Taking Power 4 People to the Doorsteps of the World Bank
Peter Bosshard, International Rivers, October 15, 2013
www.internationalrivers.org/node/8120
"World Bank President, hear our plea: no more dirty energy! … No more
mega-dams, that's for sure - clean local energy for the poor! … Don't
return to the bad old days - building more dams is not the way!"
These were some of the chants finance ministers heard as they convened
for the World Bank's annual meeting in Washington DC on October 12. Some
60 activists from around the world had gathered at the Bank's doorsteps
on a grey and windy day to call for a shift from destructive fossil fuel
and dam projects to clean local power for poor communities. With
colorful signs, rhythmic chants and impassioned statements, the protest
marked the start of the new Power 4 People campaign.
After two decades of relative caution, the World Bank is plunging back
into funding mega-dams with a vengeance. Since spring, the Bank had
signaled that it planned to return to funding large hydropower and gas
projects particularly in Africa. At the annual meeting, Bank managers
left no doubts that they were serious about this. "We will build dams,
dams, dams and more dams in Africa," one Executive Directors told
environmental activists. In a new paper, the Bank presented the Inga 3
Dam on the Congo River and other mega-dams as examples of what it
intended to fund through IDA 17, its finance window for the poorest
countries. The manager of the Bank's energy department called large
hydropower projects one of the "sweet spots" of future World Bank
lending. Bank staff even nicknamed President Kim "Mr. Hydropower" for
his enthusiasm for large dams.
The Bank's sweet spot will leave a bitter taste in the mouths of the
people who currently don't have access to electricity, and who stand in
the way of the proposed mega-dams. A new paper from Oilchange
International shows that less than 1 percent of the Bank's funding for
large hydropower and gas projects in 2013 expanded access to energy for
the 1.3 billion people who currently lack it. In a country where more
than 90 percent of the population doesn't have access to electricity,
the Inga 3 Dam will generate power for mining companies and the urban
middle classes of South Africa.
At the annual meeting, finance ministers endorsed the World Bank's
official goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030. The new plans for the
energy sector show that this is just public relations. In a meeting with
NGOs, Executive Directors confirmed that the new dams will be built to
benefit private investors, not the rural poor.
Speakers from Chad, Pakistan, Panama and the United States denounced the
World Bank's support for destructive energy projects at the protest on
October 12. Jamil Junejo of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum reported that
mega-dams on the Indus River had "destroyed ecosystems and impoverished
millions of people. Energy conservation and decentralized renewable
energy sources", Junejo said, "are the best ways to bring power to the
people." Delphine Djiraibe from Chad's Public Interest Law Center warned
that "the Bank has learned little from its experience and is proposing
to do still more massive projects where the risks are placed squarely on
the most vulnerable populations." The Power 4 People platform calls for
a "fundamental shift" in energy finance from destructive projects to the
clean local sources that expand access for poor communities and protect
the climate.
The protest in Washington DC offered an inspiring start for the Power 4
People campaign. Similar events took place in the DRC, in India and
Malaysia. Yet NGOs and civil society movements need to strengthen their
cooperation and do much more to avert a further abuse of public funds
for destructive energy projects. By December, governments need to pledge
their contributions to the IDA 17 fund, from which the World Bank plans
to finance the Inga 3 Project and other mega-dams. This provides an
opportunity to pressure our governments to shift their support for the
energy sector from the World Bank to institutions that prioritize energy
access for the poor.
If you would like to express your support for the Power 4 People
campaign, you can do so by sending an e-mail message to World Bank
President Kim at
http://org.salsalabs.com/o/2486/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=14420,
and on Twitter. More than 1000 people have already done so.
A series of images from the protest is available at
www.internationalrivers.org/node/8120, and an audio tape will be posted
shortly.
Peter Bosshard is the Policy Director of International Rivers. He tweets
at @PeterBosshard and blogs at www.internationalrivers.org/blog/227.
________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list: dams@list.internationalrivers.org
To be removed from the list, please visit:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2486/unsubscribe.jsp
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Taking Power 4 People to the Doorsteps of the World Bank
Taking Power 4 People to the Doorsteps of the World Bank
Peter Bosshard, International Rivers, October 15, 2013
www.internationalrivers.org/node/8120
"World Bank President, hear our plea: no more dirty energy! … No more
mega-dams, that's for sure - clean local energy for the poor! … Don't
return to the bad old days - building more dams is not the way!"
These were some of the chants finance ministers heard as they convened
for the World Bank's annual meeting in Washington DC on October 12. Some
60 activists from around the world had gathered at the Bank's doorsteps
on a grey and windy day to call for a shift from destructive fossil fuel
and dam projects to clean local power for poor communities. With
colorful signs, rhythmic chants and impassioned statements, the protest
marked the start of the new Power 4 People campaign.
After two decades of relative caution, the World Bank is plunging back
into funding mega-dams with a vengeance. Since spring, the Bank had
signaled that it planned to return to funding large hydropower and gas
projects particularly in Africa. At the annual meeting, Bank managers
left no doubts that they were serious about this. "We will build dams,
dams, dams and more dams in Africa," one Executive Directors told
environmental activists. In a new paper, the Bank presented the Inga 3
Dam on the Congo River and other mega-dams as examples of what it
intended to fund through IDA 17, its finance window for the poorest
countries. The manager of the Bank's energy department called large
hydropower projects one of the "sweet spots" of future World Bank
lending. Bank staff even nicknamed President Kim "Mr. Hydropower" for
his enthusiasm for large dams.
