Environmental flow policy in Lao PDR under rapid hydropower development Christopher Gippel and Peter Gammelgaard Jensen.

Environmental flow policy in Lao PDR

under rapid hydropower development

Christopher Gippeland

Peter Gammelgaard Jensen

Lao PDRUSD 931

GDP Per Capita (Current US$) in 2009, ChartsBin.comThe World Bank

Lao PDR53,747 m3/person/yr

Lao PDR53,747 m3/person/yr

Thailand6,509 m3/person/yr

PR China2,112 m3/person/yr

Vietnam10,151 m3/person/yr

Total Renewable Water Resources per capita by Country, ChartsBin.comFAO of the United Nations 2010, AQUASTAT online database, Total renewable water resources, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00153 Rome, Italy

http://fishbio.com/about-the-mekong

Lancang Jiang

Lao PDR

Regional setting

• A nation seeking economic development to alleviate poverty• Plentiful water• Surrounded by wealthier nations, with less water• Mountainous, with limited potential for large-scale irrigation

development• Suited to hydropower development

• Lao PDR government hopes to transform the country into“the battery of Southeast Asia”by exporting power to Thailand and Vietnam

• 23 hydropower projects with a capacity of 3,247 MW in operation

• 29 projects under construction with capacity of 4,097 MW

• ~100 significant projects are planned

• 9 dams are proposed along the Mekong River in Laos

• Xayaburi Dam now being built on the Mekong River

http://www.chiangraitimes.com/

http://www.internationalrivers.org/

undp lao pdr/valter ziantoni http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2011/12/Laos_13Dec2011/

http://fishbio.com/about-the-mekong

http://www.internationalrivers.org/campaigns/mekong-mainstream-dams

• Inland fish is ~50% of animal protein source for Lao people

• 75% of the population live in rural areas, 33% below poverty line

• Fishing is an important source of secondary income for many rural people

• live traditionally beside rivers and streams and grow rice nearby

• Over 481 species of fish, as well as 37 amphibians, 7 crabs and 10 shrimps identified

• many species are migratoryhttp://www.mrcmekong.org/

http://www.mrcmekong.org/

http://www.mrcmekong.org/

Policy issue

• Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) [2011]• Developed a National Policy on Sustainable Hydropower Development

• Now, rapid influx of hydropower investors and developers (government is 10-20% shareholder)

• Urgent need for:• Detailed policy development• Building capacity within MONRE for evaluation of environmental and social

impact assessments (ESIA)

Example of environmental flow assessmentNam Ngum 5 Hydropower Project, 2008• “There is no any significant impact on aquatic habitats due to the headpond

and/or reservoir is small...For the existing fish species in the project area, it is surmised that those species which can not live in a lentic environment will migrate to suitable habitats upstream of those three main rivers. Whereas, those species that prefer standing water will increase in their abundance.”

• “The NNg5 powerhouse is located immediately on the right bank the Nam Ngum River where will be the Nam Ngum 3 head pond in the near future and that the NNg5 powerhouse will be discharged directly to the NNg3 head pond. Thus there will be no effect on flow variation or channel hydraulic.” [but Nam Ngum 3 not built, and may never be built]

...another example

Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Project• “The provisions of clause 13.6 of the Concession Agreement...(a) the

Minimum Riparian Release Measure (being an obligation on the Company, at all times, to effect a constant minimum water release from the Reservoir into the Nam Theun River, or the equivalent volume of water thereof as measured on a weekly basis, of two (2) m3/s ...) [the EIA does not clearly identify ecological objectives, and it is unclear how the value of 2 m3/s was derived]

Need for change in environmental flow assessment (EFA) for hydropower ESIA• Little effort put into scientific investigations for EFA• Arbitrary minimum flows simply referring to another EIA – which also

did not have any scientific basis• Only dealt with minimum flows

Main policy tool for environmental flows:Standard Environmental and Social Obligations (SESO)

• Developers have agreed to:• Do the required Environmental Flow Assessment• Propose and implement environmental flows• Undertake monitoring of flows and achievement of flow objectives• However

• the developer is not required to commit to flows that would jeopardize the economic feasibility of the project

Water resource

developersi.e. hydro-

power

Water resource

managersLocalState

NationalInter-

national

Water experts

Water qualityEcology

HydrologyGeomorphology

SocialEconomics

River usersIrrigatorsFisheries

TownsIndustry

RecreationTransport

Local residents

Routine assessment of Environmental flow requirementsCooperation to achieve agreement

ESIA preparation

Evaluation/conflict

Water resource

developersi.e. hydro-

power

Water resource

managersLocalState

NationalInter-

national

Water experts

Water qualityEcology

HydrologyGeomorphology

SocialEconomics

River usersIrrigatorsFisheries

TownsIndustry

RecreationTransport

Local residents

ESIA assessment of Environmental flow requirementsCooperation to achieve agreement

ESIA preparation and approval

Two-Stage process• Project pre-feasibility phase

• Test impact of e-flows on financial viability• Little known about local environmental flow needs• Make a preliminary assessment of the EFR using a hydrological method

• assign a proportion or percentile of the natural flow as the environmental flow• choice of method advised by expert panel representing a range of perspectives

• Begin data collection

• Project feasibility phase• Undertake comprehensive holistic environmental flows assessment

• River specific – use local data• Asset-based – locally identified important river assets• Interactive – range of e-flow options assessed• Holistic – all aspects of ecosystem and livelihood provision• Building-block approach – identify important flow components

General objective

Specific objectives

Hydrology/hydraulics

Flow event specification

Flow regime of components

Monitoring flows and objectives

Healthy fisheries

Fish diversity / fish abundance

Hydrological regime for life cycles

Modelling preferred hydraulic habitat

Flow events that meet objectivesEnvironmental flow regimes

Adaptive management – monitoring flows and objectives

Holistic approach to maintain fish

Conclusion

• Without guidance• Non-scientific, poorly documented, no proper objectives• E-flows considered an externally imposed inconvenience that threatens

Project viability• Proposed E-flows are a high risk to ecosystem health and livelihoods

• Guidance needs to be prescriptive• E-flows should be considered an integral part of Project design• Open, cooperative, participatory approach to e-flow assessment • Away from constant minimum flows, to holistic regimes• Compliance monitoring of hydrology• Effectiveness monitoring of ecological and livelihood objectives