwouldbasicallybeunacceptableinmostnationsoftheworld,astheyaretoo
spatio-temporallynarrowinscope,lackimportantdetailanddonotadequatelytakeintoaccount
theseverityofimpactsanticipatedfromsuchamajorinfrastructureprojectonamajorinternational
river,thatisnotedasthemostimportantfreshwaterfisheryintheworld.Specifically,thefollowing
mainweaknessesnotedfromthetwodocumentsaresummarisedbelow:
TheimportanceandpivotalroleoflocalfisheriesontheMekongaspartoflocallivelihoodsarepoorlyunderstoodandundervaluedinthereports,perhapsduetoinadequate
assessmentmethodsandapproach.
TheextentofpredictedenvironmentalimpactsintheEIAisassumedtobeconfinedtojusttheimmediatedamareaandupstreamheadpond-reservoir,butignoresthefarwidereco-
hydrologicalimpactspredictedbyfisheryexpertsforlongdistancesupanddownstreamof
thedam.Asaresult,communitieslyingfurtherafieldwillbeimpactedthroughdiminished
livelihoodstoo,butarenotcurrentlyconsideredinthecompensationandmitigation
proposals.
Intermsofimpactseverity,theEIApredictsthatimpactswillvarybetweenmoderatefortheaquaticecology/fisheryandsurfacewaterqualitycomponents,tominorforallothercomponents(seeAnnex1).Inmostcases,itbelievestheseimpactswillbeconfinedtojust
theconstructionphaseandtherewillbefewongoingimpactsduringtheoperationphase,
bywhichtimelivelihoodswillhavebeenrestoredbyaresettlementprogramand
environmentalmanagementplan.TheexperienceatotherdamsintheMekongregion
suggeststhatthisisanover-optimisticassessmentandtheperiodoflivelihoodrestoration
maytakeseveraldecades,ifatall.
Mitigationmethodsproposedtorestoreimpactedmigratoryfisheriesareclearlyinadequateandplacetoomuchfaithinfishpasstechnology,whichhasprovedunsuccessfulontributary
damsandiswidelybelievedtobeunfeasibleontheMekongmainstream,whilefishstocking
hasneverbeenproventoworkatsuchreservoirs,whereriverinehabitatsaremassively
simplifiedanddegraded.
TheEIAandSIAdonotseemtohavetakenintoaccounteitherthelessonslearnedatotherprojectsintheregion(e.g.Theun-HinbounincentralLaoPDR;PakMuninNortheast
Thailand)termedasrun-of-riverprojects;orthewiderobservationsontherisks
associatedwithmainstreamdamscontainedintheMRCsStrategicEnvironmental
Assessment(SEA);orawiderangeofotherdocumentsavailableregionallyand
internationallyontheimpactsoflargedamsontropicalriversystemsanddependent
populations,thatmighthavehelpedtheconsultantscontextualisethedamslikelyimpacts
somewhatmoreaccurately.
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INTRODUCTION
Thecommentscontainedintheshortreportthatfollowsisasubmissiontothepriorconsultation
processoftheProceduresforNotification,PriorConsultationandAgreement(PNPCA),asoutlinedin
the1995MekongAgreement,signedbythefournationsoftheLowerMekongBasin,thatconstitute
theMekongRiverCommission(MRC).ThesecommentsaremadeinadvanceoftheMRCJoint
Councilmeetingtobeheldon19April2011toconsideradecisionconcerningtheXayaburi
HydroelectricPowerProjectinnorthernLaoPDR.Thecommentsprincipallyaddressthelivelihoods
aspectsoftheEnvironmentalImpactAssessment(EIA)andSocialImpactAssessment(SIA)submitted
byTEAMConsultingEngineeringandManagementCoLtd(henceforthTEAM)totheXayaburiproject
developerCh.KarnchangPublicCompanyLimited(henceforth,Ch.Karnchang),aspartofthe
statutoryrequirementsrelatingtolargeinfrastructuredevelopmentunderLaoPDRlaw.Both
documentsarepublicallyavailablefordownloadfromtheMRCswebsite
(http://www.mrcmekong.org/)havingappearedonlyinlateMarch2011,althoughthedocumentsaredatedAugust,2010,suggestinganunacceptabledelayinreleasingthemintothepublicdomain,
andlessthanamonthbeforetheenddateofthepublicconsultation(PC)process.Hence,these
commentsaremadeinsomehasteandarenotsupposedtobecomprehensive,butonlypointout
someofthemajordeficienciesthatexistinthesedocuments.
TheEIAandSIAmakenoreferencetotheMRCsStrategicEnvironmentalAssessment(SEA)of
hydropowerprojectsonthemainstreamMekong,akeydocumentpreparedbetweenMay2009and
September2010,whenthefinalreportwaspublished.NeitherdotheEIA/SIAauthorsmakeuseof
theextensivecollectionofMRCstechnicalreportsdetailinglivelihoodsandenvironmentalissues,
especiallyrelatedtofisheries,withtheexceptionofone2002report.TheomissionofanyreferencetotheSEAdocument,itsfindings,conclusionsandrecommendations,manyofwhichwereavailable
andpartofapublicconsultationprocesswellbeforeTEAMsEIAandSIAwerecompletedisamatter
ofimportancethatcannotbeunderstated.ThediscrepanciesbetweentheEIAandSIAfindingsand
conclusionsintermsofpotentialdamimpactsonlivelihoodsofpeople,notjustlocallyinthe
immediatedamvicinity,butacrossnationalboundariesdownstreamtocommunitiesinThailand,
LaoPDR,CambodiaandVietNamaretoostarktobeignoredordownplayed.
SomepreliminaryremarksconcerningtheMekongRiverandlocallivelihoods
BeforeaddressingtheEIAandSIAdocumentsthemselves,itwouldbeinstructivetoraisesome
widelyacknowledgedgeneralfactsandcommonunderstandingsabouttheMekongRiverandits
crucialroleinthelivelihoodsofmillionsofpeople,livingbothnexttoorneartheriveranddirectly
dependentonitforincomeandsubsistence,orlivingmoredistantfromtheriverandlessdirectly
dependentonitsecosystemservices.ThesearegermanetoanydiscussionofanyMekong
mainstreamdamproject,duetotheimplicationstoanydisruptiontotheriversnaturalflowand
sedimentregimeandbarrierimpactstofishmigrations.Themostimportantareoutlinedbelow:
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ThelivelihoodsandfoodsecurityofthemajorityofpeoplelivingintheLowerMekongBasinarecloselylinkedtotheMekongRiversystemandthenaturalresourcesitsupports.
Approximately60millionpeopleliveintheLowerMekongBasin,mostlyinruralcommunitiesandmanyofwhomarevulnerabletoecosystemshockswithrelativelyfew
alternativelivelihoodchoicesopen,beyondurbanmigration.
TheMekongRiversystemisrecognisedtobethelargestfreshwaterfisheryintheworld,withanestimatedyieldof2.6milliontonnes.ThismakesitmoresignificantthantheNorth
Seafishery.
ThemajorityoftheMekongsvaluablefisheriesarebasedonlongandmediumdistancefishmigrationsforspawning,feedingandlife-cyclecompletionreasons,includingdownstream
eggandlarvaldrifts.
Thevalueofthefisheryisestimatedtobeworthover$3billionatfirst-salevalue.Thisexcludesavastregionalnetworkandindustryofvalue-addingandprocessingthatsee
Mekongfishandfishproductsmoveacrossnationalborderstofeedandemploypeople,
economicallysupportingcommunitieshundredsoreventhousandsofkilometresfromthepointofcapture.
TheincredibleproductivityoftheMekongscapturefisheriesarebasedonitsnaturalflowregime,orfloodpulse,withthetiming,durationandextentoffloodingcriticalto
maintaininglifecyclesandhabitatsofnumerouseconomicallyimportantspecies.Equally
importanttothefloodsaremaintenanceofdryseasonflowsanddeeppoolhabitatsintheir
naturalstate,thatactasrefugesformanyspeciesoffish.
Alteredflow,nutrientandsedimentregimesassociatedwithso-calledrun-of-riverdamsorbarragesonotherriversintheMekongBasinhavebeendocumentedascausinga90%
declineincatchesintheprojectarea,suchaswasrecordedatthePakMunDaminThailand.
Therehavebeenfrequentreportsofdeclinesinfishcatches(bothintermsofdiversityandquantitativemeasures)andotheraquaticresourcesharvestedaffectinglivelihoodsof
populationsinthepartsoftheMekongBasininnorthernThailandandLaoPDRsituated
downstreamofYunnan,sincethestartofadambuildingprogrammeinChinaintheearly
1990s.
Naturalfloods,seasonalflowsandsediment-nutrientregimesareconsideredessentialformaintainingsoilfertilityandnatural/agro-ecosystemproductivityandhealthonfloodplain
wetlandsystemsintheLowerMekongBasin,includingthepopulousMekongDeltain
CambodiaandVietnam.Riceandothercropyields,alongwithmanywildplantsharvested
byripariancommunitiesarepartlydependentonthesedimentsandnutrientstransportedanddepositedbytheriverduringannualfloodingepisodes.
