View
217
Download
0
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
8/3/2019 WRR December 2008-Updated
1/16
World
revieWrivers
Kt D R Tks St Frrdby Craig Tucker
NSIDEpecial Focusiver Restoration
xpert Adviceps rom the pros on
am decommissioning
ctivism. Page 4
rofles in Couragespiring stories rom
e ront lines o dam-
moval campaigns.
age 8
Wetlandsojects to restore
vers and wetlands are
nderway in Iraq and
urope. Page 10
Today, there is light at
the end o the tunnel
in the long and conten-
tious battle over the manage-
ment o the Klamath River
near the Caliornia-Oregon
border, where dams anddiversions have decimated
once-healthy sheries, let
behind poisonous waters
contaminated with algae, and
angered tribes, armers and
shing communities.
In mid-November, a diverse
group o stakeholders in the
region agreed to a plan that
advocates or removal o our
dams on the Klamath River,
opening up a path to the big-
gest dam removal in the US,
and possibly the world.Although the non-binding
agreement is only a prelimi-
nary step to a binding long-
term agreement with more
than two dozen stakeholder
groups including Federal,
state, local and tribal govern-
ments, and arm, ranching,
conservation and shing
groups most parties to the
agreement saw the announce-
ment as a bold step orward in
the struggle to restore one oAmericas greatest rivers.
According to Karuk tribal
leader Lea Hillman, The
salmon arent in the smoke-
house yet, but Im more op-
timistic than ever that these
dams days are numbered.
Whats more, the dam
removal plan would provide
the missing element o the
more comprehensive Klamath
Basin Restoration Agreement
which provides a means to
balance irrigation needs withthe needs o sh, a plan or
reintroducing salmon to the
upper Klamath basin, and a
host o other benets or the
basins struggling rural econo-
mies. This plan was released
by a coalition o stakehold-
ers that included the Karuk,
Yurok and Klamath tribes, two
irrigation groups, and a host
o shing and conservation
organizations.
Signicant hurdles remainto dam removal. The Agree-
ment in Principle to remove
the dams must be nalized,
ederal legislation must be
passed, the current view that
dam removal is in the public
interest must be conrmed by
a scientic analysis, and the
US Secretary o the Interior
must approve the deal.
Removing the dams would
open up some 300 miles o
river that has been inacces-
sible to salmon or nearly acentury. Klamath salmon are
now at less than 10% o their
historic populations, accord-
ing to shery experts. The
Klamath deal came a ew days
beore the release o a report
showing almost two-thirds
o native reshwater sh in
Caliornia are on the brink o
extinction.
The Bush Administra-
tion was jolted into action by
back-to-back disasters in 2001
and 2002. These were droughtyears in the region. In 2001,
armers were denied irriga-
tion water in order to protect
endangered sh. Farmers
and ranchers staged dramatic
demonstrations culminating
in the militant seizure o the
irrigation head gates.
In 2002, irrigation fows
were restored but resulted in
a massive sh kill that all on
Pbihd by Intrntin Rivr V. 23 / N. 4 Dc. 2
internationalrivers.org
Tribes have been pressing or the removal o the sh-killing Klamathdams or years. The our dams are now owned by billionaire WarrenBuett. Photo: Klamath Justice Coalition Continued on page
8/3/2019 WRR December 2008-Updated
2/16 WoRlD RIVeRs ReVIeW Dcmbr 2008
CommentaryWorld RiversReviewVolume 23, Number 4
ISSN Number 0890 6211
EditorLori Pottinger
Assistant EditorSusanne Wong
Design& ProductionJeanette Madden
PrintingInkworks
International Rivers
Executive DirectorPatrick McCully
StaMonti Aguirre, Karolo Apari-cio, Peter Bosshard, NicoleBrewer, Elizabeth Brink,Colin Carpenter, JamieGreenblatt, Terri Hathaway,Inanna Hazel, Aviva Imho,Shannon Lawrence, AaronLevy, Berklee Lowrey-Evans,Lia Metz, Carl Middleton,Payal Parekh, Lori Pottinger,Elizabeth Sabel, AaronSanger, Ann-Kathrin
Schneider, Glenn Switkes,Katy Yan
Interns& VolunteersSelma Barros de Oliveira,Wil Dvorak, Romo Jounda,Stacy Lee, ShradhaUpadhayay, Feng Yun
Board o DirectorsMartha Belcher (Chair), AndrCarothers, Bob Hass, MarciaMcNally, Carlos Meija, MilanMomirov, Deborah Moore,
Cymie Payne, David Pellow,Lori Udall, Meeta Vyas
Contact Us1847 Berkeley WayBerkeley, CA 94703 USATel: (510) 848-1155Fax: (510) 848-1008
AN AgENDA FoR ChANgE
T
he nancial crisis is sending shock waves throughout the global economy. Stock markets are
plunging around the world. Governments are bailing out banks and other companies at a stag-
gering pace. Many people are losing their jobs, houses, and retirement accounts. The ree enter
prise system has lost its luster. Global power is shiting to China and other cash-rich countries which
are now expected to bail out Western banks and companies.
Even while the nancial crisis has absorbed our attention, the worlds ecosystems have moved
closer to collapse. According to a new WWF report, climate change is happening aster, stronger,
sooner than predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as late as 2007. Climate
change, water stress and growing demand are contributing to the global ood crisis. And almost hal o
the 45,000 species on IUCNs latest Red List are extinct, threatened or near-threatened.
In normal times, such bad news might be a cause or despair. But we dont live in normal times. Th
recent election in the US has created enthusiasm or social and political change, and mobilized a new
generation o activists. Barack Obama has made the promotion o clean energy one o his top priori-
ties. Parliaments in several countries have approved huge bailout packages or their banks, and the
conditions under which these unds are invested can still be dened.
The economic meltdown and impending political change are a huge opportunity to redene globa
economic policies in ways that address rather than deepen the environmental crisis. The time is ripe
or a Green New Deal. Here is an agenda or change:
A program to promote renewable energy and to increase energy eciency in housing, transport an
industry could create millions o jobs and de-carbonize the economy. Barack Obama promised to
create ve million jobs by investing $150 billion in clean energy and energy eciency.
Banks need to be re-regulated so they can become the servants rather than the masters o the glob
economy. Speculative practices that create excessive risks should be outlawed. Strict environment
standards should be incorporated into the regulation o the banking sector.
Taxing carbon emissions and cutting existing subsidies or oil, coal and nuclear energy can provide
the resources needed to invest in a green economy. Carbon taxes can also create a saety net to
cushion the social impacts o the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Groups like the New Economic Foundation, BankTrack and Friends o the Earth have prepared
detailed proposals on how a Green New Deal might work. Even the UN Environmental Programme ha
launched a Green Economy Initiative to create green jobs and combat climate change. Now that the
once-dominant orces o market undamentalism have been discredited, a new, equitable and sus-tainable uture can be built on the rubble o past excesses, the BankTrack network comments in its
Bank to the Future statement.
The global nancial crisis is also aecting our own work. Banks are tightening their lending or
risky projects such as large dams. The Xalala Dam, a controversial hydropower project in Guatemala
ailed to attract oreign investors at an auction in November. And in December, the World Banks
private sector arm, the IFC, announced a delay in the Kaue Gorge Dam in Zambia due to the global
nancial crisis. The IFC says it believes some potential investors will pull out o the project entirely.
Yet the meltdown on Wall Street also threatens to dry up credit or large solar power projects now in
the pipeline. Internationally, new nanciers rom China, India, Thailand and Latin America are oerin
to ll the gap. They have deep pockets, but oten no social and environmental guidelines.
While we at International Rivers are tightening our budgets and reezing our salaries, we are also
investing in programs that address the current environmental challenges and opportunities. We are
strengthening our climate and communications departments. We are expanding our work on new
dam builders and nanciers. The nancial crisis has demonstrated that sel-regulation is not workingand so we are pushing or stricter standards or the global dam industry. Finally, we will move into
Berkeleys Brower Center in a ew months, a model green building that exemplies the new economy
we are working toward.
As Barack Obamas new chie o sta said, a crisis should never be allowed to go to waste. Now is
the time to push or the breakthrough o a green economy. At International Rivers, we intend to be
part o the global agenda or change.