The Bank's sweet spot will leave a bitter taste in the mouths of the
people who currently don't have access to electricity, and who stand in
the way of the proposed mega-dams. A new paper from Oilchange
International shows that less than 1 percent of the Bank's funding for
large hydropower and gas projects in 2013 expanded access to energy for
the 1.3 billion people who currently lack it. In a country where more
than 90 percent of the population doesn't have access to electricity,
the Inga 3 Dam will generate power for mining companies and the urban
middle classes of South Africa.
At the annual meeting, finance ministers endorsed the World Bank's
official goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030. The new plans for the
energy sector show that this is just public relations. In a meeting with
NGOs, Executive Directors confirmed that the new dams will be built to
benefit private investors, not the rural poor.
Speakers from Chad, Pakistan, Panama and the United States denounced the
World Bank's support for destructive energy projects at the protest on
October 12. Jamil Junejo of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum reported that
mega-dams on the Indus River had "destroyed ecosystems and impoverished
millions of people. Energy conservation and decentralized renewable
energy sources", Junejo said, "are the best ways to bring power to the
people." Delphine Djiraibe from Chad's Public Interest Law Center warned
that "the Bank has learned little from its experience and is proposing
to do still more massive projects where the risks are placed squarely on
the most vulnerable populations." The Power 4 People platform calls for
a "fundamental shift" in energy finance from destructive projects to the
clean local sources that expand access for poor communities and protect
the climate.
The protest in Washington DC offered an inspiring start for the Power 4
People campaign. Similar events took place in the DRC, in India and
Malaysia. Yet NGOs and civil society movements need to strengthen their
cooperation and do much more to avert a further abuse of public funds
for destructive energy projects. By December, governments need to pledge
their contributions to the IDA 17 fund, from which the World Bank plans
to finance the Inga 3 Project and other mega-dams. This provides an
opportunity to pressure our governments to shift their support for the
energy sector from the World Bank to institutions that prioritize energy
access for the poor.
If you would like to express your support for the Power 4 People
campaign, you can do so by sending an e-mail message to World Bank
President Kim at
http://org.salsalabs.com/o/2486/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=14420,
and on Twitter. More than 1000 people have already done so.
A series of images from the protest is available at
www.internationalrivers.org/node/8120, and an audio tape will be posted
shortly.
Peter Bosshard is the Policy Director of International Rivers. He tweets
at @PeterBosshard and blogs at www.internationalrivers.org/blog/227.
________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list: africa@list.internationalrivers.org
To be removed from the list, please visit:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2486/unsubscribe.jsp
Peter Bosshard, International Rivers, October 15, 2013
www.internationalrivers.org/node/8120
"World Bank President, hear our plea: no more dirty energy! … No more
mega-dams, that's for sure - clean local energy for the poor! … Don't
return to the bad old days - building more dams is not the way!"
These were some of the chants finance ministers heard as they convened
for the World Bank's annual meeting in Washington DC on October 12. Some
60 activists from around the world had gathered at the Bank's doorsteps
on a grey and windy day to call for a shift from destructive fossil fuel
and dam projects to clean local power for poor communities. With
colorful signs, rhythmic chants and impassioned statements, the protest
marked the start of the new Power 4 People campaign.
After two decades of relative caution, the World Bank is plunging back
into funding mega-dams with a vengeance. Since spring, the Bank had
signaled that it planned to return to funding large hydropower and gas
projects particularly in Africa. At the annual meeting, Bank managers
left no doubts that they were serious about this. "We will build dams,
dams, dams and more dams in Africa," one Executive Directors told
environmental activists. In a new paper, the Bank presented the Inga 3
Dam on the Congo River and other mega-dams as examples of what it
intended to fund through IDA 17, its finance window for the poorest
countries. The manager of the Bank's energy department called large
hydropower projects one of the "sweet spots" of future World Bank
lending. Bank staff even nicknamed President Kim "Mr. Hydropower" for
his enthusiasm for large dams.
The Bank's sweet spot will leave a bitter taste in the mouths of the
people who currently don't have access to electricity, and who stand in
the way of the proposed mega-dams. A new paper from Oilchange
International shows that less than 1 percent of the Bank's funding for
large hydropower and gas projects in 2013 expanded access to energy for
the 1.3 billion people who currently lack it. In a country where more
than 90 percent of the population doesn't have access to electricity,
the Inga 3 Dam will generate power for mining companies and the urban
middle classes of South Africa.
At the annual meeting, finance ministers endorsed the World Bank's
official goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030. The new plans for the
energy sector show that this is just public relations. In a meeting with
NGOs, Executive Directors confirmed that the new dams will be built to
benefit private investors, not the rural poor.
Speakers from Chad, Pakistan, Panama and the United States denounced the
World Bank's support for destructive energy projects at the protest on
October 12. Jamil Junejo of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum reported that
mega-dams on the Indus River had "destroyed ecosystems and impoverished
millions of people. Energy conservation and decentralized renewable
energy sources", Junejo said, "are the best ways to bring power to the
people." Delphine Djiraibe from Chad's Public Interest Law Center warned
that "the Bank has learned little from its experience and is proposing
to do still more massive projects where the risks are placed squarely on
the most vulnerable populations." The Power 4 People platform calls for
a "fundamental shift" in energy finance from destructive projects to the
clean local sources that expand access for poor communities and protect
the climate.
