World Commission on Dams Strategic Priorities, Good Practices, and Institutional Responses January 2002 |
1. On 16 November 2000, the World Commission on Dams (WCD) published its final report entitled Dams and Development (see the WCD website http://www.dams.org)1. The report was the culmination of nearly three years work by the Commission, its Secretariat, consultants, and others who undertook the most comprehensive study to date of the benefits and adverse impacts of large dams. The report concluded that in response to growing development needs, dams remain one important option. However, the report also concluded that too often dams have fallen short of what is desirable or acceptable in the areas of economic efficiency, social equity, and environmental sustainability.
2. At the launching ceremony for the WCD report, Professor Kader Asmal, Chairman of WCD, stated "the Commission's formal work is done; and now it is up to you"2. The Asian Development Bank (ADB), as a part of "you", took its first step in collaboration with WCD in disseminating the WCD study in Asia by hosting an internal workshop on 29 November 2000 for ADB staff (one of the Team Leaders, Jeremy Bird, of the WCD Secretariat was the resource person). This was followed by a two-day regional workshop in Manila from 19-20 February 2001. We had about 70 participants from our developing member countries (DMCs), utility managers, dam engineers, academics, and nongovernment organizations (NGOs), who debated the WCD Recommendations based on introductions and interventions by the lead presenters and WCD Commissioners: Judy Henderson and Donald J. Blackmore.
3. Some of the DMCs' voices at that workshop were critical of the WCD consultation process: not enough consultations had taken place and comments from the governments had not been incorporated in full. The WCD process did in fact not allow for issuance of a draft report, precisely to enable early closure of the process and to keep it - as much as possible - independent. In any case the general view was that the countries needed more time to study the implications of the Recommendations and to compare them with their national policies (see specifics in separate link [http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2001/Dams_Devt/dams_devt.asp] of this website).
4. Where do we go from here to hear the DMC voices? We believe that more dissemination and consultation with the DMCs on a country basis is required. We are therefore in the process of organizing workshops in ADB DMCs in Asia with dam potential, and we started with the Philippines on 30 August 2001 (see specifics in separate link [http://www.adb.org/NGOs/wcd_report.asp] of this website).
5. A prime objective of these workshops is to find a way forward that is appropriate for the developing countries in our region. We can then integrate our respective proposals to agree upon a workable process and a structure for its implementation. In this process we will consult our member countries to solicit pragmatic solutions. We will also need cooperation from civil society, including NGOs, to enable the process to move forward. But we will not forget that our DMCs must "own" the response process.
6. On 22 December 2000, the ADB President sent a letter to WCD's Chairman stating our appreciation of, and contribution to, the WCD Report, which is an important milestone in the debate on dams. Our President also stated that "ADB will re-examine its own procedures, including our environmental and social development policies, and determine the extent to which the report's recommendations may necessitate changes in these procedures. We will also encourage our member countries to do the same," namely review their procedures. This quotation does not constitute a full endorsement of the WCD Report but promises that we and our DMCs at their own initiative and through the ADB sponsored workshops will review the WCD Recommendations in the light of our existing guidelines and in full consultation with each other. Any changes to ADB Guidelines require full consultation with our stakeholders, including member countries and civil society, as per normal ADB practice. It is also in this context important to point out that the WCD Recommendations affect not only our hydropower, irrigation, water supply, and flood mitigation projects but in a broader context, all our infrastructure projects, including roads, railways, ports, water supply, sanitation, and urban development.
7. The WCD Report presents a set of 26 guidelines for good practice, organized within seven strategic priorities. The guidelines describe in general terms, how to assess options, and plan and implement dam projects, to meet the Commissions' criteria.
8. The operations of ADB are guided by policies that cover many areas, including the economic viability and social and environmental impacts of ADB-funded projects. ADB has carried out a review to determine the extent to which the WCD guidelines would be met by projects prepared and implemented in accordance with our own policies and Guidelines. The results of this comparison are presented below (with WCD Report page references in parenthesis):
Decision-making processes and mechanisms are used that enable informed participation by all groups of people, and result in the demonstrable acceptance of key decisions. Where projects affect indigenous and tribal peoples, such processes are guided by their free, prior and informed consent.