Peter Bosshard
Printed on 100%
post-consumer recycled
waste paper with
vegetable-based inks
8/3/2019 WRR December 2008-Updated
3/16WoRlD RIVeRs ReVIeW Dcmbr 2008
ewS aND NoTeS oN The woRlDwiDe movemeNT To pRoTecT RiveRS
MAKINGWAVES
T lubr lnk
Customers are leav-ing The Home Depot
because o its support orplans to dam rivers in Chilean
Patagonia. More than 4,000
consumers have pledged to notshop Home Depot because its
suppliers include two Chileancompanies invested in the dam-
ming o the Baker and Pascua
rivers. Transmission lines and
reservoirs or these dams woulddestroy unique Patagonianorests Home Depot promised to
protect. To meet uture demandor electricity, Chile could use
eciency measures, solar and
wind energy, rather than largedams that would displace ami-
lies, disrupt livelihoods and spoillocal tourism income. Join the
wave to save Patagonias rivers,
communities and orests:internationalrivers.org/patagonia
Another historic voteTo deend the wild Pacuare, one o the most beautiul rivers in the world, communities living alongthe river held a vote in 2005 to weigh in on the issue o proposed dams. The tally: 97% opposeddamming the Pacuare. In February 2008, the government renewed plans to build dams on the riverand said it would reject the local vote. But in November, the nations Electoral Tribunal ruled that thecommunities vote must be respected and that a new reerendum could take place two years ater therst one. This action has created a great precedent or validating communities decisions regardingresource development projects in their areas.
Too hot to handleShortly ater Indian authorities issued an environmentalclearance letter or the 1,500 MW Tipaimukh Dam in October,hundreds o water rights activists in ve cities across Bangladeshtorched dummy copies o the letter to show their displeasurewith the Indian governments approval o the controversialdam on the shared Barak River. They ear that people who livedownstream o the planned dam will be at the mercy o Indianauthorities who will be able to control the river fow and willignore the agricultural water needs o millions o Bangladeshisliving downstream o the project. Concerns about the dam arealso shared by Indian activists, including the Action CommitteeAgainst Tipaimukh Project in Manipur.
In the NewsTime and again, Aricas large hydro development
schemes alsely promised public benefts, but instead
resulted in a slowed expansion o energy access or
citizens, and the privatization o the benefts provided
by rivers while also reducing the many ree ecosystem
services they bring. Building the worlds largest dam in
a nearly ailed state as part o a grand scheme to light
up Arica is not only unlikely to avoid such pitalls, it is
rapidly becoming a cause celebrethat threatens to divert
attention rom the kinds o incremental projects that
might actually bring light to Aricans.
From a chapter on the privatization o Aricas
rivers and the Grand Inga Dam,
by Terri Hathaway and Lori Pottinger,
in the new book Electric Capitalism:
Recolonising Africa on the PowerGrid
(Earthscan 2009, ed. David McDonald)
8/3/2019 WRR December 2008-Updated
4/16 WoRlD RIVeRs ReVIeW Dcmbr 2008
1When approaching a dam removal project, what isthe rst thing you have to know, the rst thing youwould tackle?Helen Sarakinos, whose group the River Alliance o Wisconsin has
helped remove many obsolete dams in that heavily dammed state,
put it most succinctly: Is there a local voice willing to speak or
the river? I you dont have a local champion, you dont have a
prayer. No one wants to hear city olks tell them what to do with
their dam, she says.
Craig Tuckers work on behal o the Karuk Tribe in the very
heated eort to remove our dams on the Klamath River has
taught him that the more political the battle is, the more diverse
and broad a coalition you need to win. We have tribal leaders,
scientists, armers, and commercial shermen working to orward
our message, he notes. The Klamath coalition has had a clear plan
o action or inormation gathering as well: First, clearly dene
the ecological impacts o the project. Although to most o us it s
obvious that sh need water and spawning habitat, dam removal
advocates typically have to prove these points in court. Make sure
your science is extensive and legally deensible. Compare the costs
o dam operations to dam removal.
A number o our respondents said that the rst step is nd out i
the dam owner will be a willing partner in a dam removal or de-
commissioning eort. Brian Graber, who has worked on at least 20
successul and 45 in-progress dam removal campaigns or American
Rivers, said, You cant just pick a dam and remove it. You have to hav
the dam owner on board. Usually it doesnt take expensive easibility
studies to assess whether a dam owner will be amenable to removal.
I they need to see an expensive easibility study, they usually arent
going to consent. Presenting a well-thought-out set o conceptual
reasons, including both economic and ecological benets to removal
is usually enough to determine i a dam owner is truly interested.
Sara Strassman, also o American Rivers, says its not enough
just to know who owns the dam: Go see the dam, understand wh
it was used or and how it impacts the river dynamics and ecosys-
tem, and to know what steps must be taken to remove the dam an
who your partners might be.
2What makes the strongest argument or dam remova
Nearly all our respondents said that economics is the key argu-
ment. Says Brian Graber: Dam ownership requires costly mainte
nance and repairs and carries liability. Dam removal is a one-time
expense. In addition, there are many unding sources available
or river restoration, while there are ew to none available or dam
repair. Considering long-term costs, dam removal will almost al-
ways be cheaper than keeping a dam. Adds American Rivers Sar
Strassman, Why maintain something that provides no services?
Helen Sarakinos agrees that it almost always comes down to mon
ey. But Ive also come to realize that it also comes down to someone
believing in the river that could be. Its a huge leap o aith to imagine
a river where a lake used to be. I someone can imagine that, and its
more aordable solution, then dam removal can happen.
Adds Sara Strassman, Most people will want to do somethingbenecial or river health i they can understand the process and
it doesnt cost them money. Dam removal, like any other social de
cision-making, has tensions around economics and the distributio
o real and perceived gains and losses, and these tensions manies
themselves dierently in every case. It is important not to argue
over emotional attachments to a dam.
Dam saety is another top actor listed by many. Saety and
structural obsolescence are the two most important criteria, as-
serts Ercan Ayboga. For example, Krebsbach Dam in Germany
had to meet new food saety criteria, which required a compre-
hensive expensive rehabilitation, so the owner a regional public
water supply agency decided to remove it.
In the case o the Klamath, its not just the projects poor
economics, but the added liability o a toxic reservoir. Says CraigTucker, On the Klamath, the reservoirs erupt each summer with
massive blooms o toxic blue-green algae. In addition, the Klamat
dams generate little power, while bringing the acilities into comp
ance with modern environmental laws by building sh ladders and
other modications would cost ratepayers nearly $500 million.
3In your campaigns, how important was it to havealternatives or replacements or what was lost indecommissioning?Many campaigners said the dams they have worked to remove
no longer provide the services they once did. Generally, we are
removing dams that have not served their original purpose or
D R: lrnng r t prsby Elizabeth Brink
We talked with some o the worlds best experts and advocates or dam removal to fnd out what lessons they have learnedon this complex topic, and what hopes they have or reviving the worlds dammed rivers. Below are their answers to a ewquestions about what it takes to create a successul dam decommissioning campaign.
The Sandy River in Oregon is undergoing a restoration transormationsince the Marmot Dam was removed.
8/3/2019 WRR December 2008-Updated
5/16WoRlD RIVeRs ReVIeW Dcmbr 2008
50-100 years, says Sara Strassman. Yet even obsolete dams are
not always a slam dunk or removal. Notes Helen Sarakinos: In
our part o the country, dams oten dont provide many benets to
the communities around them. Theyre remnant dams, and oten
expensive to maintain. And yet, people keep pouring money into
them. In this work, you have to understand that ear o change is
a powerul motivator. People will choose the devil they know over
the devil they dont.
Brian Graber told us that even when the removed dam no longer
provided reliable services, in some cases we have replaced a dams
uses during removal anyway. For example, at one site, we replacedan impoundment water supply with nearby underground tanks,
which are ultimately proving to be a more reliable source o water.
Pedro Bruao o Spains Rios Con Vida states, Alternatives are
always basic to our campaigns. Demand-side management is the
best tool. Water and energy needs can be met using less electricity
and water. The use o economic arguments is also a constant.
4What are some o the most important lessons youvelearned in this work?I learn something new on every single project, says Brian Graber.
Perhaps the best lesson is to expect that every project is going to
have some unique challenge that you havent aced beore, rom
engineering constraints, to nding creative ways to replace dam
uses, to regulatory challenges, to working on social issues. But aconstant is that almost every single project is going to have some
vocal opposition. You should not expect that you will be able to
sway opinions despite your best public-participation eorts. It
seems 10% percent o the people will always disagree with you,
even on projects you would initially expect to be non-contentious.