The protest in Washington DC offered an inspiring start for the Power 4
People campaign. Similar events took place in the DRC, in India and
Malaysia. Yet NGOs and civil society movements need to strengthen their
cooperation and do much more to avert a further abuse of public funds
for destructive energy projects. By December, governments need to pledge
their contributions to the IDA 17 fund, from which the World Bank plans
to finance the Inga 3 Project and other mega-dams. This provides an
opportunity to pressure our governments to shift their support for the
energy sector from the World Bank to institutions that prioritize energy
access for the poor.
If you would like to express your support for the Power 4 People
campaign, you can do so by sending an e-mail message to World Bank
President Kim at
http://org.salsalabs.com/o/2486/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=14420,
and on Twitter. More than 1000 people have already done so.
A series of images from the protest is available at
www.internationalrivers.org/node/8120, and an audio tape will be posted
shortly.
Peter Bosshard is the Policy Director of International Rivers. He tweets
at @PeterBosshard and blogs at www.internationalrivers.org/blog/227.
________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list: africa@list.internationalrivers.org
To be removed from the list, please visit:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2486/unsubscribe.jsp
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Groups Protest World Bank Support for Destructive Dams and Fossil Fuels
Groups Protest World Bank Support for Destructive Dams and Fossil Fuels
Civil Society Alliance Demands Clean Local Power for the Poor
Washington DC, Saturday, 12 October 2013
Images available at www.flickr.com/photos/internationalrivers
Take action at
http://org.salsalabs.com/o/2486/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=14420!
More information available at www.internationalrivers.org/node/8091.
The World Bank should shift its energy lending away from dirty power
plants toward clean local energy for the poor, a coalition of civil
society organizations said today during a protest outside the Bank's
annual meeting. The Power 4 People coalition – coordinated by
International Rivers, Amazon Watch, and Jeunes Volontaires pour
l'Environnement, and supported by 60 organizations from 31 countries –
said it would urge governments to move global energy finance away from
the World Bank if the multilateral institution did not abandon its focus
on dirty energy projects. Under President Jim Kim, the World Bank has
been increasing support for mega-dams and gas projects, while continuing
to neglect renewable energy and rural electrification.
Peter Bosshard, Policy Director of International Rivers, introduced the
Power 4 People campaign at the protest. "After development banks have
spent hundreds of billions of dollars on dirty energy projects, 1.3
billion people remain without access to electricity," Bosshard said.
"Decentralized renewable energy solutions are more effective at reducing
energy poverty, protecting the environment and mitigating climate change."
Jamil Junejo, the Programs Manager for Pakistan Fisherfolks Forum,
warned about the World Bank's plan to fund new mega-dams, including on
the Indus and the Congo rivers. Mega-dams" Junejo said, "have destroyed
ecosystems and impoverished millions of people. I see this with our
fisherfolk communities in Pakistan, where hundreds of thousands of
people have lost their livelihoods to mega-dams. Energy conservation and
decentralized renewable energy sources are the best ways to bring power
to the people."
Delphine Djiraibe, a Chadian human rights attorney who was awarded the
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, has closely followed the World
Bank's socially and environmentally disastrous Chad-Cameroon Pipeline
Project, where, she argued, the Bank's "model" private-public
partnership further impoverished the population of the oil-producing
region and the entire country. Djiraibe said that oil revenues were a
factor in the nation's 2005-2010 armed conflict, calling them a "curse".
She commented at the protest that "it appears that the Bank has learned
little from its experience and is proposing to do still more massive
projects where the risks are placed squarely on the most vulnerable
populations."
Bernardino Morales from the Ngobe indigenous group in Panama recalled
that large dams and fossil fuel projects destroy the rivers and forests
on which millions of people, including indigenous peoples, depend for
their livelihoods. "The construction of the Chan 75 Dam has caused
severe destruction with our indigenous community in Panama, and the
World Bank has refused responsibility for it" said Morales. "Energy
projects must respect the rights of the people they are supposed to
serve, and meet highest social, environmental and human rights standards."
The Power 4 People coalition calls on the World Bank and other
development banks "to stop funding destructive forms of energy and shift
support to energy conservation, energy efficiency and decentralized
renewable energy solutions." Development banks need to create dedicated
financing mechanisms, indicators and timetables to make such a
transformation happen. As long as they continue to fund destructive
forms of energy, governments should shift their funding to institutions
and mechanisms that are more effective at ensuring universal access to
modern energy services.
________________________________________________
This is International Rivers' mailing list on the role of international financial institutions in promoting large dams.
You received this message as a subscriber on the list: ifi@list.internationalrivers.org
To be removed from the list, please visit:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2486/unsubscribe.jsp
Civil Society Alliance Demands Clean Local Power for the Poor
Washington DC, Saturday, 12 October 2013
Images available at www.flickr.com/photos/internationalrivers
Take action at
http://org.salsalabs.com/o/2486/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=14420!
More information available at www.internationalrivers.org/node/8091.