TheMRC(2010)StateoftheBasinreportnotes,DamsareabarriertofishmigrationsupanddownriversandmainstreamdamsinthemiddleandlowerreachesoftheMekong
couldaffectmorethanseventypercentoftheBasinscatch.Fishpassesandother
mitigationmeasuresareregardedaslargelyineffectualandproblematicwithfishmigrations
ofthecomplexityanddamsofthescaleandheightproposedfortheMekong.Therearefew
mitigationsuccessstoriesintheregiontodrawfrom,butmanyfailures.
Theriverisfacingnumerousenvironmentalthreatsbeyondthoseposedbydamsalone,buttheimpactsofdamsandotherflow-blockingbarrages(mainstreamandtributary)both
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compoundandaddtotheseotherthreats,simplifyingcomplexecosystemsthatsupport
humanandnaturallifefarbeyondtheimmediateconfinesoftheriveritself.
TheSEAhasrecommendedthatanydecisiontoproceedwiththeproposedmainstreamdamsispostponedforatleasttenyears,untiltheimplicationsofbuildingevenasingledam
acrosstheMekongarebetterunderstood.
Itisagainstthisbasiccontextandsetofunderstandingsabouttheresourceanddependenthuman
populationsthatIexaminetheEIA/SIAdocuments.Onemighthaveimaginedthatacknowledging
someoralloftheseeasilyobtainablefactualstatementswouldhavebeenthestartingpointfor
objectivelyandimpartiallyexaminingthepotentiallivelihoodimpactsoftheXayaburiHydropower
Projectfortheconsultantsthemselves,giventheresponsibilitiesandriskstheirtaskentailed.But
apparently,theypreferredtoapproachthewiderMekongRiverinavirtualinformationvacuumthat
mighthavebeenappropriateforadomesticThaidamprojectsomethirtyyearsagoandchooseto
ignorethewealthofinformationresourceseasilyavailablefromasimpleInternetsearchorinthe
MRClibrary,forinstance,thattheymighthavedrawnontoatleastmaketheirreportappearslightly
moreintellectuallyhonestandcredible.
CommentsoncontentofEIAregardinglivelihoods
Sectionsofreportwithpassagesrelatingtolivelihoodscomponentconsideredrelevant:
Chapter4: ExistingEnvironmentalConditions
Chapter5: EnvironmentalImpactAssessment
Chapter6: MitigationMeasures
Chapter7: MonitoringProgram
Chapter8: ConclusionsandRecommendations
ThefirstimmediateobservationisthattheEIAreportisverysparseondetailconcerninglivelihoods
impactsoftheproposeddamproject.Atthesametime,itcontainsmuchinformationthatisfrankly
irrelevant,out-dated,toogeneralorofmarginalimportancetoanyonewishingtolearnaboutwhatthedamsmainenvironmentalimpactsarelikelytobeandwhattheseimplytothelivelihoodsof
affectedpopulations.Wholesectionsorfieldsofcriticalinformationnormallyrequiredtomakean
evenpartly-informeddecisionregardingsuchacostly,complexandwide-reachinginfrastructure
projectappeartobemissing.Itisclearlybasedonaverylimitedtimeframeoffieldwork,thatwould
nothaveallowedmorethanafleetinginsightintothelivesofthepeopleandcommunitiestobe
impacted,orhowtheirlivelihoodsrelatetoanddependontheriverineandterrestrialresourcesto
beimpacted.Inshort,itlacksintellectualdepth,breadthandrigourinmethodologyandanalysis.
Somemajorlimitationsidentified:
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Geographicalandtemporalscopeofstudy
TheEIAteamconductedspatiallyandtemporallyverylimitedfieldworkandconsideredimpacts
arisingoverafractionoftheprobableimpactzonesarisingfromtheproject.Thesearenotedbelow,
underthesectionheadersprovidedintheEIA:
AquaticEcology,FisheriesandAquaculture(Section4.2.1)
Conductedafieldworksurveyatjust6sitesintotal.Thesearelocatedinarangestretchingonthe
mainstreamfromjust2kmsdownstreamoftheproposeddamsiteto20kmsupstream.No
samplingtookplaceontributariesatall.Thisisinadequatetomakeanyconclusionsaboutthelocal
fisheries,muchlessthelargerpictureaboutpotentialimpactsalongtheXayaburitoLuangPrabang
stretchoftheMekongriver.Basedonthefactthatthereservoirheadpondextends102kms
upstreamfromthedamandtheimpactzonesfromthedamwillextendmanyhundredsof
kilometresupstreamanddownstreamofthedam,affectingfishmigrationsandaquaticecologyin
general,theneverysinglevillageinthevariousimpactzonesupstreamanddownstreamfromthe
damshouldbesurveyedin-depth.Thiswouldbeusualpracticeinanytransboundaryimpactproject
EIA.ThiswouldimplysurveyingvillagesinbothLaoPDRandThailandtogetareasonablebaseline
pictureofthecurrentsituationfromwhichtopredictimpacts.
Thesurveyswereconductedoveraperiodofjust3days(23-25November,2007)intheearlydry
seasonand4daysinthelatedryseason(10-14March,2008),whichisaninadequatetimeperiodto
getmorethanabriefsnapshotoffisheriesactivityandimportance.TheEIAteamconductedlimited
netsamplingoffishpopulationsatahandfuloflocationsonly.Thecapturefisheriescomponent
shouldnormallybestudiedindepthacrosstheentireimpactzonesupstreamanddownstreamover
everymonthandflowcondition,ideallyduringthecourseofperhaps5-6yearsminimumperiodto
establishabaseline.Periodscoincidingwithpeakfishmigrationsareparticularlyimportantand
requireaspecialfocus.Withoutsuchharddata,theprojectdeveloperswillinevitablyopen
themselvesuptocriticismandpossiblelaterclaimsforcompensationfromfishingcommunitiesand
otherstakeholdersthatbelievetheyhavesufferedlossesasaresultofthedamsoperations,bothin
andoutsideofLaoborders.Thedeveloperthereforeneedstobefullyawareofbaselinefisheries
dataagainstwhichclaimsmightbejudged.
TerrestrialEcology(Section4.2.2)
ForestResources:
Temporally,thesurveyworkforthissectionappearstohavebeencompletedinjusta5-dayperiod
inJanuary2008.Nofurtherfollow-upworkisnoted.TheEIAestimatesthatover57km 2oflandwill
belosttotheconstructioncampandassociatedarea,damsitearea,transmissionlinecorridorand
newaccessroad(p.3-3)duringtheconstructionphase(8years),buttheimplicationsofthisarenot
properlyinvestigatedintheEIA.
Thissectionusessamplingmethodsthatarenotfitforpurpose,astheydidnotinvolvethe
participationofvillagersandwerenottriangulatedagainstothermorebalancedmethods.The
estimateof165speciesofplantsinthefloodimpactedzoneofthereservoirislikelyaseriousunder-
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estimate,giventheknownfar-widerplantbiodiversityfoundinMekongriparianvegetation
communitieselsewhere 1.
WildlifeResources:
BasedonfieldsurveyworkcarriedoutinJanuary2008only(numberofdaysnotspecified).Only
considers4majorvertebrateclassesbirds,mammals,amphibiansandreptiles.Identifiesmostly
commonandabundantspecies.Likelyanunder-estimateofactualwildlifediversitypresentinarea
surveyed,andreliestooheavilyondirectobservationandnotenoughonvillagerinformation,which
surelywouldhaveincreasedthespecieslistconsiderably.Doesnotspecifyhabitatlocationsof
speciesidentifiedandappearstoconfinestudytotheimmediatevicinityofdamsiteandpossibly
alongheadpond.Doesnotconsiderimpactofaccessroads,contractorscamp,transmissionline
routeandothergrossdisturbanceaspectsexpectedfromdamproject.
LandUse/Agriculture(Section4.3.1)
StudyonlyscopedvillagesupstreamofdamsitesituatednexttoMekongRiverlyinglowerthan275
masl.Thiscoveredonly10villagesandakilometre-widestretchalongbothbanksoftheriver
upstreamofthedam,thatwasapparentlysurveyedinjust3days.Table4.3.1-1notesthatthe
surveydidnotincludewithintheriverchannelitself,thusexcludingriverbankvegetablegardens
fromthesurvey,animportantpartofvillagerlivelihoodsinthedryseason(eventhoughtheseagro-
ecosystemsarerepresentedinphotos).Theresultsgivenareverysuperficialandatagrosslevelof
analysis,notbrokendownbyvillageandriverreachastheyshouldbe.Itappearstototallydisregard
villagesdownstreamofthedamasbeingimpactedbyalteredflowregimesaffectingdryseason
riverbedandbankagricultureanddoesnotadequatelyrepresentvillageslyingfurtherupstream
thannearBanXalanandBanXinginLuangPrabangprovince.
Mineralresources(Section4.3.2)
ScantandirrelevantsecondarydataprovidedonmineralresourcesfoundelsewhereinLaoPDR,
withminimalempiricaldatafromtheimpactzone.Mentionsjustonesinglevillageinafewphotos
BanPakPhairecordingvillagerssievingforgoldalongthebanksofMekongindryseason.No
attempttospatiallyortemporallyrecordtheactivitiessurroundingthisorotherlocalmineral
resources,thatwillbeimpactedbythedamproject,eitherupordownstream.Forexample,useof
sand,gravelorrocksfromtheriverchannelforlocalconstructionarenotrecorded,whichcould
haveaseriousknock-oneffecttolocaldevelopmentoptionsiftheywerelost.
