SOUTH ASIA REGIONAL CONSULTATION ON WATER
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND
THE REPORT OF THE WORLD COMMISSION ON DAMS
December 1-7, 2001
Kathmandu, Nepal
Background
In recent years, the dam debate in Nepal and India has been intensified. This debate also
include various past and proposed large dam projects in Nepal-India transboundary rivers
such as Koshi, Gandak, Karnali, West Seti and Mahakali. The release of the report of the
World Commission on Dams has further intensified the debate but it is not very clear
what direction that this debate will lead to.
In this critical juncture, groups in South Asia are holding a South Asia-focused regional
consultation on water resource development and WCD report on December 1-7, 2001 in
Nepal and develop strategies and plan of action for the future, including on-site public
hearings and fact-findings.
Main Objectives
The preparatory meeting of 10 Nepali and several other dam activists and held in New
Delhi on May 25 on the occasion of "National Consultation on WCD Report" in India
agreed to following and identified some objectives for the regional consultation. The
meeting was joined by famous anti-dam fighters from Narmada Valley Medha Patker and
Shripad Dharmadhikari and later on was approved by another anti-dam fighter and
environmentalist Sundarlal Bahuguna in Tehri.
The discuss tentatively agreed on the following of objectives the consultation:
a) invite at least one anti-dam movement representative from each other South Asia
countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) as well as representatives from
other regional and international water, rivers and dams network;
b) hold regular exchange visits of activists between Nepal and India, and if possible
Bangladesh in the case of Ganges Basin water resource development and the sharing
of equitable benefits, to create joint strategies and actions;
c) initiate cross activist-government dialogue as far as it is possible, e.g. Indian activists
talking to Nepali government officials and vice versa;
d) study the impacts of completed Nepal-India Koshi and Gandak projects by applying
WCD criteria and guidelines by a joint group of experts from both Nepal and India to
identify the lessons to be learned and future campaigning;
e) conduct research on the existing status of Laxmanpur Barrange controversy and
Mahakali Treaty in relation to Pancheshwar and/or Purnagiri or other projects in the
Mahakali River; and
f) establish a Nepal-India activist forum to undertake these activities followed by
regular bi-lateral/regional consultations as and when necessary.
We also have requested the Secretariat of the World Commission on Dams for their
participation and presentation of the findings of the report during the regional
consultation.
Main Activities
Day 1 (December 1):
Departure to various water and dam conflict sites:
i) Koshi Barrage and Chatara Irrigation Canal, first joint Nepal-India water
undertakings, the source of devastating floods in Nepal and Bihar (of India) and
the site of proposed Koshi high dam in Chatara, Dharan about 500 KM from
Kathmandu.
ii) Gandak Irrigation Project, second joint Nepal-India undertaking, sybolises
unequal beneft sharing, about 200 KM from Kathmandu in the central region,
near National Chitwan Park, includes Nepal's most unpopular and costly irrigation
project in Chitwan on the way.
iii) Laxmanpur Barrage, India's unilateral undertaking on its side of the NepalIndia border in the western region, about 14 villages under the water with no
proper compensation and rehabilitation, near Nepalgunj city, about 400 KM from
Kathmandu.
iv) Russiawal-Khurdalotan dams, India's most recent unilateral undertaking in
its side of Nepal-India border in the wester region, dozens of villages under water
both in Nepal and India with no proper compnensation and rehabilitation,
threatens the very existence of the birthplace of Buddha in Rupandehi district.
vi) Purnagiri in Mahakali River, a site of India's unilateral attempt of
constructing a storage dam as part of Pancheshwar project, related to Nepal's
politically most controversial Mahakali Integrated Multipurpose Development
Project, dozens of villages in the valley will be under the water if built, about 800
KM from Kathmandu.
Day 2 (December 2):
Visits of various project sites; meeting with local people, activists, project/company
officials and political party leaders, preparation of comprehensive individual and group
reports on technical, economic, social and environmental beneft issues; propose
alternatives for the future water resource management and beneft sharing by using the
suggested framework of the World Commission on Dams; and address local public
meetings and press conferences.