The World Bank should shift its energy lending away from dirty power
plants toward clean local energy for the poor, a coalition of civil
society organizations said today during a protest outside the Bank's
annual meeting. The Power 4 People coalition – coordinated by
International Rivers, Amazon Watch, and Jeunes Volontaires pour
l'Environnement, and supported by 60 organizations from 31 countries –
said it would urge governments to move global energy finance away from
the World Bank if the multilateral institution did not abandon its focus
on dirty energy projects. Under President Jim Kim, the World Bank has
been increasing support for mega-dams and gas projects, while continuing
to neglect renewable energy and rural electrification.
Peter Bosshard, Policy Director of International Rivers, introduced the
Power 4 People campaign at the protest. "After development banks have
spent hundreds of billions of dollars on dirty energy projects, 1.3
billion people remain without access to electricity," Bosshard said.
"Decentralized renewable energy solutions are more effective at reducing
energy poverty, protecting the environment and mitigating climate change."
Jamil Junejo, the Programs Manager for Pakistan Fisherfolks Forum,
warned about the World Bank's plan to fund new mega-dams, including on
the Indus and the Congo rivers. Mega-dams" Junejo said, "have destroyed
ecosystems and impoverished millions of people. I see this with our
fisherfolk communities in Pakistan, where hundreds of thousands of
people have lost their livelihoods to mega-dams. Energy conservation and
decentralized renewable energy sources are the best ways to bring power
to the people."
Delphine Djiraibe, a Chadian human rights attorney who was awarded the
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, has closely followed the World
Bank's socially and environmentally disastrous Chad-Cameroon Pipeline
Project, where, she argued, the Bank's "model" private-public
partnership further impoverished the population of the oil-producing
region and the entire country. Djiraibe said that oil revenues were a
factor in the nation's 2005-2010 armed conflict, calling them a "curse".
She commented at the protest that "it appears that the Bank has learned
little from its experience and is proposing to do still more massive
projects where the risks are placed squarely on the most vulnerable
populations."
Bernardino Morales from the Ngobe indigenous group in Panama recalled
that large dams and fossil fuel projects destroy the rivers and forests
on which millions of people, including indigenous peoples, depend for
their livelihoods. "The construction of the Chan 75 Dam has caused
severe destruction with our indigenous community in Panama, and the
World Bank has refused responsibility for it" said Morales. "Energy
projects must respect the rights of the people they are supposed to
serve, and meet highest social, environmental and human rights standards."
The Power 4 People coalition calls on the World Bank and other
development banks "to stop funding destructive forms of energy and shift
support to energy conservation, energy efficiency and decentralized
renewable energy solutions." Development banks need to create dedicated
financing mechanisms, indicators and timetables to make such a
transformation happen. As long as they continue to fund destructive
forms of energy, governments should shift their funding to institutions
and mechanisms that are more effective at ensuring universal access to
modern energy services.
________________________________________________
This is International Rivers' mailing list on the role of international financial institutions in promoting large dams.
You received this message as a subscriber on the list: ifi@list.internationalrivers.org
To be removed from the list, please visit:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2486/unsubscribe.jsp
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Book review: Why the World Bank Continues to Fund Environmental Destruction
Why the World Bank Continues to Fund Environmental Destruction
By Peter Bosshard, Huffington Post, 10/09/2013 11:44 am
www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-bosshard/why-the-world-bank-contin_b_4060428.html
With 1,800 ongoing projects and more than $30 billion in annual
disbursements, the World Bank is the world's most powerful development
institution. More than anything, the lender prides itself in undertaking
the most complex, difficult initiatives in the developing world.
Building a pipeline from remote oilfields in Chad through Cameroon's
rainforest was just the right challenge for the World Bank's ambitious
approach. The multibillion-dollar project -- the largest investment on
the African continent -- involved numerous oil companies and financiers
from around the world. An innovative benefit-sharing mechanism and an
environmental panel of experts were created to ensure that the pipeline
would raise the living standards of the poor in a sustainable way. When
it was approved in 2000, the U.S. government called the project a
"prism" through which the world would view the World Bank and its
approach to development.
Fast forward to 2009. The pipeline has been built, and the oil has begun
to flow. Fueled by the new revenues, Chad's military budget has grown
more than 20-fold, civil unrest and corruption have soared, and the
benefit-sharing scheme has unraveled. Infant, child and maternal
mortality are rising. Oil has once again become the devil's excrement
for a poor African nation. Meanwhile, a part of the forestry reserve
that was supposed to offset the pipeline's ecological footprint in
Cameroon is being flooded by a reservoir -- courtesy of the World Bank.
If the Chad-Cameroon pipeline is a prism, what is wrong with the World
Bank's approach? A new book by Bruce Rich, a veteran Bank observer and
critic, provides a compelling answer. Titled Foreclosing the Future, the
book is based on three decades of experience in battling the Bank and a
treasure trove of internal documents.
Where the state is weak and civil society lacking, a rapid influx of aid
or oil revenues can easily undermine democracy and the rule of law.
Unless governance is strengthened first, aid dollars may not actually
lead to social development. Yet the World Bank does not have the
patience for slow, messy, participatory processes. Its senior management
equates lending volumes with development impact, and the staff is under
relentless pressure to move money out the door quickly. As an internal
Bank report found in 1997, this pressure leads to a culture in which
"the lessons from past experience are well known, yet ... generally
ignored in the design of new operations."
