Third WCD Forum Meeting
25-27 February 2001 - Cape Town, South Africa

Working with the WCD Report
Statement from the IUCN (World Conservation Union)

In November of last year, the Word Commission on Dams published its findings and recommendations. The WCD's report makes it very clear that if we want to solve conflicts over water resources management and dams in a sensible way, we can no longer ignore the range of dam impacts. Of course, dams have numerous benefits, but they have also deprived people of their livelihoods and devastated natural resources, valuable ecosystems and biodiversity. The Commission presents its findings at a time when our rivers, lakes and wetlands are in peril. Currently, 30 % of freshwater fish and over 800 other freshwater species are facing extinction. At the same time, millions of people are losing their homes, land and livelihoods through natural disasters, floods and droughts, or in connection with the construction of new dams.

The work of the Commission represents a fair and balanced assessment of both benefits and costs, with input from all constituencies through high-quality reviews, public hearings and thorough information gathering. The Commission has created a knowledge base that goes beyond what any individual organisation could possibly have compiled.

What the WCD has finally given to us is not a final verdict on dams. But it has opened up a new path, a new approach to build upon. The report proposes a strategy that looks at all energy development options, recognises people's rights from the outset, and assesses all risks. It also points to the importance of looking at alternatives to irrigation, water storage and hydropower in a more effective way. As such, the Report of the Commission forms a landmark in the history of the development and operations of dams.

With the Commission Report on the table, several immediate tasks are ahead for us. The members of the WCD Forum, and especially the World Bank and IUCN as the founders of the WCD, have a special responsibility to ensure that the report is properly followed up. This should not be done in a piecemeal manner, but in a way that leads to the full and rapid implementation of the recommendations. The Commission's stakeholders did not start and contribute to this process just to have another report that can easily be shelved and ignored.

Time has now come to move forward, to implement strategies that are more environmentally and socially responsible. This will require us, however, to work in partnerships and break down institutional barriers. At a time when energy needs seem to be ever increasing and food demand continues to rise, we are left with no other choice. We - affected people, local organisations, public and private development planners, governments, financiers and industry - need to work together.
IUCN hopes that his Forum can be the beginning of an effective and long-term collaboration to examine the Commission's Framework for Decision Making and initiate its application.

IUCN already initiated a number of activities to start implementing the Framework of Decision Making proposed the Commission:

1. To follow-up on a resolution of the 2nd World Conservation Congress, the IUCN Council in early February decided to establish an IUCN Task Force to analyse the report and define concrete avenues for implementation. This Task Force will draw upon the knowledge and expertise of the IUCN membership, the IUCN network of over 10,000 scientists and public and private partners.

2. IUCN will facilitate dialogues among stakeholders. Currently, we are setting-up such a dialogue in Central America, which is to take place next month in Costa Rica. We are planning to facilitate other regional and national discussions and dialogues in the 18 months ahead of us.

3. The IUCN Water & Nature Initiative, a major freshwater management and conservation programme with field projects worldwide, will apply ecosystem management in river and drainage basins. This Initiative will build on the Commission's Framework for Decision Making and include work on important dam issues such as environmental flows, baseline assessments, mitigation strategies, stakeholder participation and wise governance.

4. IUCN also expresses its commitment to the follow-up on the WCD report by coming forward with concrete ideas and proposals. To this meeting we have brought several concept proposals that we would like to discuss with you in a spirit of openness and collaboration.

IUCN believes that all parties need to avoid, minimise or compensate the negative environmental and social impacts of dams. Through transparent decision-making we need ensure that social and environmental safeguards are put in place when planning, constructing and managing dams. We need to look at governance issues, but we also need to develop the technical expertise. In both domains, IUCN seeks to collaborate with all stakeholder groups and organisations, especially with those who participated in the WCD Forum meetings. We invite you to join us in further developing the above ideas into concrete proposals for follow-up action.