I recommend anyone in this work get training in mediation, con-
fict resolution and acilitation.
Laura Wildman o American Rivers says that public participa-
tion can make or break a campaign. Dont underestimate the
power o public opinion and perception. Be prepared to deal with
an oten-slow public education process on dam removals that
catch the public eye. Oten the numbers and acts alone will not
convince anyone. She adds a bit o perspective to keep in mind:
the history o the river extends ar beyond mans perception ohistory.
Pedro Bruao has learned that overcoming preconceived no-
tions is harder than it looks. For most o the public, there are
many myths surrounding dams: dams are orever, dams are good,
dams are monuments o our civilization, every dam is necessary,
engineers never ail, dams cause no harm, rivers have surpluses
o water, polluted rivers clean themselves, sh are less important
than humans, levees provide saety rom fooding. We have to
reject those myths by using rational arguments such as economics
and alternatives. We need a lot o patience to change minds.
Some resources, like unding, can be modied based on the
objectives and the scale o the project. According to Sara Strass-
man, the most important resource is time, and it is nite. Putting
together a timeline or the project and its various components is a
worthwhile investment because it creates the best opportunity or
eective time management.Brian Graber agrees: Have a reasonable expectation or proj-
ect timing. Dam removal projects can take a long time we start
o with the expectation that it is at least a three-year process,
even or a small dam.
Laura Wildman has learned that complex technical xes on
engineered rivers arent always the best approach. We need to
back o and give the river more room. Rivers need to move and
oten with river restoration less is more. We oten do more bad
than good when we constantly tinker with rivers.
5Can you anticipate any repercussions or riverrestoration eorts rom the US and global nancial crisis?Here, some see opportunities while many others see constraints in
the crisis. In the glass is hal empty camp, Craig Tucker notes thatit certainly will be more dicult to und our campaigns and on-the-
ground restoration eorts. I hope that the corollary to that is that it
will be more dicult to und new dams and diversions as well!
Helen Sarakinos believes it could cut either way. Cost may
become an even stronger bottom line in repair-versus-removal
decisions.
Sara Strassman agrees; On one hand, unding opportunities
through the traditional restoration unds may decrease as ederal
and state budgets and philanthropic giving retract. On the other
hand, economically ecient solutions to inrastructure problems
may become more attractive in an era o restricted resources.
Free services provided by unctioning natural environments are
cheaper, and more attractive, than engineered solutions.
Pedro Bruao says he is not going to take this lying down:Environment and human rights related to water are always put
aside when crisis shows up. Weve got to let the public know that
river restoration is cheaper, healthier and much more protable
than the alternative o doing nothing or going orward with our
mad fuvicide. l
Kt D R continued
the Yurok reservation where as many as 68,000 adult salmon died
beore spawning. We all have those images o what happened in
the Klamath, Secretary o the Interior Dirk Kempthorne told the
San Francisco Chronicle. Nobody wants to see those images
again, so we were motivated to nd a solution.
According the Agreement in Principle, PaciCorp will contrib-ute $150-$200 million to dam removal, and Caliornia will chip as
much as $250 million. The larger Basin Restoration Plan calls or
nearly $1 billion in spending over the next 12 years, although only
hal o this gure requires new unding.
By two separate estimates, dam removal would be cheaper
than modiying them with sh ladders.
The dams owner, PaciCorp (owned by billionaire Warren Bu-
ett), says it is committed to seeing the deal through to dam re-
moval, and argues that its customers will pay less under the terms
o the agreement than they would i the dams are relicensed.
Federal agencies have mandated the construction o $300-$400
million worth o sh ladders i the dams remain.
A number o groups have not signed on to the deal, including
the Hupa Indian tribe and a group o armers. Some environmental
groups not directly involved in the process condemned the deal as
taking too long to save the sheries, leaving too many loopholes
or the dams owners, and other problems.
But Steve Rothert o American Rivers said, This agreementreally is a big step orward. Two years ago PaciCorp said they
would only consider removing the dams i somebody gave them a
billion dollars. Today, they have agreed to pay $200 million to get
rid o these old dinosaurs and all the problems they cause. A re-
stored Klamath River will pay o that investment many times over
as healthy salmon runs return each year, in perpetuity.
The next step is or the parties to sign a binding agreement by
June 30, 2009. Then the ederal government will study the easi-
bility o dam removal and make a ruling by March 2012, when the
Secretary o the Interior would make a nal decision. The target
date or removal is 2020. l
8/3/2019 WRR December 2008-Updated
6/16 WoRlD RIVeRs ReVIeW Dcmbr 2008
When the nearly 50-oot-high Marmot Dam was removed
rom the Sandy River in Oregon last year, some estimated
it could take two to ve years or the river to process
the rocks, gravel and sand that had collected in the reservoir or
decades. Instead, the river cleaned itsel out in months.
In act, the day ater the dam was removed, ederally protectedCoho salmon were migrating past the ormer dam site.
This summer, the Little Sandy Dam was also taken out, ullling
a cooperative agreement between the Bureau o Land Management
(BLM) and dam owner Portland General Electric (PGE) to remove
the Bull Run Hydroelectric Project (which includes both dams) and
restore the ree-fowing character o the Sandy River.
The project was built in 1913 to power a trolley that carried city
dwellers out to the countryside, but PGE decided in 1999 that the
costs o modiying the dams to help declining sh runs were higher
than their energy value.
The big question on Marmot Dam quickly became, should they
attempt to remove the sediment behind the dam or simply blow it
up and let it go.
They blew it up.Beore they did, the Fish and Wildlie Department converted its
Sandy sh hatchery to raising only sh stocks native to the Sandy,
rather than the more generic hatchery sh.
While Marmot Dam had a sh ladder, and thereore did not
completely block migration o anadromous species, its removal
does allow aster, easier sh access to 100 miles o river above the
dam. The Little Sandy was only 16 eet high, but that was enough
to completely block six miles o salmon stream.
Bill Bakke, executive director o the Native Fish Society, said
one o the most important values o this project is that it lays
more groundwork or a lot more dam removals, which have valueor our rivers.
Gordon Grant, a research hydrologist with the US Forest
Services Pacic Northwest Research Station, has documented
the results o the Sandy River decommissioning project. Due to
a strong global interest in dam removal, Grant recently returned
rom giving his Sandy River restoration talk at the newly ormed
Chinese Center or River Restoration, a presentation he has taken
on the road across the US and to Europe.
Internationally, Grant has ound that interested audiences are
oten surprised that we are taking down even ully unctional dam
in the US, and tend to assume that dam removal is motivated by
a high economic value o shing. Grant believes that the power o
the US regulatory structure is what primarily paves the way or
river restoration.Though viewing the project through the lens o a scientist, Gran
is quick to note all restoration occurs within a cultural context.
However, i you have a strong core scientic process, that can trans
late across cultural lines. l
Fdng hungry Rrby Elizabeth Brink
Water and rivers have always been a part o Wil Dvoraks lie. He
was born three blocks rom a river in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and
built his rst kayak at 13. When not busy at International Rivers
putting together theRiver Revival Bulletin, Dvorak can be ound
camping and kayaking the western states alone, or with his grown
daughter. He became interested in conservation and water issues
early. It was irritation, I guess, anger at the pollution o our rivers
that set me on course or environmentalism or the rest o my lie.
Dvorak says his work on theRiver Revival Bulletin gives him
hope or the uture. Im the good-news guy most o the time!
he says with a grin. Its ocus on the positive restoration o water
systems around the world is very upliting and hopeul in a world
ull o negative environmental news. He has been working on tha
good news or six years now, making him a veteran volunteer or
International Rivers.
Dvorak is 69 but you would never guess it rom his appearance
or activity level. He has the build and bearing o a marathon run
ner, combined with the weathered appearance o a man who has
spent most his lie outdoors. Even his unruly mustache and tousle
grey hair jammed under a baseball cap looks like it is dying to be
outdoors.
Dvorak has been in Caliornia since 1965. I guess my love o
clear streams sent me west, he says. Ater 30 years as an enginee
and surveyor in the San Francisco Bay Area, retirement rolled
around. I had more time to volunteer and my daughter had grow
up, so I looked up [International Rivers] and they needed a volun-
teer and they took me in.