Bruce Rich illustrates the contradictions of the World Bank's lending
culture through an extended series of projects and initiatives. He
describes dams that impoverished local communities and fostered
corruption, forestry projects that caused massive deforestation, and
coal-fired power plants which bypassed the poor for whose benefit they
were supposedly built. He documents repeated promises to learn from past
mistakes -- and cosmetic reforms that failed to address the Bank's
flawed business model.
Bruce Rich calls the focus on lending volume rather than development
outcomes the World Bank's "original sin." The problem has been
documented and acknowledged in numerous internal reports. Yet when the
opportunity for the next big pipeline, dam or coal mine arises, the
interest of the aid bureaucracy in keeping the lending tap wide open
frequently prevails. Bruce Rich compares the internal reports that
document the lessons of past experience with the chorus in a Greek
tragedy -- a tragedy not for the Bank, but for the poor and the environment.
The new book offers a passionate and sharp-tongued but well-informed
analysis. Rich doesn't spare the World Bank management with critique,
but is aware that the buck doesn't stop there. The governments who own
and oversee the Bank recognize its failures, but will not take steps
that put contracts for their equipment suppliers and the steady supply
of raw materials at risk. Ultimately, the author says, the World Bank is
"a microcosm of global society's geopolitical and environmental
contradictions."
What needs to be done? Bruce Rich calls for a reorientation of the World
Bank's priorities to reward the quality of outcomes rather than the
quantity of lending. This, he argues, would allow the institution to
become a "beacon" of good social and environmental practice, for others
to follow. The author is short on specifics, and the chances of this
happening are slim. Yet his new book is a welcome memory pill as the
World Bank enters a new cycle of ignoring the lessons of past mistakes.
Bruce Rich, Foreclosing the Future, The World Bank and the Politics of
Environmental Destruction, Island Press, 344 pages, available at
http://islandpress.org/ip/books/book/islandpress/F/bo8439975.html.
________________________________________________
This is International Rivers' mailing list on the role of international financial institutions in promoting large dams.
You received this message as a subscriber on the list: ifi@list.internationalrivers.org
To be removed from the list, please visit:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2486/unsubscribe.jsp
By Peter Bosshard, Huffington Post, 10/09/2013 11:44 am
www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-bosshard/why-the-world-bank-contin_b_4060428.html
With 1,800 ongoing projects and more than $30 billion in annual
disbursements, the World Bank is the world's most powerful development
institution. More than anything, the lender prides itself in undertaking
the most complex, difficult initiatives in the developing world.
Building a pipeline from remote oilfields in Chad through Cameroon's
rainforest was just the right challenge for the World Bank's ambitious
approach. The multibillion-dollar project -- the largest investment on
the African continent -- involved numerous oil companies and financiers
from around the world. An innovative benefit-sharing mechanism and an
environmental panel of experts were created to ensure that the pipeline
would raise the living standards of the poor in a sustainable way. When
it was approved in 2000, the U.S. government called the project a
"prism" through which the world would view the World Bank and its
approach to development.
Fast forward to 2009. The pipeline has been built, and the oil has begun
to flow. Fueled by the new revenues, Chad's military budget has grown
more than 20-fold, civil unrest and corruption have soared, and the
benefit-sharing scheme has unraveled. Infant, child and maternal
mortality are rising. Oil has once again become the devil's excrement
for a poor African nation. Meanwhile, a part of the forestry reserve
that was supposed to offset the pipeline's ecological footprint in
Cameroon is being flooded by a reservoir -- courtesy of the World Bank.
If the Chad-Cameroon pipeline is a prism, what is wrong with the World
Bank's approach? A new book by Bruce Rich, a veteran Bank observer and
critic, provides a compelling answer. Titled Foreclosing the Future, the
book is based on three decades of experience in battling the Bank and a
treasure trove of internal documents.
Where the state is weak and civil society lacking, a rapid influx of aid
or oil revenues can easily undermine democracy and the rule of law.
Unless governance is strengthened first, aid dollars may not actually
lead to social development. Yet the World Bank does not have the
patience for slow, messy, participatory processes. Its senior management
equates lending volumes with development impact, and the staff is under
relentless pressure to move money out the door quickly. As an internal
Bank report found in 1997, this pressure leads to a culture in which
"the lessons from past experience are well known, yet ... generally
ignored in the design of new operations."
Bruce Rich illustrates the contradictions of the World Bank's lending
culture through an extended series of projects and initiatives. He
describes dams that impoverished local communities and fostered
corruption, forestry projects that caused massive deforestation, and
coal-fired power plants which bypassed the poor for whose benefit they
were supposedly built. He documents repeated promises to learn from past
mistakes -- and cosmetic reforms that failed to address the Bank's
flawed business model.
Bruce Rich calls the focus on lending volume rather than development
outcomes the World Bank's "original sin." The problem has been
documented and acknowledged in numerous internal reports. Yet when the
opportunity for the next big pipeline, dam or coal mine arises, the
interest of the aid bureaucracy in keeping the lending tap wide open
frequently prevails. Bruce Rich compares the internal reports that
document the lessons of past experience with the chorus in a Greek
tragedy -- a tragedy not for the Bank, but for the poor and the environment.