Transportation&Navigation(Section4.3.3)
1Forexample,JamesMaxwellidentified731speciesofplantfromtheSiphandonewetlandsinsouthernLaoPDRduring1997-98,albeitfromanareaofhigherhabitatdiversity(Daconto,2001).
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Providesonlysuperficialprimarydata,coupledwithsomeverygeneral,secondaryinformation,that
isoflimiteduseinunderstandingprojectimpactsonpeopleslivelihoods.Mostlyfocusedonlarger
commercialboattransportation.Nobreakdownofboatownership(includingfishingboats)and
trafficbyvillage(localorcommercial),withimportancetohouseholdsocio-economicsorwider
economy.Whowillbeimpacted,where,forhowlongandhow?Willthedamimpairriverboat
trafficorwillitbefacilitatedbyhigherwaterlevels?Willnewaccessroadsmaketravelandtransport
fromvillagessimpler,faster,cheaperorwillsomevillagesorhouseholdsloseout?Willtheelevated
waterlevelsfloodexistingroadsoraccessroutesandifso,where?Whatwillbethesocio-economic
impactontheferrycrossingareaatThaDeua?Willfluctuatingflowscausedbydiurnalchangesin
powergenerationhaveanoperationalimpactonboattrafficandsafetyofpeopleandproperty
downstream?Willunderwaterhazards(e.g.rockoutcropsandreefs)becomemoredangerousto
navigation?Howwillimpactsbefeltamongstdifferentsocio-economicgroups?
ImpactspredictedinEIA
AquaticEcology,FisheriesandAquaculture(Section5.2.1)
Thereportmistakenlybelievesthat:Transformationofthehabitatofariverwithrapidsintoto
standingecosystem[sic]duetoimpoundmentwillnotoccurforXayaburiHydroelectricPower
Projectduetorun-of-the-riverscheme.Thislow-impactmythofrun-of-riverdamsisnot
supportedbyanyevidenceandifTEAMconsultantswouldlikesomeevidenceoftheimpactsof
rapidsbeingtransformedbysuchprojects,thentheyneedgonofurtherthanstudytheWorld
CommissiononDamsreportonthePakMunDam(Amornsakchaietal,2000)andmanyotherstudiesdoneshowingmultiple,seriousimpactsfromsuchlowstoragedams(e.g.Roberts1993;
2001).Thereportauthorsarealsolabouringunderseveralothercommonmisconceptions,not
supportedbyevidenceintheMekongBasin,namelythatfishproductivitywillbeimprovedinthe
upstreamheadpond,thattheriverinespeciesfoundintheMekongriverinthatareaareadaptable
toreservoirconditions,thatbiodiversitywillnotbeadverselyimpactedbythehabitatandflow
changescausedbythedam,andthatfisherswillbeabletosimplyadapttheirfishingtechniquesand
toolstotakeadvantageofthenewfisheryconditions.Allofthesearefallaciousandhavebeen
debunkedmanytimesbefore,butarestillpersistentamongsthydropower-tameconsultants.The
EIAalsomistakenlyassumesthatafishpassfacilitywillallowpassageofMekongfishmigrations
overaheightdifferentialof24m,somethingwhichmostexpertsconcurishighlyunlikely(referto
ICEM,2010).ThenetresultofthesemisconceptionsisthattheEIAisunabletopredictthelikely
impactstofisheriesandaquaticresourcesthatwilloccur,ifthedamprojectisallowedtoproceed.
Therefore,thedeveloperitselfandtheLaogovernmentdecision-makersarebeingpoorlyservedby
notbeingprovidedwithcorrectandfactualinformation2.However,mostatriskfromthepoor
qualityassessmentworkofTEAMarethehundredsofcommunitiesacrossnationalboundariesthat
2Bycontrast,theFisheriesExpertGroupwhocontributedtothePriorConsultationProjectReviewReportof
theMekongRiverCommissionSecretariatfoundthat,theproposeddamandreservoiratXayaburicould
affectbetween23and100speciesincludingfiveintheIUCNRedlistofThreatenedSpeciesandcouldpossiblyleadtotheextinctionofthenaturallyoccurringGiantMekongCatfish,whichwouldnotbeabletomigratepast
thedam,evenwithafishladderinplace.
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willbeseverelyimpactedasaresultofthedamprojectproceeding,andmaywelldemand
compensationfromthedeveloperatalaterdate.
TheEIAfailstoadequatelyconsiderdirectandindirectimpactsofotheraspectsofthehydropower
projectonaquaticresourcesandfisheries,especiallyroadbuildingandtransmissionline
constructiononstreamsandotherwatercourses,whichisaseriousoversight.
TerrestrialEcology(Section5.2)
Forestresources:
Expectsimpactstobeminorandlocalised.Onlyconsidersandvaluesdirectlossoftreesto
constructionactivityandalongbanksofheadpondinfloodzone.Seriouslyunderestimatesserious
impactsonlocalcommunitiesthatrelyontheseresources,inparticularthelossanddegradationof
non-timberforestproducts(NTFPs) 3.Mistakenlyassumestherewillbesomepositivebenefitsof
raisedwaterlevelsgreeningriparianforestandincreasingbiodiversity.
Wildliferesources:
Believesimpactsonwildliferesourceswillbeatalowlevel.Butasithaslikelyseriously
underestimatedthelocalbiodiversity(quantitativelyandqualitatively)bybeinghighlyselectiveinits
surveymethods,thenitwillalsobeunderestimatingtheimpactsonlivelihoodsofcommunitiesand
households.Theseimpactscouldbeexpectedtobeseriousatthelocallevel,especiallynearthe
damsiteandalongtheaccessroad,notonlybyconstructionactivitiesdirectly,butbyincreased
huntingpressureonbothaquaticandterrestrialwildlifebythousandsofconstructionworkersandcampfollowersbroughtintotheareaoveranumberofyears,whichwillhaveasignificantripple
effectonwildlifedepletioninSayabouryandLuangPrabangprovincesfarbeyondtheimmediate
damsiteandheadpond.Thiswillinevitablyaffectlocallivelihoodsandfoodsecurity.Theredoesnot
appeartobeanymentionofissuessurroundingtheenvironmentalimpactsofandsubsequent
managementoftheconstructioncampandattendantfollowerissuesintheEIA,duringthe7-8year
predictedconstructionphase.Thiswillcausemultipleandseriousimpacts,especiallyonwildlife
resourcesthatwillhaveafootprintfarwiderthanpresentlyrecognisedinthedocuments.
LandUse/Agriculture(Section5.3.1)
Recognisessomelossoflivelihoodbenefitstovillagersfromlossanddegradationofagricultural
land,forestresources,biodiversity,accessandgrazinginthevillagesthatloselandtoconstruction
activitiesandreservoirflooding.Assumesimpactsareminorandlocalised.Doesnotquantifythese.
Statesthat10villagesonlywillhavetopartiallyortotallyresettle.NotesthatthevillagesofBan
KhokYai,BanHouayXong,BanPakLanofNanDistrict,LuangPrabangwillhavetoberelocated
entirelyduetoflooding.Describesthisimpactasmoderate.Mentionsthat29villageswilllosedry
seasonvegetablegardenstothereservoir.Doesnotquantifythese.
3SomeofthemoreimportantNTFPsarenotedbrieflyintheSIAonp.4-13to4-15,butthescaleoftheircontributionstolocallivelihoodsisnotadequatelyassessed.
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Describesimpactsofaccessroadsandtransmissionlineconstructionasbeingoflowlevelduring
constructionandoperationperiod.Doesnotquantifythese.Failstodescribeimpactofconstruction
camp/sonlocallanduse,agricultureandlivelihoods.
MineralResources(Section5.3.2)
Statesthattherewillbeimpactsfromfloodinginthereservoirzoneonlyon25villageswherepeople
areinvolvedindryseasongoldpanning.Doesnotquantifynumberofhouseholdsorincomes.Does
notmentiondirectcompensationforlossoflivelihoodopportunity,butrecommendsincome
restorationactivitiesbecarriedout.Believesoverallimpactsduringdamconstructionandoperation
willbeminor.Ignorespotentialimpactsdownstreamtogoldpanningandothermineralabstraction
activitiesallalongtheMekong,suchasdiggingsand,gravelandrocks4.
Transportation/Navigation(Section5.3.3)
EIAbelievesthattherewillbemoderatelevelimpactsonrivernavigationduringconstructionperiod
duetoobstructionofboats,butrivertransportationwillreturntonormalduringdamoperationdue
toinstalmentofnavigationlockatbarragethatwillaccommodateboatsupto60tonnes
deadweight.Doesnotspecifywhethersmall,localboatswillhavetherightsofpassageorhowthey
willbeimpactedbythismassiveconstructionproject?Containsverylittleinformationfromwhichit
ispossibletodrawanyconclusionsconcerninglivelihoodsofthosehouseholdsthatrelyonthe
Mekongfortransportationandfishing,includingthebasisforlowlevelimpactpredictedbythe
EIA.