Policy Principles
Recognition of rights and assessment of risks are the basis for the identification and inclusion of stakeholders in decision-making on energy and water resources development.
ADB's Response: Rights and risks are determined through initial social assessments (ISA) that are done for all projects, and stakeholders are identified. Detailed social assessments are done if the need is indicated by the ISA. The recognition of rights varies from country to country. ADB abides by national policy and law in its assistance to DMCs as long as these are not in contravention of ADB's own policies.
Access to information, legal and other support is available to all stakeholders, particularly indigenous and tribal peoples, women and other vulnerable groups, to enable their informed participation in decision-making processes.
ADB's Response: Public information centers have been established for major hydropower projects. Summary environmental impact assessments, and in some cases other important project documents, may be translated into the national language, though rarely if ever to tribal languages. Indigenous peoples development plans (IPDPs), as required by ADB's policy on indigenous peoples, may include specific support provisions. Gender considerations are being mainstreamed.
Demonstrable public acceptance of all key decisions is achieved through agreements negotiated in an open and transparent process conducted in good faith and with informed participation of all stakeholders.
ADB's Response: Formal agreements are entered into with individuals or communities only in terms of resettlement and compensation, not in overall agreement to the project itself.
Decisions on projects affecting indigenous and tribal peoples are guided by their free, prior and informed consent achieved through formal and informal representative bodies.
ADB's Response: All projects affecting indigenous peoples must have an IPDP, which includes formal and informal processes. The IDPD rarely involves substantive involvement by indigenous peoples in deciding whether a project is to proceed; this is seen as a matter of national sovereignty and thus the government's responsibility.
To explore alternatives to dams, needs for water, food and energy are assessed and objectives clearly defined. The appropriate development response is identified from a range of possible options. The selection is based on a comprehensive and participatory assessment of the full range of policy, institutional, and technical options. In the assessment process social and environmental aspects have the same significance as economic and financial factors. The options assessment process continues through all stages of project planning, development and operations.
Policy Principles
Development needs and objectives are clearly formulated through an open and participatory process before the identification and assessment of options for water and energy resource development.
ADB's Response: Normally this is considered the government's responsibility. However, ADB assists its developing member countries (DMCs) through preparation of poverty reduction strategies and targeted assistance such as in the development of integrated river basin planning, studies of energy alternatives, and capacity building. Also, ADB is assisting its DMCs to explore development options.
Planning approaches that take into account the full range of development objectives are used to assess all policy, institutional, management, and technical options before the decision is made to proceed with any program or project.
ADB's Response: Same as above.
Social and environmental aspects are given the same significance as technical, economic and financial factors in assessing options.
ADB's Response: All hydropower projects as well as other major infrastructure projects are required under ADB's environmental impact assessment (EIA) guidelines to explore social and environmental alternatives. ADB's draft revised environmental policy and guidelines include provision for testing and applying strategic environmental assessment.
Increasing the effectiveness and sustainability of existing water, irrigation and energy systems are given priority in the options assessment process.
ADB's Response: Demand-side management of the irrigation and energy sectors has been supported by ADB for several years, and these issues are considered in the design and approval process of ADB-supported projects.
If a dam is selected through such a comprehensive options assessment process, social and environmental principles are applied in the review and selection of options throughout the detailed planning, design, construction, and operation phases.
ADB's Response: Social and environmental principles are applied through social and environmental assessments and through the implementation of environmental management plans and social development strategies throughout the project cycle.
Management and operation practices must adapt continuously to changing circumstances over the project's life and must address outstanding social issues.
Policy Principles
A comprehensive post project monitoring and evaluation process, and a system of longer-term periodic reviews of the performance, benefits and impacts for all existing large dams are introduced.
ADB's Response: Projects are post-evaluated as a matter of routine. More emphasis has been given in recent years to monitoring of projects after construction, especially projects that are encountering social or environmental problems. The Theun-Hinboun Hydropower Project in Lao PDR is an example where ADB monitoring, including fielding of ADB missions, has continued well past the actual closure of the loan. ADB recently reviewed the social and environmental impacts of selected ADB-supported dam projects begun in the 1980s to the mid-1990s. Longer-term reviews may be done as part of sector reviews, though these do vary in their rigor in terms of evaluating performance, benefits and impacts.