I remember a vivid experience near Monterey when I hiked u
the Carmel River and came upon the ace o a dam. There was a
sh ladder and huge steelhead trout going up it, but the sh ladde
was poorly constructed and the sh could jump out. They would
jump over the side and all on the rocks below and get stranded. I
would put them back in the stream to rescue them, said Dvorak.
It seemed cruel or humans to deprive the sh o their habitat.
Dvorak is continuing that rescue mission with his work at Inter-
national RiversRiver Revival Bulletin, or many more years
we hope! l
a l Rrs: w Drk by Tim Kingston
Wil Dvorak, International Rivers volunteer extraordinaire
8/3/2019 WRR December 2008-Updated
7/16WoRlD RIVeRs ReVIeW Dcmbr 2008
D R n R n Snby Pedro Bruao
In Spain, dam removal is booming. Water oversight committees,
municipalities, anglers and environmental groups are pressing or
healthier ways to manage rivers.
Almost all o the demolitions in Spain have been small dams,
but some larger dams are currently under review, such as Alcal
del Ro and Cantillana dams in Seville, which eliminated the stur-geon population in the Guadalquir River; and the Palombera Dam
on the Nansa River, which caused the extinction o local salmon
runs. These dams are saety risks as well. So ar, no success: they
are mammoths, and will not go down easily.
In the past decade, around 50 dams have been torn down in Spain,
mainly on northern rivers, or two purposes: to eliminate the risk o
foods, and to protect salmon stocks. Water oversight committees are
in charge o reorming the water permit process to abide by the EU
Water Framework Directive. So ar, in the North Basin, more than
6,100 water permits have been cancelled and 38 small dams have
been removed. The last dam to be removed was the Presa de Rubeiras
on the Eo River, whose Atlantic salmon stock had dwindled to a rate
too low to ensure survival. This hydropower dam was bought by the
North Basin Water Body and decommissioned this summer.New demolitions are scheduled in 2009 near the city o Oviedo,
to reduce fooding and allow salmon to migrate to spawning areas.
The Bidasoa river system, on the rontier between France and
Spain in Basque country, has had ve dams demolished or envi-
ronmental purposes in the past two years. Nearly 500 water per-
mits in this basin have been cancelled to protect salmon and brown
trout. This river is blocked a hundred times in 120 kilometers.
Elsewhere, numerous dam removals are planned, including:
Two dams in the Gea River in the National Park o Picos de
Europa will be removed shortly.
In the South near Seville, the Guadaira River suers rom high
levels o pollutants, and reduced fows rom 95 dams on its main-
stem; 25 o them will
be decommissioned.
Near Madrid, an
abandoned dam was
removed in 2007 to
restore riparian habi-tat in the regional
park o Manzanares
River.
One more dam
will be removed
next year to ree
40 km o river in
Cceres province
and restore trout
populations.
Around 100
new removals
are planned by
the EstrategiaNacional de Restaura-
cin de Ros, passed by the Ministry o the
Environment.
We will continue to work to restore even more o Spains riv-
ers through dam removal, using the new tools to protect water
resources under the EU and nationally. The law is helpul, but the
denitive weapons are political and social pressure. It takes a vil-
lage to protect a river! l
The author is the president o Rios Con Vida (www.riosconvida.es).
Watch a documentary on the eort to restore the Bidasoa River:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMkKdQaIOk
This year alone, 64 dams have been removed
or are slated or removal in the US. The
removal o these dams will help improve
water quality, increase populations o sh
and wildlie and improve food protection
and public saety. It is time to rethink our
nations water inrastructure. These dam
removals are an example o how our com-
munities can reap multiple benets whenwe let nature work, and when we let rivers
be rivers, said American Rivers President
Rebecca Wodder.
Eels, darter sh, redn pickerels and creek
chubsuckers have returned to a branch o
Connecticuts Eightmile River since a small
dam was removed last year. The dam was
built in the early 1900s to power a mill that
has long since been shuttered. Observers
have noticed the rapid recovery o riverine
plants and animals. Last year, we counted 40
dierent plant species here, and now there
are 80, said Adam Whelchel o the Nature
Conservancy. Theres been a doubling o the
diversity.
The Cahaba River is teeming with lie since
a dam was removed in October 2004. When
dams were built on Alabamas large rivers,millions o snails and mussels were killed.
Biologists recently observed thousands o
snails in the river basin.
The restoration o native sheries to the
Penobscot River is one step closer to real-
ity. Permit applications were recently led
by the Penobscot Project to remove two
dams and install a sh passage at another
dam. The unlikely coalition o conserva-
tion groups, the dam owner, the Penobscot
Indian Nation and government agencies is
working to restore 11 species o sea-run
sh on a nearly 1,000 mile stretch o river,
while also maintaining energy produc-
tion. The coalition has raised $25 million
to purchase the three dams to allow this
innovative restoration work.
The Penobscot people and the river haveshared this place or thousands o years,
and the health o our people is directly tied
to the health o this river. Opening up this
waterway will revitalize a signicant part
o our culture and bring back health to our
sacred river, said Chie Kirk Francis o the
Penobscot Indian Nation. We are so grate-
ul to all the people who are helping to make
this project a reality.
Rstrng US Rrs St by St by Susanne Wong
8/3/2019 WRR December 2008-Updated
8/16
Frng t Rrs: a ls cng
Born to the River: Leaf HillmanLea Hillman did not choose t
and still lives in the ancestral Ka
hunting, shing, and gathering thowner o the sacred white deersadvocate o traditional environm
Ts s y i sy y ns stng i d, ts t ny nd t t g n.
As a young man, Lea adoptereligious practices, and spiritual
people must live to be successul in lie. Without them we wgenocidal policies o the 1800s, only to have their religious ceremoved rom their homes and taken to government schools wspite o these seemingly insurmountable burdens, today you whaving restored and revived our ceremonies that were given
Now, as a result o our hard work, our strong belies, andwith Mr. [Warren] Buetts Klamath River dams, and are oeancestors, by reminding mysel o what they were able to oveme, it actually drives me harder.
Lea notes that throughout time the Karuk have been knowconduct o annual world renewal ceremonies.
We believe that all o the non-human spirit people, the roman spirit people on this earth. Taking care o the sh is just
Thai Fisher Never Gives Up HopeWere there still plenty o shes
to do, says 57-year-old Somkiat SinPor Somkiat (Por means at
the Mun River. A armer and shermDam started in 1992. He said that vaected villagers have still not bee
Por Somkiat is just one o more was highly controversial rom the stributary o the Mekong. Between
living along the Mun River. Some, like Por Somkiat, have contHe described the various stages o the villagers ght, sta
o sheries livelihood, allocation o new armland, and nallyvillagers have had incremental victories along the way, but sin 2002, ater a long campaign, the government agreed to op
in recent years it has not complied with this agreement. Nevimpacts, and the government says it would be dicult to buiPor Somkiat earned more than $440 monthly rom Mun Ri
even enough or daily ood. His six children, ages 18 to 35, hathey had no other option but to become laborers in big cities.
erytng s s u r ntu n t st.ntd t r utur us. N ts gn. Fss
Por Somkiat says he is disappointed over the lack o concsuered by the aected villagers.
This is really a lietime pain or all o us. We are swallowinpen again. Now that the government is talking about building the Thai-Lao border, it seems he will never be able to rest in hi
Inspired by Free Rivers:Serena McClain
Serena McClain was toolingalong at a public relations agency
when one day she realized she justcouldnt work in a corporate settingany longer. She had ideals and val-ues that were all being shoved asidein the name o paying clients andbillable hours. Now, as an AssociateDirector o the River RestorationProgram in American Rivers Wash-ington, DC, oce, Serena is inspired
daily by the work o her colleagues and the people whose livesthey impact. Attending a public meeting where a grandathergives an impassioned plea to be able to take his grandsonshing much as he used to do is a vast improvement, she says,
rom lobbying on behal o insurance companies.I was personally inspired by the Rivers or Lie gathering in
Thailand in 2003, where we listened to personal testimonialsrom people all over the world ghting dams. Those stories makeme question what right I have to ever give up hope, she says.
The majority o Serenas work has been national in scope,ocusing more on communicating the broader messages o thedam removal movement, and developing tools that will helpcommunities succeed in their restoration projects.
All told, the picture is positive: dam removal is now a morewidely accepted tool in restoring rivers, and states all acrossthe country are removing dams.