PublicHealthandNutrition(Section4.4.1)
Thissectionhasverylittletoreportonthelinksbetweentheaquaticandterrestrialnatural
resourcesthatwillbedirectlyimpactedbythedamandhumanhealthandnutrition.Thisisa
remarkableoversight.
InSection5.4.1,theEIAsuperficiallynotessomeofthenegativesocialandhealthimpactsalarge-
scaledamconstructionprojectcanbringtolocalcommunities.Theseareofaverygenericnature
andarenotdealtwithinsufficientdetailorscopetogivearealisticpicture,giventhescaleand
budgetoftheproject.Likewise,itunderstatesthepotentiallevelofsocio-economicimpacts
resultingfromtheaccessroadand200kmhighvoltagetransmissionlineconstructionand
subsequentoperationonnearbycommunities,whichcancausearangeoflivelihoodandpublic
healthexternalities.
4ThisissueispickedupintheSIA,whereitisnotedthatinBanHouayDua,NanDistrict(p.4-10)localpeople
digsandandgravelbetweenJanuarytoMayeachyear,earninganincomeofabout50,000
kip/household/day.InBanPakKhon,NanDistrict,(p.4-16)theaverageincomefromsandandgravelextractionisnotedtobeonaverage200,000kip/hh/dayandthereisonecommercialsanddiggingconcessionherewhich
reportedlyearnstheowner350millionkipperannum.
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Aesthetic/Tourism/Archaeology(Section5.4.2)
Includessomeirrelevanthistoricalandtourist-orientedinformationofthesortthatcanbefoundin
guidebooksforareasofLaoPDRlyingoutsidetheimpactzones,butverylittleharddataofdirectrelevancetotheriverstretchinquestionandupstream/downstreamimpactsofdamproject.Inthe
damsiteareaandupstreamalongthereservoirimpactzonetheEIAprovidessomelowquality
generalinformationonacoupleofculturalortourism-relatedsites,butgivesnorealsenseoftheir
socio-economicorculturalimportance.Itisnotedhowever,thatthereappearstobeariversidesite
(namedPhaDaeng)ofsomeculturalandspiritual/religioussignificancelocatedjustupstreamof
thedamsite.ApparentlytheChaoPhoPhaDaengshrineandmuchofthelowerpartofthesite
wouldbeinundatedbythereservoir(p.5-25).Inaddition,alltempleslyingbelowanaltitudeof280
mwillbeinundated,accordingtotheEIA.AnimportantculturalsiteinfrontofChompetTemple
oppositeLuangPrabang,usedduringtheNewYearsfestivitiesbytownspeopleandtourists,would
befloodedbythereservoirandlostforfutureuse.
OtherQualitativeaspectsoffindings
Unsystematicdatagathering-TheEIAappearstohavecopiedsectionsverbatimfromMRCreports
5,oftenwithlittleornorelevancetothelocalstudybutofaverygeneralnature.It
providesnexttonoaquaticecologydatafromthelocalareaupstreamanddownstreamof
thedaminthedirectimpactzone,nordetailsofhowlocalcommunitiesutilisethe
biodiversityaspartoftheirlivelihoods.Theauthorsappeartohavehadlittleexperienceinaskingtherightquestions,collectingthedatanecessaryforafisherycomponent,or
appreciatingthescaleoftheproblemtheyareconfrontedwithinassessingsuchalargeand
importantriversystem.
Lowconfidencelevelindata-Itclaimsonly37speciesoffishwerecaughtduringitssampling,allofasmallsize,whichisbutafractionofthefishbiodiversityknowntoinhabit
thissectionoftheMekong,thushighlightingtheinadequacyoftheirsamplingmethod6.
Theycouldhaveeasilyfoundahigherfishspeciesrangebysamplingthefishinggearoflocal
fishersandlocalmarkets,thatwouldhaveprovidedafarbetterindicatorofthefisheries
diversity.Onemightexpectfishbiodiversityofatleast150speciescouldbeidentifiedwithin
afewdaysofsurveysbyrecognisedexpertsworkingwithlocalfishersalongthisstretch.
TEAMfailedtoprovideanydatawhatsoeveraboutlocalfishingmethodsandspeciescaught,
catchyields,incomesfromfishandotheraquaticorganisms,numbersoffullandpart-time
fishers,genderquestions,householdfishconsumption,fishmarketsorahostofother
relevantinformationrelatedtolocalfishinglivelihoods,atthepresenttimeandhistorically.
Whatlittledatathatisprovidedistotallyinadequateandpoorqualityinformationforany
5NB:NotallreportscitedareactuallylistedintheEIAReferencelist,whichcontainsonlyfourcitations.
6
ItshouldbenotedthattheSIAreportsthatfishinghouseholdscatchonaverage5kg/hh/timefromtheMekongatBanKhokYai,Nandistrict,comparedagainsttheEIAsfishsamplingteamseffortsatsixstations
overthreedaysnettingtocatchjust3.15kgoffish(seeTable4.1.2-6inEIA)
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degreeofconfidenceinlikelydamimpactstobemade,evenattheverylocallevel(i.e.unfit
forpurpose).
WhileclaimingthatfishbiodiversityislowintheMekongrivernearthedamsite(p.6-8),theEIAmakestheunsupportedclaimthatthefisheriesactivitiespresentlypracticedhave
negativeimpactonbiodiversity.Thisblamingoflocalfishersforresourcedegradationis
somewhatironic,giventhattheyareapparentlyunawareofthelimitationsoftheirown
samplingtechniquesforuncoveringfishbiodiversity,northemagnitudeoftheimpactsa
largedamwouldhaveifbuiltonthemostimportantfreshwaterfisheryonearth.
EIAfailstoassessorrecordthemanyotheraquaticfaunaandflorathatarewell-knowntoformanimportantpartofthelivelihoodsofMekonglowlandcommunities,intermsof
nutritionandincome,includingamphibians,insects,crustacea,andplantspecies,including
theediblefreshwateralgae(kai)foundintheMekongandwidelypreservedandsoldduring
thedryseasonmonths.
FailuretoidentifyfoodsecurityaspectsoffisheriesthelimitedinformationintheEIAhasfailedtoprovideanysoundinformationrelatingtolocalfoodsecurityquestionsandsubstitutabilityoffoodandproteinintakefromfish,presentlycaughtatrelativelylow
opportunitycost,withotherformsofanimalprotein.Thiswouldneedathoroughsurvey
doneathouseholdleveltoobtainbaselinedataacrossalargenumberofcommunities,from
whichlatersurveyscanbecomparedagainst,toascertainimpactwithanydegreeof
confidence.
Failuretorelatethestudywithanyotherknownimpactstudiesfromotherdamsintheregion,inordertomakepredictivestatementsaboutpotentialimpacts.Thisisespecially
surprising,asTEAMconductedtheoriginalEIAforthePakMunDaminThailand,whichhasa
largebodyofstudiesrelatedtofisheriesimpacts,bothinthepublicsphereandavailable
fromtheThaiDepartmentofFisheries,whichmighthavehelpedthemtounderstandthe
kindoforderofmagnitudeofimpactstoexpectfromasimilartypeofdamdesign.Theyalso
havefailedtoreadtheimpactspredictedfromregionalfisheryexpertscontributingtothe
SEAdocument,whichwouldhavegiventhemsomeperspectiveontheissue.
TheEIAgivesdifferentlengthsfortheheadpond-reservoiratvariouspointsinthetext,varyingbetween45kmsand102kms 7long.Therewasclearlysomeconfusionamongstthe
differentcomponentauthorsaboutwhattheywereactuallyassessingonthisverybasic
pointoffact,thusprovidinglowconfidenceintheoverallqualityofthereportsfindings.
MitigationMeasuresproposed
AquaticEcology&Fisheries
Themainfisherymitigationmeasuresproposedarebuildingtwofishpassesatthedamand
operatingarestockingprogrammeinthenewlycreatedreservoir,includingbuildingastate-
operatedfishhatchery.TheEIAalsoproposescontrollingandcurtailingfisherymethodsbylocal
people,suggestingthattheyarethemainsourceofanyfisherydeclinesnotedfortheriver.The
clearmessagegivenbyfisheryexperts,suchasthosecontributingtotheSEA,isthatthemitigation
7TheSEAassumesthereservoirwillbe102kmslong.ThePriorConsultationProjectReviewReportpredicts
thattherewillbeabackwatereffectcausedbythedamofupto200kmsupstreaminlow-waterconditions,thusinundatingchannelhabitatandpossiblyriverbankagricultureareasthatwouldotherwisehavebeen
productive.
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ofdamimpactsonlargefishmigrationsupanddowntheMekongisvirtuallyimpossible,apartfrom
onaratherlimitedbasis 8.ThemitigationmeasuresproposedintheEIAstronglyreflectthefactthat
theauthorsappearnottobefullyawareofthelevelandextentofimpactsonfisheriestobe
expectedfromthedamproject.Furthermore,thereislittleevidencefromotherdamsintheregion
(e.g.Theun-HinbounheadpondorPakMunDam)thatthemeasuresproposed,suchas
supplementarystocking,willhavemorethanalimitedbenefittorestoringfishpopulations,dueto
thedegradedcarryingcapacityoftheriverineenvironmenttosupportinghealthyfishpopulations.
