3 November 2000
Africa launch in Dakar, Pretoria Nov. 22, 23

CAPE TOWN, November 1 -- The World Commission on Dams (WCD), set up two years ago to find common ground in the fierce debate over dams and development, has completed its comprehensive work, fulfilling its mandate with unanimous agreement, on schedule and under budget.

The WCD is: based in Africa, chaired by an African, studied extensive experience of Africa, and presents its report to Nelson Mandela in London. Indeed, in Africa alone WCD has reviewed and completed a comprehensive Case Study of Kariba dam in Zambia/Zimbabwe, as well as a Pilot Study of the Gariep and Van Der Kloof dams on the Orange River in South Africa. It has conducted a Cross-Check survey of 20 dams throughout Africa. It held a regional consultation in Cairo, Egypt, and took part in a meeting of dam-affected people in Cape Town. It has read 144 written submissions from the African region. It has staff from Kenya, Malawi, Senegal, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The WCD's Final Report, Dams and Development: A New Framework for Decision-Making, reveals what, in hindsight, can be learned from the evidence and experience of dams in Africa, and other continents. It charts a course forward, presenting its analysis, independent findings and authoritative criteria and guidelines for action in Dakar and Pretoria in November 22 and 23, with a goal of turning Africa's dam controversies of the past into development consensus for the future.

"All development must be people centered," said WCD Chair Kader Asmal. "Our report helps countries meet the day-to-day needs of our thirsty, hungry citizens without exhausting the waters that sustain us all. The measure of our progress over the last two years is how practical and useful our collective work has been for all."

A cornerstone of the global evidence is Kariba Case Study, presented to the WCD, which found:

• Kariba South was finished on budgeted time and money. Kariba North was delayed and had cost overruns leading to 2.5 times more that the original budget.



• The 57 000 Tonga people who were displaced have suffered through the years as they still await clean water and electricity. Their displacement has led to the community's fragmentation as the distances between them are large and some no longer speak Tonga. Most lost their land as, at the time, under the colonial authority, farmers did not have title to land.



• Although some species of animals were lost, a rescue operation (Operation Noah) managed to rescue a wide variety of 4 000 to 6 000 large animals and numerous small ones. This also led to the creation of wildlife sanctuaries in Zimbabwe.



• The electricity generated in Kariba has benefited many industries especially the mining sector, as well as urban populations and commercial farmers. One of the benefits is the increase on tourism, where Kariba is among the five airports within the basin serving airlines from within Southern Africa (where 20% of visitors are regional and 80% are overseas).



• Some initiatives are being undertaken to address the inequities of the past. The Zambezi River Authority Fund and Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Corporation's Tonga rehabilitation projects seen as the promising initiatives.

Dr. Hungwe, Zimbabwean economist and team leader of a joint Zambia/Zimbabwe study team said: "The Kariba case study report became an effort in distilling the large volumes of information that we obtained from published documents, interviews with key stakeholders; as well as all the emotional and passionate views that were expressed at our two stakeholder workshops with respect to all the impacts of Kariba dam in its 50 years of history. This was not easy and we hope that our report has the breath and depth of analysis to assist the Commission in guiding future dam development worldwide".

One of the Report's peer reviewers, Oliver Saasa, of the Institute of Economic and Social Research in the University of Zambia noted: "The report reads well, generally, and it is evidently well researched. It provides some very insightful analysis of the various aspects of its mandate although some great work by Elizabeth Colson on the Gwebe Tonga on the Zambian side are not cited."

Donal O'Leary from Siemens said: "The report documents clearly the lack of a harmonized approach to resettlement in both these countries, which persists even today. In addition the sections on hydrology, and the last four chapters (Distributional Impacts of the Kariba Dam project, Options Analysis and Decision-making, Criteria and Guidelines: Policy Evolution and Compliance and Views on Development Effectiveness and Lesson Learnt) were themselves quite interesting."

But the Kariba Study is merely one of ten reports commissioned across the world as part of the WCD's case study programme. And those case studies are a fraction of all the evidence prepared for the WCD, such as a global cross-check survey of 22 dams which in Africa included Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

All studies, reviews, surveys and reports, like the Kariba Study, informed the WCD Final Report, which will be launched November 16 in London with Nelson Mandela, World Bank President James Wolfensohn, IUCN Director General Maritta Koch-Weser, UN Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson and HRH The Prince of Orange, Chairman of the Second World Water Forum.

"All our commissioned case studies and reviews are inputs to, not outputs of the Commission. The research which goes into the WCD does not, by itself, pass judgement, or make recommendations," said Secretary-General Achim Steiner. "Only one document embodies the conclusions of and speaks with one voice from the Commission, and that is our Final Report, which will first be released in London and presented in 15 other capitals world-wide, including Dakar and Pretoria."

The Commission's Final Report draws on experiences and perspectives emerging from the case studies, thematic reviews, consultations and submissions. It goes beyond learning from the past and presents a new framework for decision making with clear directions and practical guidance. On November 22 and 23, the WCD will not tell either the people of Africa or the national governments what to do. It will, however, provide the clear evidence, historic context and a step-by-step framework from which all parties can carefully develop lessons from the past to shape policies for their future.