Stndng n t bnks rr s i t t tr
urng trug brd d nsrs t rk stt i n tnss tt rd gn nd gn.At the individual project level, Serena tries to nd out what
motivates individuals interested in pursuing a dam removal.By tapping into the passions and drive o that one activist oragency employee or dam owner who wants to make a dier-ence, she nds she can better help them ocus their campaign.
Ive learned to accept that there is always going to besomeone who disagrees with what I do or a project Im workingon, and the reasoning behind their opposition might dey logic.I have to be okay with that because Im not going to win overeverybody. I am better served ocusing on what I can changeand how I can help the greater project and community.
Given the current global economic situation, Serenabelieves it will be increasingly important to build multiac-eted campaigns that talk about the multiple benets o damremoval. Stressing the pressure o aging inrastructure andmaking a strong economic argument, including project liecycleestimates, can help make the case or continued river restora-tion activities, she says.
Continuing to invest in unsustainable technologies andpractices isnt a smart use o limited resources. We shouldwork at making communities more resilient and look to or-ward-thinking solutions to get them there. In the end, dams willbe the solution in very ew cases.
8/3/2019 WRR December 2008-Updated
9/16
izabeth Brink
Following the River of Life:Mark Angelo
Mark Angelo has beenan avid paddler and fy sher
or more than our decades.His great aection or riversand awareness o threatsto them began when hewas a young boy. During hisyounger years, Mark livednear the Los Angeles River,which had been ully en-cased in a concrete culvert,and even at an early age herealized this wasnt the wayit was supposed to be.
i ys bd tt rrs r t rtrs
ur nt. Ty r ns n t trust sns ndty ns u r ntur, utur ndrrtn rst.
While virtually everyone who has been active in the eldo river conservation has experienced some lost battles, itsthose times when a river might be saved or restored, or whenyou see some tangible signs o progress, that inspires you andkeeps you going.
Shortly ater university, Mark moved to Vancouver, Canadato become part o the Fish and Wildlie Program at the BritishColumbia Institute o Technology. He was happy to live in aplace with a great river heritage and, ever since, has beenan avid river advocate. He also serves as Rivers Chair or the
Outdoor Recreation Council o British Columbia, which worksto conserve and enhance outdoor settings and resources andto secure public access to them or recreation. Mark workedwith both organizations to ound BC Rivers Day, which isnow World Rivers Day, held annually on the last Sunday inSeptember; it has been celebrated by more than 30 countriessince its inception in 2005.
Mark emphasizes the importance o communication inriver advocacy. Once you can demonstrate public support andmedia interest, the chance o making some real progress isgreatly improved, he says.
His hopes or the uture run deep. Having spent sometime in the Varanasi, India with one o my river restorationheroes, Dr. Veer Bhadra Mishra, it was wonderul to see thegreat reverence that locals and pilgrims had or the GangesRiver, their countrys holiest waterway. Yet, despite this, theGanges, like so many rivers in dierent countries, is pollutedand remains troubled in many ways. My hope is that well seea time when we not only revere rivers but we also actuallytreat them in a way thats consistent with that devotion.
or Klamaththe campaign to restore the Klamath River. He was born, raised,iphiruk on the Klamath. His earliest childhood memories are o
which surrounded him. He is a ceremonial leader and hereditarya practitioner o traditional Karuk culture and language, and anp and management practices.
rk s nt : fgtng r y nd t rrknn. its nt stng i n sut , k ts f k
is mentors, the restoration and revival o ancient ceremonies,e was taught that these are the oundations upon which Karukhe ace o the earth, he says. The Karuk people survived overtultural practices outlawed. Then their children were orciblyorbidden to speak their language or practice their religion. In
eople still practicing their ancient ceremonies and religious rituals,tor at the beginning o time, says Lea.
campaigning, people all around the world are aware o the issuesh this struggle. It is air to say that I also draw inspiration rom myn the richest man on the planet is not something that intimidates
rld people, or their ardent and stubborn adherence to the
water, shes and animals are our close relatives, as are all the hu-as taking care o our children and elders, it is our responsibility.
at Singhakhamy children would have been better educated and had a decent job
ran o the campaign to remove Pak Mun Dam in Thailand.pect in Thailand) has lived most o his lie in a village alongd how things have changed since construction on the Pak Munen ghting or over 15 years or justice, but the majority o theensated or what they have lost.gers aected by the Pak Mun Dam. Completed in 1994, the damts impacts on the rich sheries o the Mun River, the largesthere was intense opposition to the dam by thousands o peoplee even today.nsation or fooded armland, ollowed by compensation or lossopen the dam gates and restore the Mun River sheries. Thements have oten reneged on their commitments. For example,he dam or our months per year to allow or sh migration, but
agers struggles have helped widen the understanding o damsThailand because o the huge opposition to such projects.ore the dam. He is struggling now on merely $30 a month noto ormal schooling. Now that shing is no longer a possibility,
fss. i sd t, xngd t r d, nd r-ug r dy-t-dy tng, sd.he authorities to help heal the economic and emotional setbacks
and blood or a living every day. I hope that this would never hap-wer project, Ban Kum Dam, on the mainstream o the Mekong onrivers. He vows to ght on or the rights o the villagers.
8/3/2019 WRR December 2008-Updated
10/1610 WoRlD RIVeRs ReVIeW Dcmbr 2008
Crossing through ten countries and draining the territory o
19 countries, the Danube is the most international river in
the world. In addition to the 83 million people living in the
river basin, the Danube is home to globally important species o
fora and auna.
In its 2,780 km course rom Germanys Black Forest to its outletat the Black Sea, the Danube basin supports a diverse system o
natural habitats and unique biological diversity. The Danube River
Basin has more than 100 dierent species o sh including ve
sturgeon species and it is home to rare birds like the white peli-
can, white tailed eagle and black stork.
While large sections o the Upper Danube in Austria and Ger-
many have been regulated, the middle and lower Danube and the
Danube Delta eature a highly rich and unique biological diversity
that has been lost in most other European river systems. These
foodplains provide multiple ecosystem services, such as water
purication, nutrient sinks, food protection, sheries and tourism.
The rivers history
Over the past 150 years, the Danube has been much abused. Dikes,dams and dredging have straightened large sections o the river. More
than 80% o the Danubes wetlands have been lost, and with them the
rich diversity o sh and other species on which they depend.
Nearly two decades have passed since the all o the Iron
Curtain. In that time, huge changes have swept the Danube region.
The top-down control o Communist regimes has been replaced
by a multiplicity o actors in politics, economy, environment and
protection o nature. The region is being increasingly integrated
into the global economy.
The sudden collapse o Soviet industry and agriculture did the
environment a good turn. Pollution suddenly dropped dramati-
cally. Tougher environmental standards and massive investment in
sewage and waste treatment became the norm, especially in the
EUs newest member states. The International Commission or theProtection o the Danube River (ICPDR) and the EU Water Frame-
work Directive have given the worlds most international river a
ramework or governance and integrated river basin management
that has become an example o good practice.
Many ormer foodplain and wetland areas are being restored,
demonstrating benets not only or shing, tourism and recreation,
but also or food and water management. In 2006, WWF published
a comprehensive study that shows how restoration o wetland areas
could signicantly contribute to food mitigation on the Danube.
The Danube has in the past 20 years signicantly recovered rom
decades o abuse. Today, the river is largely swimmable, and many o
the worst environmental hot spots have been addressed. But while
there have been notable successes or environmental protection,
there are also many new and persisting challenges. One o the biggerchallenges is reconnecting the Danube up and downstream.
Plight o the sturgeonIn the Middle Ages, giant Beluga sturgeon the size o a small bus
migrated up the Danube as ar as Germany. Dams nearly 60 block
the Upper Danube cut o the sturgeons migration routes. But
the Iron Gates dams on the Danube between Serbia and Romania
are the one barrier stopping sturgeon rom migrating the 2,000 km
rom the Black Sea to Slovakia.
WWF is now working with the ICPDR and the governments
o Serbia and Romania to examine options or making the dams
passable to sturgeon and other species. A Sturgeon Action Plan
was adopted by the ICPDR, giving the Danube sturgeon priority o
conservation on the river.
A basin-wide approach is vital or the success o any conserva-
tion or restoration measures or sturgeon. This includes require-
ments to re-open sturgeon migration routes by enabling upstream
and downstream sturgeon passage at dams and other barriers to
sturgeon movements, and at the same time taking measures to
maintain or restore their spawning and eeding habitats.
Unsustainable developmentDespite these eorts, signicant threats to the sturgeon and the
Danubes ecological well-being remain. One o the biggest threats
today comes rom EU and government plans to dike and dredgethe river to allow or ever-larger ships.
