Concordia International School Shanghai Model United Nations ◆ Fifth Annual Session
As the global economy continues to thrive in the twenty-first century, energy consumption is growing at an unprecedented rate. The main form of energy comes from thermal sources, such as coal, gas, fossil fuel, and oil; however, such sources are unrenewable. Due to the lack of sustainability, countries around the world are beginning to look at long-term energy sources to sustain the demanding need of energy needed for development. One long-term energy source that countries are tapping into is hydropower. Hydropower yields many benefits as the “fuel, which is water, is widely available. Also, hydroelectric power is reliable, produces significantly lesser pollution, and has low operating costs.
Even though hydroelectric power is one of the more efficient renewable energy sources, it also comes at a cost. Hydroelectric projects require a lot of space and modify the natural environment by varying natural water flow and destroy animals’ natural habitat. As a result, people are forced to relocate and the lifestyles of downstream populations would be altered. In most cases, people living around rivers and water bodies are of minority groups. The construction of hydroelectric projects would destroy the lifestyle and cultures of minority populations. Often times, these people suffer greater losses for the country to benefit the fruits of hydropower.
Another source of contention is transnational rivers. Since 145 nations include territories within international lake and river basins that cover half of the Earth’s land, countries are establishing hydroelectric projects on such water bodies. This is a concern for downstream countries as the alteration in water flow and habitats could dramatically affect their economies and people.
Transnational Rivers/Transboundary Waters
Transnational rivers/transboundary waters refer to rivers/water bodies that cut across two or more nations.
Hydroelectric Projects
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Concordia International School Shanghai Model United Nations ◆ Fifth Annual Session
Hydroelectric projects are in the form of dams in water bodies. The dam sits in the middle of the water body, such as a river. Energy is produced by the water flows through the dam, turns the turbine in the dam, and the potential energy from the flowing water is transformed into mechanical energy.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is a category of energy sources that refers to energy created from replenishable resources, such as sun, win, rain, wave and geothermal heat.
Project-affected persons
This phrase refers to the people that are negatively affected economically, culturally and socially by the establishment and construction of hydroelectric projects.
Convention on Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses
Created in 1997 by the United Nations, this is the only treaty that governs shared freshwater resources. The document sets a guideline for equitable and responsible use of international watercourse.
Historical background
Since water is the lifeline of many civilizations, the existence of competition for transboundary waters is natural. But despite the complexity of the issue around transboundary waters, history has shown that water disputes are handled diplomatically in many cases. The history of water treaties dates back to 2500 BC with two Sumerian city-states agreeing on an agreement to end the dispute over the
Tigris River. Looking at the last 50 years, 150 treaties regarding transnational or transboundary waters have been signed compared with only 37 minor disputes that involved violence.
Recent water sharing agreement history
The issue of transboundary waters may be more complex in other areas. One region where the issue is of transnational river is complex is the Nile River. Historically, Egypt and Sudan, represented by the UK, allocated minimum flows for the two countries and declared their natural and historic rights.
These rights require upstream nations to seek Egypt and Sudan over construction projects in the river.
However, the recent efforts by upstream nations pressed for more rights in the Cooperative Framework
Agreement in 2010. Nonetheless, Egypt and Sudan opposed to such an agreement as it would jeopardize their rights to the Nile.
However, recent transboundary waters treaties have shown that countries are able to come together to create legal agreements that can be negotiated and maintain in the midst of conflicts.
Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam created the Mekong River Commission in 1957 in order to
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Concordia International School Shanghai Model United Nations ◆ Fifth Annual Session facilitate the proper use of the Mekong River. Although the region experienced conflict during the
Vietnam War, the countries still exchanged technical information during that time. Another region that exemplified this is the Indus River. India and Pakistan, with the help from the World Bank, created the
Indus River Commission in order to settle a dispute on one of the rivers in area. Despite the tense relationship between India and Pakistan, the agreement has survived many conflicts between the two countries.
All water sharing treaties culminated in the 1997 United Nations Convention on Non-Navigational
Uses of International Watercourses. The convention strives to focus on the equitable and reasonable use of watercourses and not causing harm to neighboring countries. Although the agreement failed to gain the momentum to enter into force, it is still a major step in this area nonetheless.
Transnational rivers and downstream countries
Due to the nature of hydroelectric projects, damns store water during the wet season and release them during the dry season. This is an issue that downstream countries worry about as it reverses the natural cycle of the river and could potentially affect their economies. The construction of dams along the transnational river could also alter the amount of water downstream countries are able to use. The altering of water levels could disrupt agricultural productions. As a result, downstream countries may witness a dip in their economy. Also, dams also decrease the quantity available to meet rising demands and populations. While the country with the dam would benefit from the non-renewable energy source, downstream countries may suffer slower developments.
Impacts on downstream populations
According to a study conducted by the World Commission on Dams, between 40 and 80 million people have been displaced due to hydroelectric projects and damns around the world. The large number of displacement could potentially impact the livelihood, health and culture of the people. Since the displaced people are often made up of indigenous people and minorities, they could lose their way of life due to mass-displacement. Also, the change in water levels would affect such people’s hunting and agriculture negatively. Also, the construction of dams would alter the environment and possibly damage and destroy historical or cultural objects.
