Ripple Effects:
Sri Lanka

Colombo Consultation triggers review of dam safety, compensation

While generally supportive, some national governments may hold the WCD at a distance, viewing its work process with scepticism, hesitation, perhaps even suspicion.

Sri Lanka welcomed it with a warm strong embrace.

As the first nation to open its doors to the WCD – in December 1998 it helped host the South Asia Regional Consultation on Dams and their Alternatives in Colombo. Sri Lanka has also had the longest ongoing dialogue and the most time to use the evidence emerging from the consultations and work of the WCD. That dialogue is starting to pay dividends, according to some.

Tilak Ranaviraja

"Although the report of the Commission is not released as yet, we have already benefited from this consultation in particular, and from those held subsequently in other regions as well," said Tilak Ranaviraja, former Secretary of the Ministry of Mahaweli Development. He added "An Inter-Ministerial Committee for Monitoring Dams of recently built reservoirs has been established. This committee comprises of members from relevant ministries across the dams, irrigation, electricity and engineering sectors. The main function of the committee is to monitor the dams of reservoirs recently built in Sri Lanka, as the name of the committee implies.

At the WCD Consultation in Colombo, Mr Ranaviraja presented a joint paper with Mr Karunaratne of the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka (MASL), which pointed out key concerns of dam safety in Sri Lanka.

"Dam safety is of utmost importance and failure to take necessary precautions could be disastrous. The World Bank is actively supporting to introduce dam safety measures in Sri Lanka by providing technical and financial assistance", said Mr Ranaviraja.

Indeed, of 320 government controlled dams in Sri Lanka, some 80 are of significant to large size. MASL has contacted the World Bank to explore possible actions to face the issue. During a mid-term review of an on-going Bank project, both parties agreed to include a dam safety and water conservation component after assessing two options:

• Dam Safety only: too narrow in the context of a dam owner's overall management responsibilities.

• Dam Safety and Water Conservation: preferred and will fill a current need for addressing water quantity and quality, sedimentation, other environmental impacts and catchment management associated with dams, river inflows, diversions, releases and flood management.

In addition to the health and safety of the structures, the country took a second look at the health and safety of people affected.

"During the deliberations of the Consultations organised by the WCD," said Ranaviraja, "I have reiterated that we should have taken more care to help dislocated people in a better manner." In the past, he said, government compensated on rates far below the market rate. Sri Lanka now has "a system of paying replacement cost and social cost to the affected persons to ensure them a better and more prosperous life in their new environment."