Fishingbasedlivelihoodsarelikelytodeclinerapidly,onceconstructionbegins,andnoamountof
effortonthepartofthedevelopersislikelytorestorethem.Otherlivelihoodoptionswillneedtobe
substitutedforfishing,inotherwords.
TerrestrialEcology
Forestresources: Suggeststhereisonlyneedforsomeminormitigationmeasurestobe
conductedduringconstructionperiodandnoneduringtheoperationphaseofdam.Ignoresongoing
lossofecosystemservicesandmultipurposebenefitsfromforestsforlocallivelihoodsthatwouldbe
causedbydamconstructioninthereservoirfootprint,alongthetransmissionlineandroad
corridors.
Wildliferesources: Providesnoworthwhilemitigationmeasuresduringconstruction,and
recommendszeromitigationduringoperationphase.Clearlymisunderstandsthescaleandnatureof
impacts,bothtowildlifeanddependenthumanpopulations.Seemstohavelittleconceptof
ecosystemservicesprovidedbyeitherhealthyterrestrialoraquaticecosystems.
LandUse/Agriculture(pleaserefertotheSectionbelowcoveringthisissueintheSIAHowdoes
theSIAproposetocompensateforlostornegativelyimpactedlivelihoods?)
MineralResources
Villagerslosingincomefromlostgoldpanningopportunities9intheMekongchannelarenottobe
compensateddirectly,butwilljointheincomerestorationprogrammeofthedamdeveloper,no
doubtinconjunctionwithGovtofLaoPDR.Therecordofsuchprogrammesisverypatchyindeed,
andtherearemanyrecordedinstancesoffailureandfurtherimpoverishmentresulting(seeInternationalRivers,2008).
Transportation/Navigation: ThemitigationmeasuresmentionedinEIAignoreorareessentially
irrelevanttolocallivelihoodimpacts.
8Thecontentiousnatureofattemptingtomitigatemassiveseasonalfishmigrationswithafishpassfacilityis
dealtwithindetailintheFisherychapteroftheSEAandAnnex4ofthePriorConsultationProjectReview
Report(MekongRiverCommissionSecretariat,2011)9TheSIAhouseholdsurveyestimatesthat840h/hinvolvedingoldsievingand130h/hinvolvedinsand
extractionwillbeimpactedinthereservoirarea.
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Aesthetic/Tourism/Archaeology
Themitigationmeasuresproposedappearverysuperficialandtop-down,withnoindication
whethertheywouldbeattractiveorfeasibleforthelocalpeopleimpacted.Forexample,itproposesjustrelocatingtheChaoPorPhaDaengshrinenearthedamsitetothecavefurtherupthehillside
andsimplyrelocatingtemplestotheresettlementvillages.Havetheseproposalsbeenmadewith
thefullandinformedconsentoftheaffectedparties?Dotheaffectedvillagersfullyunderstandthe
implicationsofthedamimpacts?Dotheyrealisethepotentialimpactsontheirlivelihoods?Arethey
equippedwithenoughknowledgetomakeanydecisionsaboutthesemajorissues?Areallthe
townsfolkofLuangPrabang(includingmonksandreligiousfigures)andthepeoplewhomaketheir
livingthereforaweekorsoeachyearduringtheNewYearfestivalawarethattheywilllosethe
commonlandonwhichthefestivitieshavetraditionallybeenheld?
CommentsoncontentofSIAregardinglivelihoodsandmitigationand
compensationmeasuresproposed
SomecriticalissuesthatariseoutoftheSIA,followingonfromthepoorqualityofinformation
relatedtolivelihoodimpactspresentedintheEIA.
Wherearetheprojectimpactareasorzones?
TheSIAassumesthemtobe:
Thedamsiteandappurtenancestructure Thepondareai.e.theheadpond-reservoir ThenewbuiltaccessroadfromnorthofXayaburitowntotheMekongRiverandthensouth
alongthebanksofthenewreservoirtothedamsite.
Transmissionline Resettlementarea/s Otherconcernedarea/stobeimpactedbyprojectconstructionandoperation
Inotherwords,areasbeyondtheconfinesoftheimmediatedamsite,reservoir,accessroadandtransmissionlinecorridorarenotconsideredproject-impacted.Thus,theMekongRiverupstreamof
thereservoiranddownstreamofthedamisignored,eventhoughleadingexpertsandspecialists
fromaroundtheworldrecognisethesetobeimpactzones.
Howmanyvillages,howmanypeoplewillbeimpactedbydam?
ThissimplequestionisnotclearlyaddressedintheSIA.Section4.1ProfileofAffectedDistrictsand
Villagesclaimsthat46villagesinNan,LuangPrabangandChompetDistrictsofLuangPrabang
Province,andXayaburiDistrictofXayaburiProvincewillbeimpacted(seeTable4.1-1).Theseare
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villagesapparentlysituatedatorbelow278masl10.Thetablesuggeststhat458householdswillneed
tobephysicallyrelocatedasaresultofthedamandreservoir,while3,582householdswillloseland,
propertyandincometothereservoir,constructionareasoraccessroad.Thetabledoesnotspecify
thenumberofindividualswhowillhavetoberesettled,nordoesitgiveanyindicationofthe
proportionofhouseholdsineachvillagethatwillloselandorpropertytothedamproject.No
accountoflandorpropertylosttothepowertransmissionsystemisgiven.Inotherwords,
importantdetailsareverysparse.
Table4.2-1onp.4-34contradictsthisearlierdatabysuggestingthatinfact,494householdswill
needtoberelocated.10villageswillhavetoberelocated,whileanother19villagesarepredictedto
loselandtotheproject,mostlyduetoinundationbythereservoir.
Timeframeofstudy
Frominformationprovidedonp.4-7(Socio-economicconditionsofvillages),itappearsthatthe
entirefieldsurveywasconductedoveratotalperiodof22daysonly.Ofthistime,itappearsonly
fourdayswerespentonahousehold-levelsurvey(p.4-34).Thisisclearlyinsufficienttimeto
accuratelygaugethesocio-economicconditionswithinthe46villagesitrecognisesasbeing
impacted,nevermindthevastnumberofMekongvillagesupstreamanddownstreamandthewider
impactzonesnotyetrecognisedasbeingpotentiallyimpactedbytheproject.Asaresult,theSIA
providesnomorethanathumbnailsketchofthevillagesandhouseholdsthatitclaimstohave
studied,andmuchoftheinformationwascontradictorywiththeEIAorlargelyirrelevantforthe
purposesoftheSIA.
Whatwasstudiedandconsideredimportantbythesurvey?
Whilethevillagesketchesprovidedsomeinformationregardingsocio-culturalissues,theywereless
detailedorspecificatdisaggregatingthevillagepopulationsandgivinganyrealsenseofwhich
householdsweremostvulnerabletosocio-economicimpactsfromthedamproject,howtheywould
beimpactedandwhy.Thesocio-economicinformationgivenwasofageneralnatureandrather
superficial,whichperhapsisnotsurprising,giventheshorttimeframeusedincollectingit.The
fisheriesandaquaticresourcesaspect,whichsurelyisthemostimportanttofocusongiventhe
anticipatedimpactsfromthedam,wasparticularlylackingindetailandpoorlypresented.
Importantlytoo,therewasnodisaggregationofethnicgroups,beyondtheverycoarseconstructions
ofLaoLoum,LaoTheungandLaoSoung,reinforcinganimpressionthattheSIAteamwerepoorly
qualifiedtobeconductingthiskindofsocialresearch.
Atthehouseholdsurveylevel(Section4.2),thevastmajorityofthepeopleinterviewedweremale
(74.9%)andheadsofhousehold(75.9%),meaningthatrelativelyfewwomenwereinterviewed.
10Table4.1-1ratherconfusinglytalksaboutvillagescategorizedbyimpact(at275mslandfreeboard275-278
msl),butdoesnotspecifytheexactaltitudeofeachvillageandtheproportionofhousesorlandlyingbelow
278masl.Themapsshowinginundationzones(Chapter5)onlyshowlandfloodedbelow275masl.ElsewhereintheEIA,thereportmentionslandbelow280maslbeingimpactedbyraisedwaterlevelsinthewetseason.
Thisdiscrepancyinheightsshouldbeexplainedbytheprojectdevelopers.
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MostoftheSIAiscomprisedoftheresultsofaconventionalquestionnaireapproachtodata
collection,withverylittlequalitativedataprovided.Itisinterestingtonotethat64.2%of
householdsclaimedtobeinvolvedinfishing,withareportedaveragecatchofapproximately180
kg/hh/year,wellabovethenationalaverageinLaoPDR.
WhatisthelevelofawarenessabouttheXayaburiHydropowerProject?
Datapresentedonp.4-42(InformationPerceptionandAttitudeTowardstheProject),suggests
thatabout60%ofpeopleinterviewedhadheardabouttheproject,and40%weretotallyunaware
oftheplan.Despitethishighlevelofunawareness,thesurveystillfoundthatareported82.6%of
therespondentswereinfavouroftheproject,andonly2%disagreedwithit,whiletherestwere
eithernotsureordeclinedtocomment.Thesefiguresareperhapsnotsurprising,giventhestrong
centralstatesupportforthisprojectproceeding,thereluctanceofpeopletocontradictstatepolicy
andthewidespreadlowlevelofawarenessabouttheimpactsofhydropowerdamsinLaoPDRgenerally.Afterall,mostpeoplehaveneverseenadam,muchlessexperienceditsimpactsdirectly.
