About two-third of the 500 hydroelectric power stations operating around the country, have fundamentally altered the hydrographic conditions and resources of the surrounding countryside, experts said.
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Dam site: The site of the Buon Kuop hydroelectric project on the Serepok River in the Central Highlands province of Dac Lac |
About two-third of the 500 hydroelectric power stations operating around the country, have fundamentally altered the hydrographic conditions and resources of the surrounding countryside, experts said.
The stations have also had a negative affect on local communities by taking away their livelihoods.
Vu Ngoc Long, deputy director of the HCM City based Institute of Tropical Biology, said "Many communities, including the one that gave up land for the A Vuong hydroelectric plant in the central province of Quang Nam, have had to give up their livelihoods after being resettled."
But the affects could be mitigated if several principles following recommendations by the World Commission on Dams (WCD) are followed, said Dao Trong Tu, former deputy secretary of the Mekong River Commission of Viet Nam.
The recommendations serve as guidelines towards sustainability and fairness for all those affected by dam construction by examining aspects of society, economy and the environment, he said.
These were illustrated by seven strategic incentives in dam construction, including public approval on the construction of every dam, comprehensive assessment and evaluation on the influence and benefits from the work, considerations on fully utilising existing dams, sustainability for rivers and livelihoods, and compliance of the commitments during the construction and operation.
Tu, Viet Nams co-ordinator with the WCD, said the commission was formed in 1998 in an attempt to settle conflicts between people who opposed dam construction and investors and/or constructors of dams. "The commissions aim is to change the conflicts into a consensus," he said, adding that no one could deny the benefits of dams to socio-economic development but investors and constructors must learn to develop dams in a sustainable way.
He told a one-day conference recently held in the southern province of Dong Nais Cat Tien National Park that the application of the WCDs recommendations to the development of the proposed dams in Viet Nam is significant.
"All dam projects must follow recognised procedures and gain public approval in the planning phase, set up compliance mechanisms, benefit sharing policies and environmental studies that are followed during the construction and operation process," he said.
"Plans for hydroelectric dams on the Dong Nai River Basin have been changed without consideration of the environmental impact," said Nguyen Vu Huy of the Southern Institute for Irrigation Planning.
Huy said the basin currently has 20 hydroelectric stations in operation and development, including nine on the main stream of the Dong Nai River, and 11 on its upper branches in the Be and La Nga rivers.
The basin is the only one to be situated entirely within Viet Nams borders, playing an important role to hydrographic conditions in the countrys southern part.
The projects belong to subsidiaries of Electricity of Viet Nam (EVN) as well as other companies that function in different sectors. Tran Quang Thanh, the parks director, said, "I am very worried to see several companies with no knowledge or experience in electricity such as wood processors Duc Long and Duc Thanh from the Central Highlands investing in power projects on the Dong Nai River Basin."
Thanh said he is going to commission an independent survey to assess the environmental impact of Dong Nai 7 power project to establish a profile for counter arguments to submit to the Government. The park is currently under threat by four power projects which are too close to the 411th UNESCO world nature reserve and its alligator pond recognised by Ramsar in 2005.
Nguyen Xuan Phong of the Southern Institute for Irrigation Planning warned that most reservoirs created by hydroelectric projects on the Dong Nai River did not have the capacity to control flood water. He asked scientists to incorporate flood prevention systems in their designs.
Experts said that without that capacity, the reservoirs would not be able to cope with high volumes of water.
Other experts raised their concerns over the current lack of an "inter-reservoir operation mechanism" that would help co-ordinate flooding. Dau Xuan Thuy from EVNs Power Engineering Consulting JSC 2 (PECC2) said the reservoirs were not designed with the mechanism because of the high cost of construction and operation.
(Source: VNS)