The new book offers a passionate and sharp-tongued but well-informed
analysis. Rich doesn't spare the World Bank management with critique,
but is aware that the buck doesn't stop there. The governments who own
and oversee the Bank recognize its failures, but will not take steps
that put contracts for their equipment suppliers and the steady supply
of raw materials at risk. Ultimately, the author says, the World Bank is
"a microcosm of global society's geopolitical and environmental
contradictions."
What needs to be done? Bruce Rich calls for a reorientation of the World
Bank's priorities to reward the quality of outcomes rather than the
quantity of lending. This, he argues, would allow the institution to
become a "beacon" of good social and environmental practice, for others
to follow. The author is short on specifics, and the chances of this
happening are slim. Yet his new book is a welcome memory pill as the
World Bank enters a new cycle of ignoring the lessons of past mistakes.
Bruce Rich, Foreclosing the Future, The World Bank and the Politics of
Environmental Destruction, Island Press, 344 pages, available at
http://islandpress.org/ip/books/book/islandpress/F/bo8439975.html.
________________________________________________
This is International Rivers' mailing list on the role of international financial institutions in promoting large dams.
You received this message as a subscriber on the list: ifi@list.internationalrivers.org
To be removed from the list, please visit:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2486/unsubscribe.jsp
Monday, October 7, 2013
Nigeria, China Ink Agreement to Fund Major Power Project
Nigeria, China Ink Agreement to Fund Major Power Project
3 October 2013, All Africa
Abuja, Oct 03, 2013 (Forum on China-Africa Cooperation/All Africa Global
Media via COMTEX) -- The governments of Nigeria and China furthered
their mutual cooperation on Saturday with the signing of approximately
1.293 billion U.S. dollars agreement on a major power project in the
West African country.
Located in Zungeru, a local community in Niger State, 150 km away from
the capital city Abuja, the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Project is
expected to generate 700,000 kilowatts or 700 megawatts of power for
Africa's most populous country, Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
said at the signing ceremony.
The Nigerian official noted the contract awarded to two Chinese electric
power firms, China National Electrical Equipment Corporation (CNEEC) and
Sinohydro Consortium, was given a loan facility by the EximBank of
China, with preferential conditions.
The Eximbank would bear 75 percent of the cost of the project while a
counterpart funding balance of 309 million dollars had been made
available by Nigeria.
"The project will create thousands of jobs during the construction phase
both directly and indirectly. A lot of Nigerian technicians, engineers
and artisans and others will be employed during the construction phase,"
added Okonjo-Iweala, who doubles as coordinating minister of the
Nigerian economy.
She expressed delight at the success of work at the project site, noting
the two Chinese contractors are expected to finish work in 2018.
Chinese Ambassador in Nigeria Deng Boqing, who signed the agreement on
behalf of the East Asian nation's government, said the Zungeru
Hydroelectric Power Project was significant to the Nigerian people,
because it will contribute greatly to economic growth, meeting growing
power demand as the West African nation ushers in a new period of
industrialization and urbanization.
"China and Nigerian share the same dream, that is to bring prosperity
and stability to the people, and these visions have been fully
communicated by the leaders of our two countries when President Goodluck
Jonathan visited China in July 2013.
"The construction of Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Station is one of the
many consensuses reached by the presidents of our two countries. Today,
the signing ceremony is the fruit of that state visit and we believe
more concrete steps will be taken to further boost our already
flourishing cooperation and enrich our strategic partnership," Deng noted.
He said the project, when completed, will also help bring the
much-needed electricity for economic transformation toward achieving
Nigeria's "2020:20 vision".
"The contractors of this project, Sinohydro Corporation and China
National Electrical Equipment Corporation (CNEEC) both reputed for
professional experience and cutting-edge expertise, are top-ranking
companies in the field of engineering and construction. I have great
expectations for the two companies. It is their responsibility to ensure
that all works are done with good quality as well as in a timely
manner," the Chinese envoy added.
The Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Project was conceived in 1982, but due
to constraints of funds, the construction work could not commence.
The Nigerian government approved the project in 2012 in order to obtain
more electricity, help maintain appropriate power prices and promote
economic growth and development of the country.
In May, President Jonathan said the 1.293-billion-U.S.-dollar power
project would be the largest to be built by his administration.
________________________________________________
This is International Rivers' mailing list on China's global footprint, and particularly Chinese investment in international dam projects.
You received this message as a subscriber on the list: chinaglobal@list.internationalrivers.org
To be removed from the list, please visit:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2486/unsubscribe.jsp
3 October 2013, All Africa
Abuja, Oct 03, 2013 (Forum on China-Africa Cooperation/All Africa Global
Media via COMTEX) -- The governments of Nigeria and China furthered
their mutual cooperation on Saturday with the signing of approximately
1.293 billion U.S. dollars agreement on a major power project in the
West African country.
Located in Zungeru, a local community in Niger State, 150 km away from
the capital city Abuja, the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Project is
expected to generate 700,000 kilowatts or 700 megawatts of power for
Africa's most populous country, Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
said at the signing ceremony.
The Nigerian official noted the contract awarded to two Chinese electric
power firms, China National Electrical Equipment Corporation (CNEEC) and
Sinohydro Consortium, was given a loan facility by the EximBank of
China, with preferential conditions.
The Eximbank would bear 75 percent of the cost of the project while a
counterpart funding balance of 309 million dollars had been made
available by Nigeria.
