South Asia

Chair's Summary Statement at the Conclusion of the Consultation

"Over the past two days we have heard a wide range of views from the countries of the South Asian region and note the diversity of the experiences, but also the common threads that run through the discussion on dams.

"What has struck me in particular is the openness and balance of the discussions and the frankness of the presentations. We appear to be in a situation where the core issues and driving forces about past and new developments are being aired. Also the acknowledgement that lessons from the past have and can be learnt - both positive and negative. This is immensely encouraging for the work of the Commission as it attempts to review the effectiveness of dams around the world and to make proposals for the future.

"The common threads, but also sometimes confusing threads, include:

• the potential need for dams to satisfy the projected massive growth in demand for food, energy, drinking water and flood management,
• seasonal and locational variability in rainfall and natural resource endowment
• the need for, and viability of, demand management and greater efficiencies from existing systems
• desires to increase participation in decision making processes and the appreciation of human rights
• potential environmental benefits of providing storage
• the agreement that transparent governance systems can improve the options assessed and effectiveness of planning and implementation
• the importance of considerations of environmental sustainability, for example, the need to assess and mitigate the unforeseen impacts of dams on downstream ecology
• the consensus for equitable treatment of project affected people from an early stage of planning
• a number of alternative approaches for irrigation, power and water supply that deserve wider attention.

"I would like to thank the presenters for their willingness to share their experiences and expertise with the Commission. This has been an impressive review of lessons learned from the extensive involvement with large dams in South Asia.

"As I have mentioned throughout this Consultation, you are encouraged to send in more detailed responses to the questions raised by the Commissioners using the benefit of more time, and to supplement your presentations to us. Your experiences and recommendations will form an important part of the input to the work of the Commission. This Consultation should be seen as the beginning of a participatory process rather than the end of a meeting.

"Let me close by paying a special tribute to the Government and people of Sri Lanka. Something quite unusual occurred during the last two days. An independent, international Commission was hosted by the country's leading ministries involved with dam projects, the Ministry of Mahaweli Development. Not only did they welcome us, but they respected the independence of the Commission while providing all the planning and logistical support that such an important event required. I pay tribute to the spirit of openness and mutual respect with which we were able to fulfil a part of our unique mandate".