As part o the EUs Trans-European Transport Networks, new
inrastructure projects are planned that threaten many o the
Danubes last ree-fowing sections, and hence the most ecologi-
cally valuable areas. Important wetlands along 1,000 kilometers o
the river could ace destruction i these plans are realized.
In December 2007, representatives o Danube governments,
the European Commission, navigation lobbies and a small group
o Danube advocates, including WWF, agreed to a common vision
or environmentally sustainable navigation on the Danube. But th
proo will be in the pudding.
The rst projects that are now moving orward provide little
ground or optimism. A plan by the Romanian government to in-
crease navigation between Calarasi and Braila would unnecessarilcut o the most important migration routes or Danube sturgeon
and destroy highly valuable nature areas.
In the meantime, Bavarian plans to build dams on the last ree
fowing section o the Danube in Germany between Straubing and
Vilshoen suered a setback in recent months. German Federal
Ministers or Transport and Environment have emphasized that
only improvement o navigation through river regulation withou
construction o dams is an option.
Closer to being implemented are plans or a section between Vi-
enna and Bratislava fowing through the Danube Floodplain Nation
Park. This project represents a compromise between shipping inter
Dndng t Dnubby Suzanne Ebert
Pelicans in the Danube Delta, Romania. Photo: Daniel Petrescu
Continued opposi
8/3/2019 WRR December 2008-Updated
11/16WoRlD RIVeRs ReVIeW Dcmbr 2008 11
The modern story o the Iraqi Marshlands begins tragically
with intentional environmental destruction used as a
political weapon but today is one o miraculous renewal,
international cooperation and hope. Once at the brink o total col-
lapse, the area has been restored to a point where it will soon be
proposed as a UN World Heritage Site.The Iraqi Marshlands, said to be the location o the Garden
o Eden, are also home to a 5,000-year-old civilization and rich
biodiversity. Located at the confuence o the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers in southeastern Iraq, with a small extension into Iran, the
wetlands used to cover up to 20,000 square kilometers and sup-
ported a population o over 500,000 Madan, or Marsh Arabs.
In the early 1970s, Saddam Hussein began rerouting water rom
the marshes to agriculture in the north, and by the
1980s was orcibly resettling entire Madan villages.
Ater the 1991 Shia insurrection, Saddam perse-
cuted the Madan or allegedly harboring Iranian
guerrillas and Shia insurgents, eventually killing
tens o thousands o people. He also created a dia-
bolically eective water diversion project. Multiplecanals, dams, levees, and even a new river, the
Um-Al-Maarik (Mother o All Battles named or
the 1991 Kuwait war) were created to divert water
away rom the marshes. By the time o the US inva-
sion in 2003, nearly 200,000 people had fed their
homes. The marshlands, ormerly twice the size o
the Everglades, had shrunk to a mere 760 square
kilometers.
Even amid the chaos in Iraq ater the US inva-
sion, many recognized the importance o restoring
this wetland beore it was too late. Shortly ater
Saddams overthrow in 2003, southern Iraqi arm-
ers began blowing up dams and dikes to let water
back in. Azzam and Suzie Alwash, scientists anddirectors o Nature Iraq, are leading the ocial
charge or restoration in conjunction with US universities, the US
Agency or International Development (USAID), the Italian Minis-
try o the Environment, and a number o Iraqi ministries.
As o September, 65% o the wetlands have been refooded,
with over hal o them revegetated, and some 90,000 Madan have
returned. Native macro-invertebrates, sh and birds have alsoreturned to re-fooded areas. The marshes are a key part o the
liecycles o migratory sh and shrimp that move through the
Tigris and Euphrates basins; they also serve as an annual resting
place or millions o birds migrating between Siberia and Arica.
The Iraqi Marshlands are home to the rare Sacred Ibis and the
threatened Iraq babbler, which has nally returned ater decades.
h nd Rn n t irq mrsndsby Berklee Lowrey-Evans
Marsh Arabs in the restored wetlands. Photo: Heathcli OMalley
Dndng t Dnub continued
ests and the environment, and includes deepening the river channel
as well as directing water to the foodplains o the national park,
which have been slowly drying out. WWF and others are concerned
about the great depth that is planned or the river channel, which
will set a precedent or river regulation urther downstream.
The Ukrainian government has started construction on another
project o major concern, a navigation canal or large vessels that
runs through the heart o the Danube Delta, Europes largest
remaining natural wetland. Despite international protests and
the canal being in breach o international conventions or natureconservation, the rst phase o the project has already been imple-
mented. I continued, the canal will cause signicant damage to
the Danube Delta, both in the Ukraine and Romania.
I shipping on the Danube is indeed to be promoted as an
environmentally riendly mode o transportation, then there must
be a balance between protection and use along the entire stretch
o the river. To date, however, there has been no strategic assess-
ment o the impacts o planned projects on the Danube as a whole.
Without such an evaluation, sustainable economic development is
a arce and the uture o the Danube as a living river is in question.
Existing navigation could be signicantly increased with sot
measures such as improved logistics, modernized feets, and river
inormation systems or skippers without sacricing the Danubes
most valuable wetlands and benets.
National and EU plans threaten to turn the living Danube
into a shipping canal, said Dr. Orieta Hulea, head o Freshwater
or the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme. This is expensive
and unnecessary. We need to use proven technology, logistics
and innovation to start tting our ships to the river, not our river
to the ships.
The Danube region has developed tremendously over the past
two decades rom an environmental perspective, both or betterand worse.
The world is heading toward an ecological credit crunch as
human demands on the worlds natural capital reach nearly a third
more than earth can sustain. That is the stark warning in the latest
edition o WWFs Living Planet Report.
This is just one o the many reasons we need to seek smart
solutions that balance dierent uses o our rivers while preserving
the essential ecosystems on which we all depend. l
The author is the Freshwater Ofcer with the WWF International
Danube-Carpathian Programme.
Continued on page 1
8/3/2019 WRR December 2008-Updated
12/161 WoRlD RIVeRs ReVIeW Dcmbr 2008
News Briefsby Susanne Wong
Judge suspendssecond Madeira Dam
Brazils environmental protec-tion agency, Ibama, granted
a preliminary construction
license in mid-November or
the Jirau Dam on the Amazons
principal tributary, the Madeira
River. Ten days later the license
was suspended by a Federal
Court judge, who stated that
Brazilian law does not allow
the granting o a preliminary
license. The judge said that
construction couldnt start on
the project until a nal license
was issued by Ibama.The preliminary license gave
a consortium led by French
energy giant Suez permission to
begin construction on the 3,300
MW project, although Ibama
wasnt planning to issue the
nal license or two months.
Jirau is the second o two dams
being built on the Madeira.
Construction on the rst, the
Santo Antonio Dam, started
earlier this year.
Ibama granted the pre-
liminary license despite the actthat the consortium announced
ater winning the project auc-
tion that it was planning to
move the dam nine kilometers
rom the area specied in the
original bidding rules.
Although it appears that no
additional environmental im-
pact assessments were carried
out to determine the impacts
o this move, Ibama autho-
rized construction with ew
contingencies, only requiring
some additional environmental
analysis prior to construction
o the coer dam. A petition or
an injunction was led by the
Brazilian Forum o NGOs and
Social Movements or Environ-
ment and Development, which
requested revocation o the
preliminary license granted by
Ibama.
Ibamas creation o the
phony license is the latest in
a series o decisions by the
Brazilian government that demonstrates its determination to
move orward with large dams
in the Amazon Basin at any
price. A number o other law-
suits are also working their wa
through the Brazilian courts
challenging the approval o th
new dam site, any o which
could put urther obstacles in
ront o the project developers
The Madeira River dams
have been the subject o
intense controversy in Brazil
because they would block thetransport o sediment and the
passage o sh, and threaten
the rivers unique biodiversity
The project would aect the
land and livelihoods o thou-
sands o river-bank dwellers
and indigenous people.
Brazilian tribes shutdown dam site
Members o the Enawene Naw
tribe occupied and shut downthe site o a huge hydroelectri
dam in October. They argue
that plans to build 77 dams on
the Juruena River will pol-
lute the water and block sh
rom reaching their spawning
grounds. Fish play an essentia
role in the rituals and diet o
the Enawene Nawe.
The dam is being promoted
by the Maggi amily, which
owns the worlds largest soya
companies.
