Items tagged:
Large-scale dams
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Chinese hydropower starting to adopt social and environmental safeguarding norms, but with limitations
China has a leading role in building large hydropower dams in developing nations, partly in the name of sustainable development. New research examines Chinese investments in the least developed countries – the practices of hydropower companies and their financiers, and what drives social and environmental safeguarding practices
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New archive restores knowledge produced by the World Commission on Dams
An archive has been launched containing more than 200 documents produced by the World Commission on Dams, whose work culminated in a series of recommendations for best practices in dam planning, construction, operation and decommissioning.
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IIED calls on climate funds to help reframe hydropower
Two new papers have been published by IIED calling on international climate funds to incentivise sustainable hydropower projects that support the switch to renewable energy
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FutureDAMS
Thousands of large dams are currently planned or under construction around the world. How can we ensure we maximise their benefits while minimising the negative impacts?
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Resettlement from large dams – what have we learned?
Millions of people are displaced by large dams around the world. How can researchers help safeguard against the long-term trauma of resettlement?
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Who should carry the financial risks in large private sector financed hydropower projects?
New research will examine the risks of funding hydropower and how these risks can be addressed to break down the financing barriers
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How a new ECOWAS directive could change the way dams are built and managed in West Africa
Is there such a thing as a good dam-building project? Jérôme Koundouno shares his view on why he thinks a ground-breaking new policy directive could achieve its goal – where large dams power national development while respecting the environment and bringing benefits to all
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Deals that keep large dam building fair
The Global Water Initiative (GWI) West Africa has released a new animation explaining how agreements between government and affected communities can be put in place to ensure large dams bring benefits to all
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GWI animation: how to secure land rights of people affected by dams
The Global Water Initiative (GWI) West Africa has released a new animation explaining how policymakers can work with local communities to protect the rights of people affected by large dams in West Africa
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Should the Green Climate Fund flow to hydropower?
Jamie Skinner discusses whether tightening up standards to minimise social and environmental risks could shift the debate on hydropower
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Women pay heavier price for big dams
On International Women's Day, we look at how relocating to make way for big dams in West Africa has particular impacts on women
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ECOWAS water ministers agree to build fairer dams
The Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS) has approved a proposal for a directive designed to ensure future water infrastructure projects respect the environment and benefit all
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Water and land rights – hand-in-hand for sustainable development
The recent Stockholm World Water Week provided plenty of opportunities to explore the links between water and land rights, and the importance of these rights for ensuring sustainable development at both local and national level
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Towards socially just and economically viable dams in West Africa: World Water Week 2015
The annual World Water Week in Stockholm focuses on a wide range of issues relating to water across the globe. This year's theme was 'Water for development'. GWI West Africa held a side event at World Water Week 2015, titled 'Towards socially just and economically viable dams in West Africa'. The event was designed to share some of the lessons learnt from our work in West Africa and exchange experiences with others from across the globe
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For smallholders and dams, one size doesn't fit all
Photos taken for the Global Water Initiative in West Africa in villages around the Sélingué dam in Mali show that when it comes to the irrigation schemes surrounding large dams, there is no 'standard' example of a family farmer
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IIED at World Water Week 2015
IIED and IUCN were at this year's World Water Week in Stockholm from 23-28 August, 2015, and held an event on 'Towards socially just and economically viable dams in West Africa'
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From traditional land rights to long-term leases: fair compensation?
In the face of displacement due to large-scale development projects, can innovative legal solutions be used to protect smallholders' land rights?
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ECOWAS encourages states to learn from returns on investment of large dams in West Africa
Government representatives and economists from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are meeting in Burkina Faso to review the economic impacts of large dams
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Fomi dam: catalysing land tenure reform in Guinea
A high-level meeting in Guinea on 4-5 March will discuss reforms governing land expropriation and compensation for smallholder farmers displaced by large public interest infrastructure projects
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New website focuses on dams and family farming in West Africa
A website has been launched that focuses on large dams, irrigated agriculture, land tenure and family farming in West Africa: www.gwiwestafrica.org
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Dams in Africa: Combining national and local development
The economics and distribution of development benefits of large dams continue to be a source of controversy. Every dam is different, and efforts to generalise from a few (often well known, but sometimes exceptional) examples continue to cause challenges in reaching common ground on the past development contribution of the 50,000 dams worldwide today and the need for more
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GWI West Africa: project background
Agriculture in large-scale rice irrigation schemes needs to be made to work for both the state, in terms of economic returns and national food security, and for the smallholders whose livelihoods depend on it. When it comes to the development of new dams and large-scale irrigation, more information is needed about their economic viability and how the water, land, and economic benefits can be shared equitably to support local development
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Niger hosts forum on securing land rights in irrigated areas
On 7-8 May, in the town of Konni, Niger's Minister of Agriculture will chair a national forum on legal protection of land tenure in irrigated areas. The forum will be attended by representatives from government, regional and local authorities, local groups, the private sector and civil society
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Three big financial shifts put spotlight on social and environmental impacts of large dams — again
With three big shifts in flows of finance rendering recent efforts to limit the environmental and social impacts of large dams marginal, backers of new dams are being urged to ensure safeguards are in place
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Doing dams differently can mean development for all
Should development be just for the majority or is it possible to ensure development for all?
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Ensuring water is equitably allocated and governed
IIED helped bring about fairer and more sustainable water governance to ensure poor and vulnerable communities didn't miss out
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Niger: Tough questions posed by the Kandadji dam development
A new dam in Niger could generate electricity, create thousands of hectares of irrigated land and guarantee water for domestic use and fisheries. But making sure the dam benefits everyone is a complicated business.
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Five ways to bring benefits from large dams to local communities
A study into how large dams in West Africa have affected local people has identified ways to share the benefits of future dams more equitably and create development opportunities for communities.