"The project will create thousands of jobs during the construction phase
both directly and indirectly. A lot of Nigerian technicians, engineers
and artisans and others will be employed during the construction phase,"
added Okonjo-Iweala, who doubles as coordinating minister of the
Nigerian economy.
She expressed delight at the success of work at the project site, noting
the two Chinese contractors are expected to finish work in 2018.
Chinese Ambassador in Nigeria Deng Boqing, who signed the agreement on
behalf of the East Asian nation's government, said the Zungeru
Hydroelectric Power Project was significant to the Nigerian people,
because it will contribute greatly to economic growth, meeting growing
power demand as the West African nation ushers in a new period of
industrialization and urbanization.
"China and Nigerian share the same dream, that is to bring prosperity
and stability to the people, and these visions have been fully
communicated by the leaders of our two countries when President Goodluck
Jonathan visited China in July 2013.
"The construction of Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Station is one of the
many consensuses reached by the presidents of our two countries. Today,
the signing ceremony is the fruit of that state visit and we believe
more concrete steps will be taken to further boost our already
flourishing cooperation and enrich our strategic partnership," Deng noted.
He said the project, when completed, will also help bring the
much-needed electricity for economic transformation toward achieving
Nigeria's "2020:20 vision".
"The contractors of this project, Sinohydro Corporation and China
National Electrical Equipment Corporation (CNEEC) both reputed for
professional experience and cutting-edge expertise, are top-ranking
companies in the field of engineering and construction. I have great
expectations for the two companies. It is their responsibility to ensure
that all works are done with good quality as well as in a timely
manner," the Chinese envoy added.
The Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Project was conceived in 1982, but due
to constraints of funds, the construction work could not commence.
The Nigerian government approved the project in 2012 in order to obtain
more electricity, help maintain appropriate power prices and promote
economic growth and development of the country.
In May, President Jonathan said the 1.293-billion-U.S.-dollar power
project would be the largest to be built by his administration.
________________________________________________
This is International Rivers' mailing list on China's global footprint, and particularly Chinese investment in international dam projects.
You received this message as a subscriber on the list: chinaglobal@list.internationalrivers.org
To be removed from the list, please visit:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2486/unsubscribe.jsp
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Growing opposition against proposed Khudoni Dam in Georgia
Growing solidarity with local communities in Georgia puts Khudoni dam in
spotlight
David Chipashvili
Bankwatch, October 4, 2013
http://bankwatch.org/news-media/blog/campaign-update-growing-solidarity-local-communities-georgia-puts-khudoni-dam-spotli#.Uk-mziqc22E.facebook
We recently reported how local opposition against the Khudoni hydropower
plant project in Georgia is being stifled by government figures and how
people were intimidated to avoid negative reporting on the subject. The
native communities in the Svaneti region are protesting against the
project which would expel them from their land and way of living.
The dedication of the Svan communities has triggered solidarity across
the country. While protests against the Khudoni dam are becoming a
regular feat, many famous supporters have now joined the protests publicly.
Rallies against Khudoni took place on Tuesday, October 2 in Tbilisi,
Mestia (an important town in Svaneti) and Kaishi (one of the towns to be
flooded). In Mestia, representatives of different communities from
Svaneti and environmentalists gathered in front of the State Office and
demanded to stop the Khudoni dam project.
On a visit to Kaishi the Georgian Ombudsman reminded the government that
the majority of the local population is against the project as it is
planned right now. He highlighted the necessity of dialogue:
"It is very important for me that the opinion of each villager of
Khaishi and Svaneti will be taken into account by the government."
A group of almost all well-known Georgian writers have expressed their
opposition to the project. Lasha Tabukashvili even considers going ahead
with the project criminal and invokes Georgians' responsibility for the
future of their own country:
"If we do not fight against this project right now we will have to
apologise for not standing up against this criminal project and for our
future generations."
Locals affected by the Khudoni dam not only fear being resettled away
from the beautiful mountain region they call home. They also have no
reason to trust the government's promises that "resettlements will be
conducted according to highest possible standards in the world" (Ilia
Eloshvili, Deputy Minister of Energy, Source [KA]). Land rights have
only very weak protection in Georgia and authorities have blocked Svans
from registering their property in recent years. Many land plots that
were under customary use by the Svans have been sold off for one dollar
to the Khudoni investor Transelectrica, a company registered in a tax haven.
In addition, the Minister of Energy Kakha Kaladze has been criticised
for a potential conflict of interests since he has invested in Georgia's
energy and natural resources sector before joining the government one
year ago.
Father George, a local priest of Chuberi and Khaishi expressed the
powerlessness and anger of the local population:
"We are asking Minister Kaladze, do not think that you are the
owner of everything here, including nature, otherwise the pain that we
Svans are experiencing will move over you."
Already more than 200 people took an oath against the project. Manana
Saghliani, one of the villagers even threatened to commit suicide by
self-immolation at the project site should the project proceed.
While protests are ongoing, the Ministry of Energy has so far not
indicated to change course regarding Khudoni.
________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list: dams@list.internationalrivers.org
To be removed from the list, please visit:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2486/unsubscribe.jsp
spotlight
David Chipashvili
Bankwatch, October 4, 2013
http://bankwatch.org/news-media/blog/campaign-update-growing-solidarity-local-communities-georgia-puts-khudoni-dam-spotli#.Uk-mziqc22E.facebook
We recently reported how local opposition against the Khudoni hydropower
plant project in Georgia is being stifled by government figures and how
people were intimidated to avoid negative reporting on the subject. The
native communities in the Svaneti region are protesting against the
project which would expel them from their land and way of living.