I the sh get sick and dieso will the Enawene Nawe,
said one o the tribes 500
members. The relatively iso-
lated tribe has aced increasin
incursions onto their lands. Fo
the past decade, cattle ranche
have invaded and deorested
the region, according to Surviv
al International. Invaders have
used weapons and violence to
intimidate the tribe.
Mercury rising in South Arica
Communities living around one o South Aricas largest drinking-
water reservoirs are suering rom mercury poisoning, according
to a recently revealed report. Researchers ound evidence that the
contamination has spread throughout the ood chain.
The government has tried to reassure residents o Durban and
those living around Inanda Dam that there is no reason to panic.
Still, a government task orce told people not to eat sh or locally
grown vegetables as a precaution. Mercury is highly toxic to the
human nervous system and can damage the lungs, brain and kid-
neys. Children are particularly vulnerable.Researchers rom the Medical Research Council made the
discovery ater analyzing sh, mud and human hair samples rom
the reservoir area. According to the South Arican newspaper
The Mercury, nearly 20% o hair samples rom people in Mshazi,
Nqetho and Madimeni villages contained mercury levels above the
World Health Organizations recommended limit.
When the report was completed nearly a year ago, the research-
ers said the ndings warranted urgent action rom authorities.
However, the report was not publicized, and ocials seem to have
taken no remedial action.
Finding the source o the pollution is proving challenging. Pos-
sible sources include a chemical plant which stored mercury waste,
airborne mercury pollution rom coal-red power plants, and small-
scale gold mining.A more likely explanation lies in the water. Studies have shown
that fooding land or dams can release mercury naturally present
in soils. In the dark depths o reservoirs where oxygen levels are
low, mercury is converted into a more toxic orm known as meth-
ylmercury. Plankton then take up the contaminants, are consumed
by larger and larger sh, and are in turn consumed by humans.
People in the region are organizing themselves to discuss the
contamination and pressure the government to take action. At
a recent meeting, government ocials agreed as a rst step to
place signs at the dams warning people o the potential danger
o eating the sh.
People moved or Inanda Dam already had their lives turned upside-
down by resettlement; now they have to contend with mercury poison-ing, too. Photo: Liane Gree
8/3/2019 WRR December 2008-Updated
13/16
8/3/2019 WRR December 2008-Updated
14/161 WoRlD RIVeRs ReVIeW Dcmbr 2008
In PrintTwo lms on dammedrivers, and hopes orrestoration, reviewed byColin Carpenter.
River o Renewal:A Native JourneyDirected by Carlos Bolado;
Written and produced
by Stephen Most
www.terrapinpictures.com
River WaysProduced, directed, and edited
by Colin Stryker
www.sawgrassproductions.com
With the 2007 removal o
Marmot Dam on the Sandy River,
the Pacic Northwest established
itsel as a leader in the nationaldam decommisioning movement.
Now, two new lms bring us up to
date with portraits o the Klamath
and the Snake, two Northwestern
rivers with dams whose utures
hang in the balance.
Stephen Most, author o
the 2006 bookRiver Renewal,
oers up a clear and thorough
hour-long documentary that illu-
minates the multiaceted battle
or water and livelihoods on
the Klamath River in Northern
Caliornia. It comes at an oppor-
tune moment (see cover story).
The lm does a commendable
job o painting the picture with
only lightly biased strokes. In
the century-old battle involving
Native American communities,
commercial sherman, armers,
and dam-builders, its clear that
the biggest loser has been the
river itsel.
The lm ollows Jack Kohler,
a sel-described sidewalk
Indian who grew up in the city,
unaware o his ancestral culture,
as he embarks on a mission to
learn more about his roots in
the Yurok and Karuk tribes. His
journey, like that o his people,
is closely interlinked with thesalmon that once thrived in the
Klamaths waters. Kaleidoscop-
ing between the rivers natural
beauty, the political restorm
surrounding it, and the heart-
breaking human struggles
resulting rom its damming,
Kohler leads us up the river
step by step, checking in with
all o the players in this erce
environmental drama. Its a com-
pelling tale, made even more
poignant by intimate moments
with members o the tribal coun-
cil, th-generation commercial
shermen, and salt-o-the earth
armers upstream all o whom
depend on the Klamaths dimin-
ishing fow or survival.
The ongoing debate over dam
removal on the Snake closely
parellels that o the Klamath
(though it lags several years
behind in coming to ruition),
and Colin Stryker delivers a
lm o similar perspective in his
patient and thoughtul portrait
o lie along the Snakes course
in Eastern Washington. Scarcely
taking sides in the controversy,
River Ways steers rereshingly
clear o blame. The lm presents
a meditation on the slow pace olie along the river, ar rom the
environmentalists and lawyers
o Portland, the rivers ultimate
destination.
The lm ollows three very
human characters, all o whom
depend on the river or their
livelihood: Frank Sutterlict, a
tribal sherman and member o
the Yakama nation, who is barely
able to catch enough salmon to
get by; Mark Ihander, a com-
mercial sherman upended by
diminishing sh populations an
misguided government regula-
tion, and Ben Barstow, a arme
urther upstream whose busi-
ness requires the much-damme
river to eciently transport his
wheat to the big city.
The lmmaker spends quali
time getting to know each o
these intriguing men, none o
whom claims to have the answ
to the big question on the table
should the our lowest Snake
River dams be removed in orde
to revive the salmon and steel-
head runs (and hopeully the
economy along with them), or
should the dams stay?
As in the Klamath story, Riv
Ways on the Snake are complexand interdependent. Communi-
ties ghting or their survival wa
to know whats more valuable:
human lives or a healthy river
ull o sh? Hung up on the horn
o a dilemma, people in both
watersheds continue to search
or a viable third option, where
everyone wins. While neither o
these lms oers a solution, they
both hint that i we keep looking
hard enough, one just may rise t
the surace.l
Sut ass mst csty D Gts n inusnby Ann-Kathrin Schneider
Pakistans National Economic Council has approved US$1.5
billion toward the construction o the 4,500 MW Diamer-Bha-
sha Dam on the Indus in the North o the country. With this
decision, the government gives the go-ahead or a project with a
200-square-kilometer reservoir and a price tag o $12.6 billion. The
$1.5 billion is earmarked just or the acquisition o land.
According to Raja Pervez Ashra, ederal minister or water andpower, Chinese companies are interested in constructing the project
and some Arab countries want to orm a consortium to help Paki-
stan build the project. Pakistan has already signed a memorandum
o understanding with the China International Water and Electricity
Corporation or the construction o Diamer-Bhasha Dam, however,
no international nancier has ocially associated themselves with
the most costly project currently planned in South Asia.
In August 2008, a act nding team o our water activists rom
Pakistan visited six villages near the dam site to assess the situation
on the ground. They ound widespread ear among the local people
that the project would eat away all ertile land in the area, and that
only those paying bribes would be compensated or their losses.
While preparing or the visit, the activists had immense prob-
lems accessing inormation about the planned dam. Transparenc
levels are very poor and thereore it is very dicult to get inorma
tion or educated citizens o the country, and almost impossible o
illiterate laymen to access inormation, they said.
In the villages around the planned dam site, residents com-
plained that nobody had consulted them on a project that wouldfood their homes and orce them to leave their villages. The only
ocials who talked to them were there to measure their land to
assess compensation, they said.
Land matters greatly in this hilly area: steep slopes and bare
mountains leave only small tracts o fat land or people to grow
ood and graze their animals. With the reservoir fooding 11,400
hectares, 150 hectares needed or workers colonies and 200 hect
ares or the construction workshop and equipment, locals doubt
whether enough ertile, fat land would be let or them.
The act nding team reports: People think they will be
having no land to settle and becomeMohajareen [People
who migrate]. l
8/3/2019 WRR December 2008-Updated
15/16WoRlD RIVeRs ReVIeW Dcmbr 2008 1
For decades, the Sardar Sarovar Dam on Indias Narmada River
has been a powerul symbol o what is going wrong with large
dam projects. A new independent review shows that the
projects benets have not been realized, while the social, environ-
mental and nancial costs are even more serious than expected.
Dam proponents are promoting Sardar Sarovar as the lielineo Gujarat. They say the project will irrigate large swathes o land,
generate electricity and provide drinking water to the thirsty cities
o this dry state in western India. I completed, the project will
displace more than 300,000 people, including many indigenous
communities in the Narmada Valley.
