Response to the Final Report:

Harza Engineering Company

Letter to The Wall Street Journal
November 30, 2000

The Wall Street Journal
200 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10281

To the Editors:

Harza Engineering Company is a diversified engineering, environmental, and management consulting firm based in Chicago and working in the water and power industries. Harza was disappointed with the Wall Street Journal's coverage on the release of the World Commission on Dam's report highlighted in a recent article entitled, "Report Finds Dam Projects Cause Misery than Benefits." We believe this article provided a disconcerting overview of the report.

The World Commission on Dam's report entitled, "Dams and Development: A New Framework for Decision Making," provides a comprehensive and independent review of domestic and international dam development. Key highlights from the report included:

• Dams have made an important and significant contribution to human development, and the benefits derived from them have been considerable. However in many cases, the environmental and social costs have been unnecessary and unacceptable.
• A new framework for decision-making that moves beyond simple cost-benefit tradeoffs to introduce an inclusive "rights and risks approach," which recognizes all legitimate stakeholders in negotiating development choices.
• A set of core values, strategic priorities, and practical criteria and guidelines governing water and energy resources development in the future.
• A challenge to national governments, civil society groups, bilateral aid agencies, and multilateral development banks and the private sector to change the way they view energy and water resources development.

The report offers a unique insight into dams and their benefits and associated costs. The report proposes a sound approach to the future development of a very old, yet important, water resource technology.

Very truly yours,

Edward F. Carter
Director, Managing Partner