Response to the Final Report:

World Water Council

From WWC Newsletter No 3/2001, April

In view of the publication of the World Commission on Dams report, the Board during its March 2000 meeting, decided to create a Task Force to review the report and make the appropriate recommendations to the Board.

After discussions, and after taking into consideration the wide range of technical background and expertise brought together by the membership of the WWC, the Board reached a consensus on the following statement:

1. It is recognized that storage of water will continue to be developed during this century, particularly in developing countries, because of the primordial importance of water and because of the variability in water availability in space and time and growing demands.
2. Where dams are to be built, this should be done while requiring application of state-of-the-art knowledge, laws, rules and guidelines concerning social, environmental, technical and economic aspects applied in a sustainable manner.
3. Some WWC Members have reviewed the report and issued statements finding it broadly acceptable. Some considered the report unbalanced concerning the benefits of reservoirs as compared with the social-environmental-economic costs. Some considered that certain recommended options and guidelines may be unrealistic in application.
4. The WWC considers that the WCD has made an important contribution. It supports the core values and strategic priorities proposed in the report, and notes that these have broad application for other infrastructure development as well.
5. The WWC notes that the WCD has now completed its work according to its assigned mandate.
6. The WWC welcomes, encourages, and wishes to contribute positively to follow up dialogue and to assessing the needs for other follow-up work. The WWC Task Force will continue operation to facilitate the Council's contribution to this process.
7. The WWC will also continue its contributions in related areas, such as the rapidly-developing dialogue on water, food and nature (which involves inter alia ICID, IWMI, FAO, IUCN, GWP), and dialogue on subjects such as risk mitigation, energy, drinking water and sanitation. Members of the WWC Board of Governors and Observers.