The World Bank approved $450 million in loans or Sardar
Sarovar in 1985 even though the project did not comply with the
governments conditional environmental clearance. Under strong
public pressure, the World Bank withdrew rom the Narmada Val-
ley in 1993. Indias Supreme Court ordered the project to be sus-
pended in 1995, but later allowed construction to continue under
the condition that the displaced people were properly rehabilitat-
ed. Even though these conditions have never been met, the dam
height has been raised to 122 meters. I the dam is completed, itwill reach 139 meters, and food out thousands more people.
In August, one o Indias leading think-tanks, the Tata Institute
o Social Sciences (TISS), published a detailed analysis o the
costs and benets o the Sardar Sarovar Project. The conclusions
o this independent review are damning:
The projects irrigation system has never been completed, and
the Narmada waters do not reach the intended beneciaries. Even
in the area closest to the river, the distribution channels dont
bring water directly to armland. Instead, armers are liting water
rom the canals with diesel pumps and pipes something which
only rich land owners can aord.
The project authorities are reneging on their promise to sup-
ply drinking water to Gujarats population. They have increased
industrys share o the water to industry rom 0.20 to 1.00 millionacre eet (MAF), while drinking water or domestic use has been
reduced rom 0.86 to 0.06 MAF.
The project was supposed to generate electricity at a capacity
o 1,450 megawatts. In practice, the hydropower plant will only
have a capacity o 425 megawatts, and once the irrigation system
is ully operational, this capacity will drop to 50 megawatts.
I the dam is completed, its reservoir will submerge 376 square
kilometers o land and displace approximately 240,000 people. The
canal network will displace even more people. The Supreme Court
decided that the dam oustees need to receive cultivable replace-
ment land and housing plots. The TISS report nds that the state
governments have never complied with this binding order, and
that the replacement land or the oustees is not available.
Indias Environmental Ministry ordered that the reservoirscatchment area needed to be treated in order to prevent soil ero-
sion. In addition, the orest land which was going to be submerged
needed to be replaced. None o this has happened. The TISS team
ound that 86% o the area which was supposedly aorested had
little or no tree cover.
Even though the dam and irrigation network have not been
completed, aected people have not been rehabilitated and
environmental mitigation measures have not been carried out, the
project costs have gone through the roo. The original project cost
in 1986 was 64 billion rupees (or slightly more than US$1 billion).
In the meantime, the cost has skyrocketed to 457 billion rupees
(more than $9 billion), and is expected to reach 700 billion rupees
by 2012.
The TISS report nds that keeping the dam height at 122
meters would only marginally aect power generation, and would
have no eect whatsoever in realizing the targets on irrigation
and drinking water. At the same time, not raising the dam heightwould save approximately 150,000 people rom being displaced.
The independent review concludes as ollows: It is strongly
recommended that the dam height at 121.92 m should not be
raised urther at least until the past obligations are ullled, the
benets o 121.92 m are completely realized, and an honest com-
parative analysis o uture costs and benets is carried out. Such a
decision would also ensure that concerns on social and ecological
impacts are addressed, responsibility or non-compliance is xed,
and violators are penalized.
The World Bank kick-started the Sardar Sarovar Project at a
time when Indias Environmental Ministry was still warning against
it. Thousands o poor armers still pay the price or this decision.
The World Bank should publicly support the recommendations o
the TISS review. And it should not approve any urther support orhydropower and irrigation projects in India as long as the prob-
lems o the Sardar Sarovar Dam have not been resolved. l
irq mrsnd continued
Although USAIDs Iraqi Marshlands Restoration Program was
phased out at the end o 2006, it still supports marshland resto-
ration as part o a three-year agribusiness program in Iraq. The
other organizations are still hard at work, aiming or the creation
o the Mesopotamian Marshlands National Park. I approved, the
Marshlands o Mesopotamia could become a World Heritage Site
in 2011. The park will work to protect the environment, promotesocio-economic development, protect and re-introduce endan-
gered species, preserve cultural heritage, and establish ecologi-
cal corridors.
Local indigenous knowledge o how to live sustainably in this
unique ecosystem still exists. The marshlands have never been
pristine; they have been abundantly occupied and well-tended.
The new national park proposes to restore them to this state,
integrating nature and culture in a seamless balance.
We cant live without the marshes or without the water. We be-
long to this. So you can imagine our eelings when the water came
back, said a Marsh Arab who was orced into exile and returned
when the water was let back in.
While there is much hope or the uture o the Iraqi Marsh-
lands, they are still in danger rom proposed development proj-ects. It has been estimated that three billion cubic meters o water
are needed to restore the marshes entirely, yet this much water
doesnt exist in the whole o Iraq. Making matters worse, over 30
dams have been built or proposed or the Tigris and Euphrates riv-
ers since the 1990s. It has been estimated that Turkeys Southeast
Anatolia project alone will cut Iraqs current water resources
by hal. There are also a growing number o irrigation projects
upstream in Syria and Turkey that will divert much-needed water
away rom Iraq and its marshlands. So while much progress is
being made, serious international water rights issues still pose a
threat to this important and unique ecosystem. l
N indndnt R Dunts Fur Nrd Dby Peter Bosshard
8/3/2019 WRR December 2008-Updated
16/16
1847 Berkeley Way
Berkeley, CA 94703 USA
internationalrivers.org
sPeCIal FoCus oN RiveR ReSToRaTioN
Progress in restoring Floridas Everglades, said to be the
largest ecosystem restoration project in history, may be held
back or another decade by numerous budget and procedur-
al problems. Since the approval o the Comprehensive Everglades
Restoration Plan (CERP) by Congress in 2000, not one o the 60
proposed components o the plan has been completed, bringingserious concern or the continued loss o endangered ecosystems
and dwindling public support.
The process is a mess, says Sara Fain, National Co-Chair o
the Everglades Coalition. All the regulations governing CERP
projects need to be re-evaluated given what weve learned over
the past eight yearsWeve recognized that ecosystem restoration
doesnt neatly t into a box made or planning a civil works or food
protection project.
Nicknamed the River o Grass, the Everglades is the largest
subtropical wilderness remaining in the US and a World Heritage
Site. In the late 1880s, eorts to drain the land or development
set the marsh o on a slow decline. The marsh supports at least 68
species listed as threatened or endangered, with some remaining
only inside the national park. Almost three million acres o theseiconic wetlands have been drained, threatening a $20 billion tourism
industry, more than 365,000 jobs, and the only source o sae clean
drinking water or South Florida, according to the Everglades Trust.
The Everglades plan has been burdened by approval processes
at both state and ederal levels, meeting success only recently. In
2007, Congress nally passed legislation authorizing three projects
to go through. O these, the closest to ruition is a project to re-
store the wetlands in Indian River Lagoon (estimated to cost $1.2
billion). Picayune Strand, a scam housing development that largel
ailed in the 1960s, will have its canals and roads removed to
restore water fow across the tract. A recent proposal by the state
to purchase 187,000 acres o land rom the US Sugar Corp. will als
allow storage o water over large areas o land.Funding remains a key obstacle. In November, the U.S. Sugar
Corp. deal was modied to 181,000 acres, reducing the price tag
by about $4 million. Even so, the cost o the ull restoration plan
remains projected at $10-12 billion, and is expected to grow with
more delays.
Unortunately, the Everglades have not been a priority to the
Bush administration or to the previous governor o Florida, Jeb
Bush, says Fain. But the current governor, Charlie Crist, is mak-
ing eorts. The state has repeatedly put money orward to start
the projects, but the ederal government has to do its part.
A key step is to revise the ederal approval process to multiyea
budgets to release more unding, and also review multiple project
at once. A project-by-project analysis is undamentally fawed.
We need to do this comprehensively because each o the projectsalone does not restore the Everglades, and has diculty standing
alone in its individual benet to the ecosystem.
I such changes occur, CERP will have numerous implications,
not only or Florida. We know that there are people throughout
the world watching us, says Fain. At the same time, we dont
know all the answers and may make some missteps along the way
It will be dicult, but not insurmountable. l
ergds Rstrtn pn: abtus nd Sby Stacy Lee
Because the worlds lie-givingrivers need to be deended
today and tomorrow...
Making a bequest to
International Rivers or our
supporting organization the
Fund or International Rivers
(FIR) can help sustain the
struggle or healthy rivers
and human rights.
For inormation on making a bequest, contact us at
+1 510 848 1155 or karolo@internationalrivers.org.
Recommended