Impact on the environment
Construction of hydroelectric projects and dams often result in the alteration and destruction of the ecosystem around the body of water. The dam would change the nature of the water flow. However, a change in the nature of the water flow could be disastrous. Ecosystems around the dam would be damaged and trees would be killed. Also, the change in the flow of water would severely hinder fish migration and breeding patters. The reversal of the natural cycle of the river would bring about drought.
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Concordia International School Shanghai Model United Nations ◆ Fifth Annual Session
Organizations
World Bank
As the primary source of funding for major national hydroelectric dam projects, the World
Bank would like to impose on its borrowers methods and policy that would minimize the social costs of projects. The World Bank would like countries with hydroelectric projects to take social and economic factors into account. Also, countries should perform social impact assessments along with environmental impact assessment so that both downstream populations and the environment of transnational rivers are not severely or negatively affected.
Countries
China
China is pushing to build hydroelectric damns in the search for renewable electric power.
The Chinese government plans to expand hydroelectric projects to most of its major rivers and generate 120,000 megawatts of renewable energy by 2020. The best known project in China is the Three Gorges Dam completed in 2008, which is stretched across the Yangtze River. The government claims that dams are safe, control floods and droughts, and improve life. However, environmentalists protest against the government say that dams have adverse effect on the environment and people.
Even though China is engaging hydroelectric projects along transnational rivers, China has not signed the UN Convention on Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses or agreements that covers regions around its many transnational rivers, such as the Indus River and
Mekong River.
Ethiopia
The Ethiopian government announced plans to construct a hydroelectric dam across the
Nile River in 2011. The government hopes that the project would provide power for export and electricity that would reach to the 83% of Ethiopians living without access to electricity. However, the project has met a lot of resistance, particularly from its downstream neighbors Egypt and
Sudan. Egypt and Sudan are worried that the dam would impact the Nile River’s flow and increase strain on water supply.
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Concordia International School Shanghai Model United Nations ◆ Fifth Annual Session
Date
19 September 1960
1995
1997
February 1999
September 2003
Description of event
Indus Waters Treaty is a water-sharing treaty between Pakistan and India formed with the World Bank. The treaty governs the use of water in the Indus
Basin between the two countries. It has survived two major wars and prevented water disputes.
Mekong River Commission was established between Cambodia, Laos,
Thailand, and Vietnam to encourage collaboration on the transnational water usage of the Mekong delta region.
United Nations Convention on the Law of Non-Navigational Uses of International
Watercourses is the only treaty that governs shared freshwater resources. It sets guidelines for the equitable and responsible use of international watercourse.
Nile Basin Initiative established to facilitate the sustainable development and equitable use of the Nile basin water resources. It served as the transitional agreement. However, the establishment of the Cooperative Framework
Agreement, a more formal agreement, in 2010 was not a success as downstream countries, such as Egypt and Sudan, objected to the agreement.
UN-Water was created after the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable
Development. The agency focuses on work relating to water and sanitation and facilitates the exchange of information, experiences, and joint efforts between
UN organizations and agencies.
11 December 2011
The UN General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES/63/124. This resolution is on the Law of Transboundary Aquifers and provides recommendations and guidelines for the sustainable and peaceful management of transboundary aquifers.
Previous attempts to resolve the issue are quite limited. The closest attempts are the regional agreements that govern the use of said water body. In 1995, the Mekong River Commission was established between Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam to encourage collaboration on the transnational water usage of the Mekong delta region. But without the participation of China, the
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Concordia International School Shanghai Model United Nations ◆ Fifth Annual Session
Southeast Asian countries are limited in what they can do to address the negative effects from China’s hydroelectric projects. In 1999, the Nile Basin Initiative was established to facilitate the sustainable development and equitable use of the Nile basin water resources. It served as the transitional agreement.
However, the establishment of the Cooperative Framework Agreement in 2010 was not a success as downstream countries, such as Egypt and Sudan, objected to the agreement. Without a more recent agreement, the Nile basin would have a hard time solving the situation of Ethiopia’s dam.
Although the creation of United Nations Convention on the Law of Non-Navigational Uses of
International Watercourses is a huge step forward in this area, it is insufficient. First of all, the document only received 31 ratifications out of the required 35 in order for it to go into effect. Therefore, the document merely acts as an code of conduct.
Although history has shown that conflicts regarding transboundary waters can be solved diplomatically, the issue regarding hydroelectric projects and downstream populations on transnational rivers is a particularly complex one. As countries around the world are developing, the rise in demand for water is inevitable. However, there are several solutions that would promote hydroelectric projects while keeping in mind downstream populations on transnational rivers.
First of all, the United Nations should initiate another initiative to create a document that is legally blinding to all countries. The document should borrow concepts developed in the UN Convention on the
Law of Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses and clear away any points of controversy that is plaguing situations related to this issue. There should also be an annual conference on the topic of hydroelectric projects on transnational rivers. This conference would provide countries with the platform to solve problems diplomatically and share resources and technical information.
Second, the United Nations and relevant organizations, such as the World Bank and World
Commission on Dams, should make the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) mandatory for countries to conduct before commencing on hydroelectric projects.
Those assessments should be submitted to the relevant organizations for examination and approval.
Thirdly, the media and social network should be utilized to shed light onto this situation. Through the media, the ugly stories from affected downstream populations and people who were displaced would be revealed to the public. The public would learn about the sacrifices people have to make for hydroelectric projects and then request the government to open an eye and give such people fair treatment.
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Concordia International School Shanghai Model United Nations ◆ Fifth Annual Session
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