Day 3 (December 3):
Continuation of Day 2 activities.
Day 4 (December 4):
Return to Kathmandu and finalise the report.
Day 5 (December 5):
Regional consultation on water resource development and the report of the World
Commission on Dams begins with international perspectives. WCD-UNEP officials and
other experts present the findings of the WCD report and post-report dimension in the
international, dams, environment and development struggles.
Day 6 (December 6):
Regional consultation continues with the presentation of five summary reports from the
field visits as well as country reports from other South Asian countries. A follow up plan
and future strategy will be discussed with the adoption of Kathmandu Declaration and
Plan of Action.
Day 7 (December 7):
A rally will march the city for the right to water on the occasion of International Human
Rights Day, December 10. Speakers will include Medha Patkar, Sundarlal Bahuguna,
Arundhoti Roy and others. There will also be a film and documentary show on December
10 on the dams and environment stuggles, e.g. the Narmada diary, Arun III stggles in
Nepal and others in the morning.
Main co-sponsors in Nepal:
The main organisers of the consultation from Nepal will be:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Nepal Foundation for Change, an independent trust established to support human
rights, environmental and anti/dam-related activities in Nepal
Nepal Water and Energy Users' Federation-Nepal (WAFED), a nationwide
network formed to implement the recently adopted Kathmandu Declaration and
Plan of Action on Water Resource Development, Energy, Human Rights and
Environment
Save the Phewa Lake and Environment Conservation Committee-Pokhara
Rastriya Sarokar Samaj (National Concerns Society), a national network of local
activists and groups
Proposed co-sponsors from outside Nepal:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Independent Assessment to the World Commission on Dams, an initiative of
Word Resources Institute (WRI, Washington, DC), LEAT (Tanjania) and
Lokayan
South Asia Network of Dams, River and People (SANDRP), New Delhi, India
Save the Narmada Movement
Himalaya Seva Sangha, Tehri Dam Campaign
(Others to be included)
Proposed participants (150):
Nepal (95)
1.
Representatives and local activists from WAFED and other concerned groups
(40), government officials (10),
independnet experts (10), dam-building and
financial institutions (10), NGO representatives (10) and jouranlists
(15).
2.
National Federation of Irrigation Water Users Association, Nepal (NWIWUAN)
3.
Federation of Community Forest Users' Network (FECOFUN), Nepal
4.
Nepal Water Conservation Foundation
India (30)
The participants from India include Medha Patkar, Sundarlal Bahuguna, Arundhoti Roy,
Smitu Kothari, Himanshu Thakkar, Shripad Dharmadhikari, Dinesh Kumar Mishra,
Jharana Jhaveri, Shekhar Pathak, Girija Pande, Vijay Paranjpye, Pawan Rana and other
experts, acvists and project affectees from India side of Nepal-India joint water and dam
projects.
Others (25)
The 25 participants from other countries include Bangladesh (5), Bhutan (5 from among
refugees based in Nepal), Pakistan (2), Sri Lanka (2), East Asia (5 from Mekong region,
Pak Moon in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, China if possible), Africa (1), Australia
(1, AidWatch), Europe (1, European Rivers Network), North America (1, Internatioanl
Rivers Network), South America (1) and WCD-Secretariat or WCD Commissioner (other
than Medha Patkar) or representative or recently established Dams and Development
Unit of UNEP or both (2).
Financial Resources
We have so far been able to raise some funds to cover the local cost as well as the cost of
travel for Nepali, Bangladeshi and Indian participants since it is cheaper. These are also
the countries with series of bi-lateral and multi-lateral conflicts on water management and
development issues. We may have the possibility of providing financial assistance for
one participant each from Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Bhutanese participation will be made
from among the refugees currently living in Nepal. However, we will be able to cover the
local cost of all international participants in a modest place with other participants.