The dedication of the Svan communities has triggered solidarity across
the country. While protests against the Khudoni dam are becoming a
regular feat, many famous supporters have now joined the protests publicly.
Rallies against Khudoni took place on Tuesday, October 2 in Tbilisi,
Mestia (an important town in Svaneti) and Kaishi (one of the towns to be
flooded). In Mestia, representatives of different communities from
Svaneti and environmentalists gathered in front of the State Office and
demanded to stop the Khudoni dam project.
On a visit to Kaishi the Georgian Ombudsman reminded the government that
the majority of the local population is against the project as it is
planned right now. He highlighted the necessity of dialogue:
"It is very important for me that the opinion of each villager of
Khaishi and Svaneti will be taken into account by the government."
A group of almost all well-known Georgian writers have expressed their
opposition to the project. Lasha Tabukashvili even considers going ahead
with the project criminal and invokes Georgians' responsibility for the
future of their own country:
"If we do not fight against this project right now we will have to
apologise for not standing up against this criminal project and for our
future generations."
Locals affected by the Khudoni dam not only fear being resettled away
from the beautiful mountain region they call home. They also have no
reason to trust the government's promises that "resettlements will be
conducted according to highest possible standards in the world" (Ilia
Eloshvili, Deputy Minister of Energy, Source [KA]). Land rights have
only very weak protection in Georgia and authorities have blocked Svans
from registering their property in recent years. Many land plots that
were under customary use by the Svans have been sold off for one dollar
to the Khudoni investor Transelectrica, a company registered in a tax haven.
In addition, the Minister of Energy Kakha Kaladze has been criticised
for a potential conflict of interests since he has invested in Georgia's
energy and natural resources sector before joining the government one
year ago.
Father George, a local priest of Chuberi and Khaishi expressed the
powerlessness and anger of the local population:
"We are asking Minister Kaladze, do not think that you are the
owner of everything here, including nature, otherwise the pain that we
Svans are experiencing will move over you."
Already more than 200 people took an oath against the project. Manana
Saghliani, one of the villagers even threatened to commit suicide by
self-immolation at the project site should the project proceed.
While protests are ongoing, the Ministry of Energy has so far not
indicated to change course regarding Khudoni.
________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list: dams@list.internationalrivers.org
To be removed from the list, please visit:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2486/unsubscribe.jsp
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Ethiopia: Nile Dam Assessment Warns of Structural Weakness
Bloomberg News
Ethiopian Hydropower Dam Assessment Warns of Structural Weakness
By William Davison October 03, 2013
Ethiopia's plan to build Africa's biggest hydropower dam on the main tributary of the Nile River must address concerns that there may be flaws in the design of its foundations, a group of international experts said.
They also called for further studies on what impact the 6,000-megawatt, $4.7 billion project may have on the downstream nations of Sudan and Egypt, the International Panel of Experts said in a report e-mailed to Bloomberg News and verified by Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry. Egypt, which relies on the Nile for almost all of its water, expressed alarm about the dam when Ethiopia in May diverted the Blue Nile as part of the construction process.
"Structural measures might be needed to stabilize the foundation to achieve the required safety against sliding" of the main dam, according to the report. There are also "weak zones" in the rock that will support an auxiliary dam that need to be studied, it said.
STORY: Hank Paulson: This Is What It Was Like to Face the Financial Crisis
Construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is part of a government plan to spend 569 billion birr ($30 billion) on infrastructure in the five years through mid-2015. The country, Africa's second-most populous nation, targets becoming an industrialized middle-income nation by 2025.
Ethiopia is the source of 86 percent of the water that flows into the Nile, the world's longest river that runs 4,160 miles through 11 countries from Burundi in the south to Egypt, where it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. Ethiopia has said it will take five to six years to fill the 74 billion cubic-meter (2.6 trillion cubic-feet) reservoir created by the dam.
Regional Specialists
The panel, which held its first meeting in May last year, was formed at the suggestion of Ethiopia's government. It comprised two specialists each from Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan and four from other nations. The report, which hasn't been made public, was submitted to the three governments in June.
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Ethiopia said the report found the project to be of international standard and won't cause "significant harm" to downstream countries, while Egypt said it was inconclusive.
Ethiopia delivered a hydrological study to the panel that analyzed the downstream impact of the reservoir-filling period given low, average or high rainfall.
The project document concluded that Egypt faces a 6 percent reduction in the High Aswan Dam's electricity-generating capacity and no water loss if the reservoir was filled during years of average or high rainfall. If the reservoir was filled in a dry year it would "significantly impact on water supply to Egypt and cause the loss of power generation at High Aswan Dam for extended periods," according to the document.
A "comprehensive" additional study of the dam's impact on water resources should be conducted, the panel said after reviewing the document. "The analysis presented is very basic, and not yet at a level of detail, sophistication and reliability that would befit a development of this magnitude, importance and with such regional impact."
Ethiopia is working with Sudan and Egypt to enact the panel's recommendations, Dina Mufti, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said in an interview today in the capital, Addis Ababa.
To contact the reporter on this story: William Davison in Addis Ababa at wdavison3@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsib
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