Message from the Chair
Toward a Lingua Franca for Dams

The last two meetings of the full World Commission on Dams shifted emphasis from our work process to our product. Our next meeting, at the end of August, will consider the draft text of the Final Report before it goes to press.

While anticipating the launch in London November 16, this juncture lets us assess the past two years of WCD deliberations.

It strikes me how, during much of that time, our work revolved around defining, and refining, a common language for dams and development. That may sound simple, but it's easier said than done.

Our regional consultations, with translators working full time, sought a more complete lexicon than what had appeared in books and studies by either side of the debate. Our 800 plus submissions revealed more meanings of "dams" than you might find in every nation's thesaurus.

Our cross-check survey brought clarity to our understanding of a single archetype by defining patterns shared by many dams. And our case studies and thematic reviews became encyclopaedic volumes that let us comprehensively grasp the shades of significance behind single words, ranging from 'Aslantas' to 'Tucurui,' or single phrases, ranging from "cultural heritage management" to "water security."

As these words poured in, the Commission translated them in a series of spirited exchanges. Controversies arise over placement of a single word or phrase.

We know that language is political, and English is a subtle language. If a word can change the tone or meaning of a phrase, we discuss it until it strikes the right chord. For example, we:

Socially note the difference between dam affected 'people' and 'peoples,' or how 'participation' is distinct from 'negotiation.'

Politically know a state's right to relocate physical 'dwellings' does not include its ability to sever ties to 'homes.'

Economically seek compliance from dam 'owners' with different incentives or sanctions than from 'operators' or 'developers.'

Environmentally show flood 'control' is not flood 'management'; 'mitigation' is not 'avoidance'; 'trade-offs' are not 'choices.'

Linguistic distinctions reflect not subtleties of style, but matters of substance. We have reached the final stage of drafting our Report. At our meeting in July we finalised the strategic priorities and policy principles that define our common understanding and platform for criteria and guidelines. It marked a significant step towards completing the mandate of our Commission. Look for us on November 16.

Professor Kader Asmal
Chair of the WCD