Introduction A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE WCD FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS & APPLICATION Alex Muhweezi & Chihenyo Mvoyi IUCN Uganda Country Office.

Introduction

A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE WCDFINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS &

APPLICATIONAlex Muhweezi & Chihenyo Mvoyi

IUCN Uganda Country Office

Introduction

Format

• Why was WCD put in place?

• Hat were the objectives of WCD?

• How did WCD implement is mandate

• What were the findings

• What were the recommendations

• Hw do we apply these recommendations

• The UGANA case

Introduction

The WCD

• Why the WCD:– Growing conflicts throughout the world

regarding the development of large dams

• Objectives:1. Review the development effectiveness

of large dams and assess aernatives for water and energey development

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Objectives continued:

• 2. Develop internally accepted criteria, guidelines and standards for panning, design, appraisal , construction, operation, monitoring and decommissioning of dams

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WCD operations

• Worked as an independent body …with Secretariat and Panel of experts observing as Steering Committee + TaskForces

• Studies and assessments

• Consultations - 68 member forums

• 53 Public, private Sector and CSO provided support

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Findings • General Issues e.g.,

– Definition of dams, Why dams have been built, Dams and energy, Impact of dams, Decision making on dams, Cost Benefit Analysis, Addressing management of fresh waters

• Technical e.g., Cost benefit analysis, Options to water use, Consultations and participation in planning and decision making

• Ecosystem• People and Dams social aspects, upstream

downstream effects, etc.

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Findings- Technical

• Short comings on dams - targets, time deadlines, sedimentation, environmental, social effects, ecosystems, failing mitigation measures

• Benefits- water, flood control, multiple benefits

• Options for Water and Energy Resources Development

• Decision making, Planning and Compliance

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Recommendations –

• Core Values: Equity, Sustainability, ,Efficiency, Participatory decision – making ,Accountability.

• Gaining public acceptance • Comprehensive options assessment • Addressing existing dams• Sustaining rivers and livelihoods• Recognizing entitlements and benefits sharing • Ensuring compliance • Sharing rivers for peace, development and security

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Recommendations – Strategies for planning and designing dams

7 strategic priorities:• gaining public acceptance, • comprehensive options assessment, • addressing existing dams, • sustaining rivers and livelihoods, • recognizing entitlements and sharing benefits, • ensuring compliance, and sharing rivers for

peace, • development and security.

Introduction

Applying WCD Recommendations

• WCD Report not a Blue print• Geared towards strengthen/improving Decision

making regarding dams and development• Identify areas of work

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Purpose of Presentation

• Share Uganda’s experience with the SNDF workshop participants regarding:– Facing the challenges of dams development;– Efforts to address one of the key challenge: Good decision making as it

relates to large dams and development

Introduction

Initiating the Dialogue

• 2004 national workshop “Towards making World Commission on Dams (WCD) Outcomes a Reality”.

• Why? Uganda’s challenge of developing large dams on R. Nile….so target of the workshop was to disseminate the WCD 2000 report….its findings and recommendations.

Introduction

Outcome of the workshop

• Multi-stakeholder Forum was proposed and given the following mandate:

Critically review the WCD recommendations so as to put them into the Uganda perspective, provide mechanism for ensuring broad participation by government, private sector, civil society, dam affected communities and academia; and to

positively contribute to decisions regarding dams development in Uganda

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Progress To-date

• UDDF has been created as an institution with participation by all stakeholders with full organizational structures including Steering Committee chaired by Government Ministry, with representation from several stakeholders and secretariat provide by an NGO.

• Completed a Scoping report of the WCD 2000 report

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Progress To-date

• Convening Multi-stakeholder consultative forums that have focused on:– sharing information, views and perspectives through effective dialogue among

the various stakeholders. – providing a neutral forum for dialogue aimed at strengthening collaboration

between the various parties in dam development in Uganda.

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Key recommendations that have evolved out of the process

• Proposing and publicizing a definition for dams that reflects Uganda’s situation.

• Supporting Government of Uganda to develop policy guidelines for the development and management of dams, based on credible information generated from comprehensive feasibility studies and taking into account the following core values: Equity, Participation, Sustainability, Rights and Socio-cultural values.

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Key recommendations that have evolved out of the process

• Support Government of Uganda to develop and implement a comprehensive policy on resettlement and equitable compensation of dam affected people.

• Support Government of Uganda to convene forums for promoting stakeholders participation in identification, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of dam development projects.

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Key recommendations that have evolved out of the process

• Lobby government to undertake institutional capacity reviews to identify the gaps and weaknesses in the existing institutions involved in dam development and take appropriate actions to address the findings and recommendations

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Key recommendations that have evolved out of the process

• Provide a neutral platform for arbitration for cases where conflicts arise from dams’ development projects.

• Lobby for and monitor and compliance of dam construction to the national engineering regulations.

• Develop institutional structures of the UDDDF in order to gain recognition for the Forum as valuable entity in Uganda.

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Outcomes /Impacts

• Milestone in the quest for strengthening decisions making process in Uganda regarding dams and development.

• NGO initiative has become a neutral platform for all stakeholders to meet and articulate issues in harmony

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Outcomes/impacts

• Confidence building among stakeholders, including within government, to dialogue about the issues of dams and development in Uganda

• Capacity to influence decisions on dams…e.g., Nov 2007 World Bank and African Development Bank Inspection panel on Bulagali dam.

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Challenge

• Too early to celebrate…..more work needs to be done and sustained.• UDDF is young institutions undergoing organizational formation……

especially, capacity to facilitate dialogue and build trust and confidence among stakeholders that would pave ay for “credible” influence to decision making regarding large dams development.

Introduction