Infact,alltheresultsofthesurveypresentedcanbeviewedinthelightoftheaboveobservations
andtreatedwithadegreeofscepticismofwhetherpeopleareansweringthequestionsfroma
positionofknowledgeornot.ThecommentsattributedtoprovincialstateofficialsinXayaburiand
LuangPrabangalsostronglysuggestedthattheywerenotawareofthenatureandextentofimpacts
tobeexpected,andtheimplicationofthoseimpactsonthesocio-economyoftheregion.
HowobjectiveorneutralwastheSIA?
TheobjectivityoftheSIAsurveyteamiscalledintoquestionbythefrankadmissioninthereport
thattheywereactivelyworkingfortheprojectdeveloperatpublicconsultationsabouttheproject
resettlementprogramtodeveloptheunderstanding,positiveattitudeandcooperative[sic]oflocal
peopletowardtheproject.Patently,TEAMconsultantswerenotinthefieldtoneutrallyor
scientificallyassessthelikelyimpactsoftheXayaburiHydropowerProjectonlocalcommunities,but
werepaidtoselltheprojecttothevillagers,whichnodoubttheyweregladtodo.Furthermore,itis
alsoobviousfromthedatapresentedintheSIAthattheyspentmoretimeconsultingwith
governmentofficialsandstaterepresentativesatvillagelevel,thantheydidwithordinaryvillagers
orPAPs(ProjectAffectedPersons).Withthedamapparentlybeinggovernmentpolicybeforethe
assessmentswereconducted,itraisesawkwardquestionsaboutthelikelihoodofpeoplefeelingfree
toexpressconcernsinanyso-calledpublicconsultation.Finally,thislackofneutralityand
objectivitybringsintoquestiontheveracityandreliabilityofthewholeEIAandSIAprocess.
WhataretheSIAsconclusionsaboutimpactstofisherieslivelihoods?
TheSIAteamconcludethattheprojectdevelopmentwillgeneratemorefertilerecourses[sic]in
MekongRiver(p.5-16),butbecausethewaterlevelwillbehigherthanatpresent,allthefishers
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needtodoisadjusttheirgearandmethodstofishindeeperwaterandtheywillbeabletocarryon
catchingfishlikebefore.Theyevenclaimthattheremaybemorefish,asthedeveloperswill
implementafishbreedingandreleaseprogramme,andthentrainthevillagerstobebetterfishers
totakeadvantageofthehigheryieldspossible.Notethenumberofpeopleimpactedisnotcounted,
asitbelievestheywillbenefit,notlosefromthedam.(Refertocommentsmadeelsewhereonthe
inadequacyoftheEIAfisheryandaquaticecologyassessmentandfindingsoftheSEAfishery
componenttounderstandwhythisbeliefoftheSIAconsultantsisfalseandmisleading).
HowdoestheSIAproposetocompensateforlostornegativelyimpactedlivelihoods?
Thecompensationandmitigationmeasuresproposedforvillagerswholoselandandproductive
agro-ecosystemstoconstructionandoperationofthedamisthattheycanbecompensatedfor
cropslost(notapparentforhowmanyyearsthiswillbeprovided)andthevegetablegardenscan
simplybemovedhigheruptheriverbanksandprovidedwithpumpedirrigationwaterouttheMekong.Farmlandwillbereplacedwithequallyproductivelandandtheywillbesupportedwith
incomerestorationprogrammes.Thisisanextremelypoorversionofastandardresponsebydam
developersintheregion,whobelievethatitisasaneasymattertojustrelocatewholevillages,
replacelostlandwithanequivalentparcelsomewhereelseandexpectincomerestoration
programmestoworkinaccordancewithsimplisticplansmadebyunaccountableanddistant
consultants.Therealityisalwaysmorecomplex,andsolittlethoughtseemstohavebeendevoted
tothiscomponent,thatitseemsalmostunbelievablethattheEIAhasprogressedtothisstage.For
theaccessroadsandtransmissionlinecorridor,theEIAbelievesminimummitigationmeasuresare
neededduringtheconstructionperiodandnotatallafterconstructionhasfinished.Norecognition
oftherightsofthevillagerstofullandfaircompensationforlostlandandproductionsystemsis
given.Norecognitionisgivenofthefactthatitwouldbeimpossibletoreplaceriverbankgardens
withsomethingequallyproductivefurtheruptheriverslopeprofileorwhatkindofimpactsextra
pressureonlandelsewherewouldcreate.TheexperienceatotherdamprojectsinLaoPDR,suchas
theTheun-HinbounHydropowerProject,oftryingtorestorelostriverbankgardensthrough
replacementgardensorsupportingdryseasonricecultivationhasnotbeensuccessfulinmost
instances.AlongtheNamHaiandNamHinbounrivers,manyreplacementgardenswereabandoned
afterafewyears,withvillagerscomplainingaboutflooddamage,lowproductivity,expensivewater
pumpingcosts,increaseddebtsandlimitedmarkets.Whowouldberesponsibleforpumpingan
increasedinputcostsforagricultureattheXayaburidamprojectisnotmadeexplicit.Nosenseof
thepracticalorlegalobstaclesthatwouldneedtobeovercomebeforesuchamovecouldsucceed,
ortheill-feelingthatmightresultfrompoorlyexecutedresettlement.Also,thelackofquantification
andclaritysurroundingthelevelofsocialandenvironmentalimpacts intoto,leavesonewithlittle
confidencethattheEIAauthorsevenhaveasimplegrasponimplicationsoftheissue.
TheSIAassumesthatthereareonly1,547householdsintotalwhowilllosetheirlivelihoodsasa
resultofthedam.Theseitproposes(p.6-2),tocompensateforthelose[sic]incomebyappropriate
livelihoodrestorationassistanceprogramssuchasprovisionofnewjobopportunitieswhich
generateincomeequaltotheexistingcareer,vocationaltrainingwillalsobeprovidedforthese
PAPs.Inotherwords,therewillbenocashcompensationpaid,unlikethesituationinThailand
where,forexamplevillagerswerepaidforlossoffisheryandriverbankgardenincomefollowingthe
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constructionofthePakMunDam.Unfortunately,therecordoflivelihoodrestorationprogrammes
inLaoshasbeenratherpoortodate,withmanyunsolvedproblemsandissuesatdamprojectssuch
asNamLeuk,NamTheun2andTheun-Hinboun(seeInternationalRivers,2008).Thelivelihood
restorationprogrammeproposedinSection6.1.3(p.6-4)seemsdestinedtorepeattheoldmistakes,
islimitedinscopeanddoesnottakeintoaccountthechallengesposedbysuchanoperation.The
samecouldbenotedfortheproposedMonitoringProgram(p.6-5),althoughitdoesatleastcallfor
external,independentmonitoringoftheprogramimplementationandimpacts.
Forlostpaddyland,croplandortreeplantations(e.g.teak),theSIAproposesprovidinglandforland
asthepreferredoption,notcashatmarketvalue,withoutaddressingwheresuchlandcouldbe
foundofasimilarqualitytotheoriginalorwhether,indeed,thiswasthepreferredoptionofthe
affectedhouseholds,fromtransparentconsultationsandnegotiations.Giventheobstaclestofinding
quality,unutilisedlandinthegeneralvicinityoftheprojectwhichismountainousandforested
mostly,frankly,thisislikelytobeanunsatisfactorysolutiontotheproblemandmaywellcreate
new,unanticipatedproblems,asopposedtofairmonetarycompensation,wherevillagerscan
decidewhattheywanttodowiththemoney.Thesameprinciplemightbetrueforcompensatingfor
lostanddamagedfisherylivelihoods,wherethereisnoequivalentalternative.
MajorgapsanddeficienciesinEIA/SIA
Thissectionraisesfurthergaps,weaknessesanddeficienciesintheEIAandSIAreports,not
identifiedaboveconcerninglinkswithlivelihoods.
FisheriesandAquaticEcology
Extremelylimitedandincompletedatafromlocalfishers,bothqualitativelyandquantitatively.Someincorrectfactualinformation(e.g.listing Cyprinuscarpioasmigratory
speciesintable4.2.1-1).Dataprovidedofvirtuallynouseatalltomakeanydecisionforthis
projectduetolackofcatchbreakdownsbyseason,month,method,gear,household,etc.
