Product Description

Large dams are the focus of efforts to manage both water and energy resources. Yet they can also bring huge problems of environmental damage and social dislocation. Establishing the role of dams is vital for the future and for sustainable forms of development. This report is the outcome of very extensive public policy and consultation efforts bringing governments, the private sector and civil society representatives into one process. It challenges prevailing assumptions and sets out why dams are built and what impacts they have, for better or worse. From this evidence it presents a new framework for developing energy and water resources and an agenda of seven priorities with guidelines for decision-making.

Product Details

• Published on: 2000-12-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 448 pages

Review
.."a sizable, diverse report, rich with figures, specific examples, and detailed descriptions. It is a resource for understanding the full scope of impacts that management decisions can have and for fitting individual decisions into an international context." -- Environmental Practice

From the Publisher
...this Report provides answers and assistance for it was written by those who wrestled together for more than two years. The time and energy they spent wrestling with these questions save time, energy, sweat and money for the rest of us.'
ADDRESS BY MR NELSON MANDELA, Former President of the Republic of South Africa, On the occasion of the Launch of the Final Report of the World Commission on Dams 16 November 2000, in Cabot Hall, London

‘It presents a new framework for water and energy resources development; and develops an agenda…for future decision making.’
OXFAM’S REVIEW OF JOURNALS

‘…far-reaching…’
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
‘A Yardstick...’
THE ECONOMIST
‘Remarkable…a model for national debate’
THE FINANCIAL TIMES

About the Author
World Commission on Dams

The WCD occupies a unique position in the debate for sustainable development in undertaking its work as the first global and independent review of the costs and benefits of large dams. Developed by both advocates and opponents of large dams, the Commission's two-year mandate expires with the launch of the Final Report on November 16, 2000.
By building a common understanding among stakeholders, the WCD addresses the conflicting viewpoints that have polarised the debate. The Commission's 12 members reflect the different perspectives in the large dams debate.
Public input and access to the Commission is a key component of the WCD process.