Third Regional Consultation of the World Commission on Dams

Introduction:

The World Commission on Dams has held to date two successful public consultations as part of its mandate to receive inputs that inform its work programme. Consultations are one element of a comprehensive research programme and aim to provide the Commission with an open forum for listening to all interested parties in the debate. The first South Asia consultation was held in Sri Lanka in December 1998, the second consultation on Latin America, in Brazil in August 1999. Both drew large numbers of participants comprising presenters, observers and the media. In all, four regional consultations are planned during the life of the Commission. The third consultation will focus on the experiences and lessons learnt with dams, water and energy development across Africa and the Middle East. The consultation will be held on December 8-9 1999 in Cairo, Egypt (dates and venue to be confirmed).

The WCD consultation for Africa and the Middle East is supported by the United Nations Environment Programme as part of a broader partnership on a range of issues of mutual interest.

The World Commission on Dams:

The World Commission on Dams (WCD) is an independent, international commission constituted under the auspices of a wide array of representatives from governments, civil society, the private sector and international organizations.

Professor Kader Asmal, Minister of Education for the Republic of South Africa, is the appointed chair of the WCD and is joined by eleven other distinguished individuals from across the globe.

The WCD's key objectives are to conduct a global review of the development effectiveness of large dams; formulate an options assessments and decision making framework for the sustainable management of water and energy resources; and propose a set of internationally acceptable criteria and guidelines for the planning, appraisal, design, construction, operation, monitoring and decommissioning of large dams. The guiding principles of the WCD are openness, transparency, inclusiveness and accessibility.

The Regional Consultation:

The Regional Consultation for Africa and the Middle East is being convened to assist the Commission in fulfilling its mandate by achieving the following goals:

• invite a broad range of interested parties to participate in and inform the WCD's work
• facilitate the public exchange of ideas and views among various constituencies in the region
• provide the Commissioners with an opportunity to develop a shared knowledge base.

The composition of panels and presentations at the consultation aims to achieve diversity in regional representation as well as from the various interested groups involved in the debate over large dams and sustainable water and energy management. Given the neutral and independent nature of the Commission, the WCD will welcome presentations from government, private sector and civil society sectors reflecting a diversity of interests, perspectives and experiences.

Invitations for Presentations: The WCD invites all interested persons to submit proposals for presentations related to the key objectives outlined above, focusing on the experiences and lessons learnt locally, nationally, or regionally across Africa and the Middle East. The following themes are proposed as a preliminary framework developing submissions; however flexibility will be maintained in receiving submissions that do not fall within these themes:

1. Dams and their Alternatives in Egypt: a Country Perspective

· For the host country panel, a range of presentations are expected, focusing among other issues on, Egypt's experience in managing the Nile River System and the lessons to be learned from the Aswan Dam.

2. Dams, Food Security and Livelihoods: Understanding Benefits and Impacts

· Presentations can focus on the differential benefits and impacts ranging from national food security issues to impacts on local communities and livelihoods. These could cover social and economic aspects such as economic vulnerability, dam induced development, resettlement, downstream impacts, and gender issues, etc.

3. Dams and Water Resource Management: Reviewing Alternate Options

· Presentations may explore the technical options for improving efficiency of current uses whilst looking at issues such as demand-side management, conservation, recycling, among others.

4. Dams and Ecosystems: Assessing and Managing Environmental Impacts

· The presentations under this theme could focus on rivers, floodplains and deltas. Possible topics to explore: the environmental values of rivers, floodplains and deltas; experiences in flood releases in restoring/enhancing ecosystems; the environmental values of reservoirs.

5. Dams and Energy: Assessing the Hydropower Option for National Development

· The thematic focus for presentations could be on hydropower and the lessons to be derived from the ways and means by which hydropower has had an impact on economic and social development in Africa and the Middle East. Presentations may also focus on available alternatives for energy supply.

6. Dams and River Basins: Lessons Learned and Implications for Managing Shared Water Resources

· Some of the issues that could be explored are: experiences in the management of shared watercourses; issues posed/opportunities created by large dam projects in transboundary water courses; dams, water sharing, international law, conflict prevention and resolution, and regional co-operation/security

7. Dams and Regulatory Frameworks: the Role of Legislation and National Development Policies

· Presentations may provide a range of experiences in the development of national/regional legislation on water regulation and extraction, and similarly in the development of national policies that provide a framework for incentives, and for criteria and guidelines that have aided decision making in the past.

A two-page summary of the proposed presentation, preferably in English, is requested for no later than November 10, 1999. Selection for presentations will be based on the relevance of the topic, quality of submission and experience/expertise of presenter. Those selected will be invited to make their presentations during proceedings that are designed as a formal dialogue between presenters and members of the Commission.

Invitation for General Submissions:

In addition to proposals for presentation at the consultation, submissions (not for presentation at the consultation) of materials documenting the experiences and lessons learnt are also encouraged. These submissions can be prepared in written, audio, video or other format.