Limitedsocio-economicdatafordecision-makingpurposesprovidedatindividual,
household,village,districtorhigherorganisationallevels.Nofishconsumptionornutritional
study.Nomarketorcommoditychainanalysis11.Nodetailonfishprocessingandancillary
businessesrelatedtofishingasanactivitye.g.saleoffishinggearorsaltforprocessing.No
considerationofalternativelivelihoodoptions. Usesverylimitedandoutdatedsecondarydatasourcesandapparentlyhasnotscopedthe
widebodyofliteratureonthesubjectofMekongfisheries,frombodiessuchasMRCand
WorldFish,thatmightgivetheEIAatleastascrapofcredibility.Asitstands,onecan
concludethatnotonlydotheauthorshaveaverypoorfactualunderstandingofthetopic
theyhavebeentaskedtostudyandthattheyapparentlyarepoorlyqualifiedinthisfield,but
thattheyhavetakenverylittleeffortintryingtoexpandtheirknowledgebase,eitherfrom
11
Forexample,whenIworkedinXayaburiProvincebetween1997-99,IwitnessedanactivetradeinMekongriverfishbeingsoldtomarketsinLoeiprovince,Thailand,transportedbybothboatandvehicle,whilecheap
Thaifarmedfishspecies(e.g.tilapiaandcatfish)returnedtheotherwaytoLaomarkets.
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secondarysourcesordirectlyfromlocalfishersandresourceusers.Thisisfranklytheworst
fisherysectionofanyEIAthatIhavehadtheopportunitytoread.
ForestResources
UsesmethodsofassessingforestresourcestaughtinThaiforestryschoolsthatwereconsideredappropriateforcommercial,state-managedforestrymanagementinthepast,
whereforestsareonlyregardedasvaluableintermsoftheirsawntimberandstumpvalue.
Buttheseareinappropriateandoflittlevalueintryingtoassesslivelihoodvaluesofforest
resourcestolocalcommunitiesandhouseholds,especiallyforriverinewetlands
communitieslikethosetobeimpactedbytheXayaburiDam,whereitisthefunctionalvalue
ofecosystemservicesthatmatters.
Simplisticallyassumesthatforestsareonlyimportanttocommunitiesintermsoftheirstandingtimber,andfailstoassesstheirwidervaluestootherpartsoftheecosystem,either
locallyoratawiderbasinorregionallevel.Therefore,itmistakenlyassumesminorimpacts
fromlossesofjust5km2offorest(although,inrealityforestlosseswillcoveramuchgreater
areathanthis,whentheconstructioncampareaandtransmissionlinecorridorare
included).
LandUse&Agriculture
Detailed,villagebyvillagebreakdownoflandthatmaybeaffected,numberofhouseholdsimpacted,landtype,landvalue,landtenureregime,foodsecurityissuesandotherrelevant
socio-economicdataisabsent. Customaryusage,commonpropertyregimesandlanduserightsofvillages,focusing
especiallyonculturalandtraditionalaspects,overlooked.Identificationandimplicationsof
lossorimpairmentofaccessandrightstoland,onavillagebasis,duringandafterdam
constructionnotconsidered.
Clearinformationonvillagepublicandprivateinfrastructurethatwillbeimpactedandestimatedvaluesmissing.
Impactofelevatedwaterlevelsonriverbankgardens,livestockraising,collectionofwildvegetables,etcnotconsidered
Threatstoandimpactsonhouseholdandvillagedomesticwatersuppliesarenotinvestigatedorquantified.ExperiencesatseveralotherdamsitesinLaos(e.g.Theun-
HinbounandNamTheun2)showthatbothsurfaceandgroundwatersuppliestraditionally
usedbyvillagersareoftennegativelyimpactedbyhydrologicalchangesbroughtbydams.
MineralResources
Athoroughsurveyisrequiredoftheentirereservoirareaanddownstreamforperhapsseveralhundredkilometres(i.e.tobeyondtheThaiborderinLoeiprovince)ofwithin-
channelmineralresourceextractionactivitiesthatwillpotentiallybeimpactedbyaltered
waterlevelandflowregimes,bothartisanalandcommercialoveranentiredryseason
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period,attheveryminimum.TheSEAestimatesthatalmost6,000persons12liveinthe100
kmsstretchdownstreamofthedam,andwouldbevulnerabletotheeffectsofpeaking
flowsreleasedfromturbines.Theseextendedimpactzonesurveyscanthenbedocumented
asbaselinedataagainstanyimpactsthatmaylaterbeclaimedbyimpactedhouseholdsand
commercialoperations.Especiallyimportant,becauseofthepovertyaspect,arethe
activitiesoflocalpeoplewhopanforgoldinriveralluviumandmightbeveryhardhitinany
curtailmentofthislivelihoodactivity.Buttherearealsolargersand,gravelandrock
extractionbusinesses,whichemploylocalpeoplethatmighthavetoceaseorrestrictfuture
activityfollowingdamconstructionthatshouldbesurveyedandrecorded.
Aesthetic/Tourism/Archaeology
Veryscant,data-deficientinformationprovided,fromwhichitisimpossibletogetagoodsenseofthescaleandextentofimpacts.Therearedefiniterisksthatamoreregulatedriver,
withdegradednaturalhabitats,lessbiodiversityandculturaldiversitywillhavelesseco-
tourismpotentialthanatpresent.
Thereappearstobeaclearneedforafull,impartialandtransparentsurveyofhistorical,religious,culturalandarchaeologicalsitesalongthisstretchofriverbetweenPakLayand
aboveLuangPrabangtobecarriedout,toascertainthepotentialimpactsoftheXayaburi
Damprojectontheseaspectsandhowtheymightimpactlocalsociety,cultureand
livelihoods.Theexistinginformationisinadequate.Ofparticularconcernwouldbetheloss
ofcommonandtraditionallands(suchastheinundationofLuangPrabangsNewYears
FestivalbeachbytheMekong)withspiritual,culturalandeconomicimportancetomany.
LivelihoodRestorationProgramme
Themaincomponentstressedbytheprogramisaso-calledFoodSourceReservedDevelopmentProgram(Section6.1.3),whichitalsoreferstoasafoodbank
project.Conservingremainingforestsandstockingnativefishintheriverare
suggested.Whilstthismightseemlikeapotentiallygoodideaforadoptionina
conventionalruraldevelopmentproject,itraisesseriousquestionsaboutwhether
suchanideawouldbefeasibleforpeoplewhohavelostamajorpartoftheirmain
meansofsustenanceandlivelihoodi.e.fishandaquaticproductsfromtheMekongandtoalesserextent,NTFPsandagriculturalproductionland.Italsoseemsto
inherentlyassumethatlocalpeoplethemselvesaretheunderlyingculpritsof
resourcedegradation,ratherthanconsideringtheroleofoutsideagentstoo.The
experienceatotherregionaldamsisthattheimpactsdonotfallequallyonall
households,andsomeareclearlymorevulnerablethanotherstofoodsecurityand
incomelosses,soanylivelihoodrestorationcomponentthathasatimelagbefore
becomingoperational(e.g.likewaitingfortreestomature)orwithoutacleartarget
focusonthemostheavilyimpactedhouseholdsislikelytofallshortofaddressing
12Seep.75,Fig27ofSEAdocument.
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realorfeltneeds.Farmorethoughtanddetailwouldneedtogointothisproposal,
beforeitcouldbeconsideredaviablemitigationstrategy.
TheotherideassuggestedbytheprogramareratherstandardfordamprojectsinLaos,butcurrentlylackdetailanddonotgofarenoughinaddressingthecomplex
andmultipleneedsofvillagersthathavebeendispossessedofbothprivateand
commonpropertyandsufferingthetraumaofrelocation,whichincludesaddressing
theirpsychologicalneeds,aswellaslivelihoodneeds.TheSIAalsodoesnotmention
whethertheprojectintendstoabidebytheprincipleofimpactedindividualsand
householdsbeingmadenoworseofffromtheprojectorbetterstill,becoming
beneficiariesthroughsharinginitsprofits,overandabovetheirrightstofullandfair
compensationforlossessuffered.
Thereisalsothenaggingquestionaboutthehundreds(possiblymore?)ofvillagesheavilyimpactedbythedampost-construction,butnotcurrentlyconsideredbythe
SIAorEIA.Whatprovisionswillbemadeforthem,andistheregoingtobea
contingencyfundsetuptocovertheseunforeseenaffectedpeopleandthecostsassociatedwithcompensatingthemforlostlivelihoodsormitigatingtheimpacts?
TheSIAisnotclearhowlongtheprojectdeveloperintendstosupportalivelihoods
restorationprogramme,beyondthelifeofthe6yearresettlementprogramme
duringprojectconstruction(seeTable3.2-1).Experienceatotherlargedams
suggeststhismayrequireacommitmentbythedeveloperlastingseveraldecadesor
longer,giventhelastingandoftenunforeseenimpactsonlivelihoodssuchprojects
precipitate.
Generalcross-sectoraldeficiencies
TheEIA/SIAsurveystookaclearlytop-downapproachtothemethodologyofascertainingsocio-economicimpacts,relyingtooheavilyoninterviewswithstateofficialsandtoalesser
extent,villageheadpersons,butwithverylittlefocusontheopinionsandconcernsof
ordinarypeoplewhowillbeimpactedbythedam.Adifferent,moreparticipatoryapproach
wouldhaveallowedthemtobetterdocumentnaturalresource-basedlivelihoods,geta
rangeofopinionsandallowforabalancedviewofthelocalsocietyandparticularly,thelives
ofthosemostvulnerabletoimpactsbythedamproject.
