12 December 1999
WCD Wraps Up Africa/Middle East Meetings

Cairo - The World Commission on Dams today completed its five days of meetings in Cairo, Egypt during which it conducted:

• two days of exhaustive discussion with 33 parties to the dams debate in Africa and the Middle East as to the costs and benefits of large dams as a development tool in the two regions; and
• three days of meetings during which the Commissioners discussed the evolution of the WCD's work programme, based on 28 studies now underway across the globe.

"Once again I have been impressed with the growing cohesion between our 12 Commissioners, who come from different parts of the globe and from widely varying backgrounds," said Professor Kader Asmal. Chair of the World Commission on Dams, Professor Asmal currently is South Africa's Minister of Education; from 1994-1999 he was South Africa's Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry and is well-known for introducing a human rights and environmental agenda into national water legislation oriented toward transforming apartheid's legacy vis-à-vis water resources.

The World Commission on Dams was established in 1998 by proponents and opponents of dams to conduct a global review of the effectiveness of large dams as a development tool, and to make recommendations on the future role dams and their alternatives in a holistic development context.

"In our three days of Commission meetings we have discussed our global reviews of dam issues," said Professor Asmal. "In particular we heard presentations on our 'thematic reviews' which are 17 studies divided into five themes: environmental, social, economic, and institutional issues related to dams, and options in providing services often provided by dams. I am impressed at the progress made in those studies, particularly given the Commission's brief, two-year mandate which will culminate in publication of its final report later in the year 2000,."

The WCD's regional consultations and its global studies draw in opinion and expertise from academics, NGOs, business, water and hydropower utilities and authorities, government and the engineering sector, and international lenders.