Methodsusedincludedratherout-dated,ill-designedanddiscreditedtoolsforparticipatoryresearchwithdiverseethnicgroupsandassessingmulti-componentlivelihoods,withheavyuseofquestionnairesurveys,non-participatorysamplingtechniquesandattemptsat
inappropriatequantitativetools.ThiswouldsuggestthattheTEAMstaffwerenotwell-
qualifiedtoconductsuchresearchandlackedappropriateexperienceforsuchanimportant
andfar-reachingtrans-boundaryimpactproject.
Thesurveysdonotspecificallytargetorconsiderthelivelihoodactivitiesofthepoorestandmostvulnerablesectionsofsociety,eventhoughitiswidelyrecognisedthattheburdenand
impactsofthemainstreamdamswouldfallmostheavilyonthepoorest.Forexample,the
SEAestimatesthatnearly40%ofhouseholdslivingintheXayaburiDamareaexperience
foodinsecurityforoversixmonthsayear,buttheimpactsoftheprojectonthisgroupare
notspecificallyconsideredandwhattheiroptionsmightbeintheeventofamassivedecline
inavailableproteinfromwildcaughtriverinefish.
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Bothdocumentsareratherpoorlywrittenintermsofstyle,grammarandprose.Manysentencesarenonsensical(e.g.Productionaspectismoredevelopment,farmerusemore
smallplowingmachine,about500unitshavebeenusedoraverage10household/unit
SIA,p.4-4).ThisispartlyanissueofEnglishlanguageabilityofauthors,butbeyondthis
factor,thereappearstobeagenerallackoftechnicalunderstandingconcerningmanyofthe
issuestheyarewritingabout.Inaddition,thereappearstobemuchverbatimrepetitionof
informationfromofficialLaoprovincialordistrictgovtdocuments,withoutanyground-
truthingverificationorcriticalanalysisthatmightgivethedocumentsomebalanceor
credibility.Inmanyplacesfiguresandunitsgivenareclearlynonsenseorcontradictoryto
earlierdata,whichsuggeststhattherehasbeenlittleornoeditorialoversightofthe
documentbeforerelease.
Conclusions
ThefirstmajorconclusionisthattheEIAcoversfartoolimitedgeographicalscopetoadequately
documentimpactsthatarewidelyexpectedtobefeltformanyhundredsofkilometresupstream
anddownstream.Thedamhaspotentiallyserioustransboundaryimpactsandimplications
extendingdownstreamtoThailand,CambodiaandVietnam,whicharenotconsideredintheEIAand
SIA.Attheveryleast,itshouldjustifywhyithaslimiteditsscopetosuchanarrowbelteithersideof
theriverandnotalsoincludedcommunitiesnotimmediatelynexttotheriver,butwhorelyonitfor
fishingandothernaturalresources,thatwouldbenegativelyimpacted,bothdirectlyandindirectly.
Therearealsomanypotentialimpacteesalongthelineofthepowertransmissionlineandaccess
roadsnotadequatelyrecognisedtodate.Arecentreportestimatesthatabout202,000peoplewillbedirectlyimpactedbythedamproject(InternationalRivers,2011),comparedtothe4,040
householdspresentlyrecognisedasbeingPAPsintheSIA.Thesecondmajorconclusionisthatthe
EIAvastlyunderestimatesthescaleandmagnitudeoftheimpacts,inallsectors,butespeciallythe
fisheriesandaquaticresourcescomponent,whichisofsuchfundamentalimportancetothefood
securityandlivelihoodsofovertwomillionpeoplelivingalongthemainstreamMekong(ICEM,
2010).Thetemporalaspectsoftheprojectaredownplayed,andthereisareluctancetorecognise
thelikelihoodofwidespreadandon-goingsocio-ecologicalimpactsoccurringduringthe
constructionphaseandwellintotheoperationalperiodtoo.Throughout,bothdocumentslack
rigorousdetailofpresentlivelihoods,thenatureofprojectimpactsandfutureoptionsforlivelihood
compensationandmitigation.(RefertoAnnex1toseeasummaryofimpactspredictedintheEIAconclusions).
Bothprojectdocumentsdisplayapoorunderstandingofthefar-reachingenvironmentalandsocial
impactsoftheXayaburiHydropowerProjectonlivelihoodsofimpactedpeople.Thefieldstudies
werecarriedoutoveraverylimitedtimeframeandempiricalobservationsprovidedintheEIAand
SIAareverysuperficialsurroundinglivelihoodimpacts.TheEIAandSIAfailtoacknowledgethe
opinionsofinternationalexpertsonlikelyimpactsfromthedam,inreportssuchastheSEA,orlearn
salientlessonsfromdamsbuiltinThailand,suchasthewell-documentedcaseofPakMunDamin
NortheastThailand(e.g.Amornsakchaietal,2000).Itfallswellshortofguidelinesrecommendedby
theWorldCommissiononDams(2000)forsocialandenvironmentalsafeguardsofdamimpacts,
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particularlyintheareasofpublicparticipation,freeandinformedpriorconsentofallstakeholders
andrecognisingentitlementsandsharingbenefits.
Astheypresentlystand,theEIAandSIAreportsarerathershort-sighted,oftenfactuallyincorrect
andtechnicallyinadequatedocumentsthatfallshortintheirsupposedtaskofinvestigating,
predictingandanalysinglikelyspatialandtemporalprojectimpactsonlivelihoodsofaffected
persons,andthusareinnopositiontorecommendsuitablemitigationandcompensationmeasures.
Theentireprocessappearstohavebeenconductedasameretick-boxexercise,ratherthanwith
anyseriousintenttoascertainactualsocialandenvironmentalimpacts.Atthesametime,the
consultantsresponsibleforwritingtheEIAseemremarkablyill-qualifiedtoconductanEIAfora
majormainstreamdamprojectonsuchanimportanttransboundaryriversystem.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Amornsakchai,S.,P.Annez,S.Vongvissemsomjai,S.Choowaew,ThailandDevelopmentResearchInstitute
(TDRI),P.Kunwat,J.Nippanon,R.Schouten,P.Sripatrprasite,C.Vaddhanaphuti,C.Vidthayanon,W.
Wirojnagud,E.Watana (2000)PakMunDam,MekongRiverBasin,Thailand.AWCDCaseStudypreparedas
inputtotheWorldCommissiononDams,CapeTown,SouthAfrica.
Daconto,G.2001.SiphandoneWetlands.CESVI,Bergamo,Italy.
ICEM.2010.ImpactsAssessments(OpportunitiesandRisks).DiscussionDraft.MRCSEAfor
HydropowerontheMekongMainstream.14May2010.MekongRiverCommission,Vientiane,Lao
PDR.249pp.
ICEM.2010.MRCStrategicEnvironmentalAssessment(SEA)ofhydropowerontheMekong
mainstream.Hanoi,VietNam.
InternationalRivers.2008.PowerSurge:TheImpactsofRapidDamDevelopmentinLaos.
September2008.InternationalRivers.Berkeley,California.
InternationalRivers.2011.TheXayaburiDam:AloomingthreattotheMekongRiver.January2011.
InternationalRivers.Berkeley,California.
MekongRiverCommissionSecretariat .2011.PriorConsultationProjectReviewReport.Proposed
XayaburiDamProjectMekongRiver.ProceduresforNotification,PriorConsultationand
Agreement(PNPCA).MRCS,Vientiane.LaoPDR.
MRC.2010.StateoftheBasinReport2010 .MekongRiverCommission,Vientiane,LaoPDR
RobertsT.R.1993.Justanotherdammedriver?NegativeimpactsofPakMunDamonfishesoftheMekong
Basin.NatHist.Bull.SiamSoc.41:105-133
RobertsT.R.2001.Ontheriverofnoreturns:ThailandsPakMunDamanditsfishladder.Nat.Hist.Bull.Siam
Soc.49:189-230
Scudder,T.(2005).TheFutureofLargeDams:dealingwithsocial,environmental,institutionalandpolitical
costs.London,Earthscan
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WorldCommissiononDams.2000.DamsandDevelopment:ANewFrameworkforDecisionMaking.The
ReportoftheWorldCommissiononDams.Earthscan,London.
ANNEX1
Summaryofoverallimpactsandperceivedlevelofthreattotheresourcesandlivelihoodsofpeople,
expressedintablegiveninConclusions(Section8.1)oftheEIAdocument(copiedverbatim).
ASPECT MAINIMPACT RESIDUAL*IMPACT
LEVEL
LOCATION PERIOD
Hydrology/Water
ResourceManagement
Obstructionofwaterway Minor MekongRiver Construction&
Operation
SurfaceWaterQuality -Increasingofturbidity
-ChangingofBOD
-Oilcontamination
Moderate MekongRiver Construction&
Operation
AquaticEcology/Fishery Reducedpopulationof
phytoplankton&benthic
organism
Moderate MekongRiver Construction
Forestry Lossofforestareaand
forestecology
Minor XayaburiBarrage Construction
Wildlife Disturbanceofwildlife
living
Minor XayaburiBarrage Construction
LandUse/Agriculture Changingoflanduseand
agriculturalpattern
Minor XayaburiBarrage Construction&
Operation
PublicHealth Increaseofdiseaseand
accidents
Minor XayburiBarrage Construction&
Operation
Note*=ResidualImpactLevelarebasedonproperimplementationofmitigationmeasuresand
EnvironmentalManagementPlan
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