Programs to restore, improve and optimize benefits from existing large dams are identified and implemented. Options to consider include rehabilitation, modernize and upgrade equipment and facilities, optimize reservoir operations and introduce non-structural measures to improve the efficiency of delivery and use of services.
ADB's Response: These issues are assessed on occasions when support is provided to a DMC to strengthen its energy or irrigation sector development. Management and operation of completed projects, though, is normally considered to be the responsibility of the project owner/operator.
Outstanding social issues associated with existing large dams are identified and assessed; processes and mechanisms are developed with affected communities to remedy them.
ADB's Response: This has been done for ADB-assisted dams such as the Theun-Hinboun Hydropower Project in Lao PDR and the Tarbela Dam through the loan for Ghazi Barotha Hydropower Project in Pakistan.
The effectiveness of existing environmental mitigation measures is assessed and unanticipated impacts identified; opportunities for mitigation, restoration and enhancement are recognized, identified and acted on.
ADB's Response: This is done systematically during post-project evaluation, normally three years after completion of construction for large infrastructure projects. Such assessments and recommendations may be contained in environmental management plans that are prepared for the operational stage of the project. This process has been systemized for the Theun Hinboun Hydropower Project.
All large dams have formalized operating agreements with time-bound license periods; where re-planning or relicensing processes indicate that major physical changes to facilities or decommissioning may be advantageous, a full feasibility study and environmental and social impact assessment is undertaken.
ADB's Response: Operating agreements with time-bound concession periods are finalized at commissioning or even earlier but re-licensing processes are rarely applied. The private sector investor would look for a long-term predictable financial scenario to minimize risk.
Options assessment and decision-making around river development prioritizes the avoidance of impacts, followed by the minimization and mitigation of harm to the health and integrity of the river system. Avoiding impacts through good site selection and project design is a priority. Releasing tailor-made environmental flows can help maintain downstream ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
Policy Principles
A basin-wide understanding of the ecosystem's functions, values and requirements, and how community livelihoods depend on and influence them, is required before decisions on development options are made.
ADB's Response: Although not a formal requirement, basin-wide studies have been done for recent projects for possible support by ADB (for example, the Se Kong, Se San and Nam Theun River Basins Hydropower Study [RETA 5697-REG], and the Nam Ngum River Basin Development Study [TA 3544-LAO]. ADB is introducing or strengthening national capacity in river basin management in countries such as Peoples' Republic of China, Lao PDR, Sri Lanka, and Viet Nam.
Decisions value ecosystems, social and health issues as in integral part of project and river basin development and prioritize avoidance of impacts in accordance with a precautionary approach.
ADB's Response: The integrity of ecosystems and protection of or improvement in social and health conditions are integral parts of project design for ADB-supported projects.
A national policy is developed for maintaining selected rivers with high ecosystem functions and values in their natural state. When reviewing alternative locations for dams on undeveloped rivers, priority is given to locations on tributaries.
ADB's Response: ADB is yet to provide such assistance to its DMCs. However, under Loan 1867-LAO: Environment and Social Program Loan (approved for $20 million on 6 December 2001), one component is an evaluation of the national energy sector development plan for the adequacy of its attention to social and environmental concerns and revision of the plan based on the evaluation. It is possible that rivers or portions of rivers may be identified for reservation from development.
Project options are selected that avoid significant impacts on threatened and endangered species. When impacts cannot be avoided, viable compensation measures are put in place that will result in a net gain for the species within the region.
ADB's Response: Serious consideration is given to impacts on threatened and endangered species, including special studies where these are needed prior to making a decision on project support. In the Lao PDR and Nepal, for example, this has included provisions for strengthening existing protection capacity (Nam Leuk hydropower plant) or for establishing new protected areas (Kali Gandaki A hydropower plant). Compensation measures will be taken that will minimize net loss of fish populations, such as in the case of endangered fish species in the Peoples' Republic of China.
Large dams provide for releasing environmental flows to help maintain downstream ecosystem integrity and community livelihoods and are designed, modified and operated accordingly.
ADB's Response: The release of environmental flows has been a topic of investigation in more recent ADB-supported projects, though this is far from a precise science. Studies are being undertaken in an ADB-supported project in Lao PDR to more precisely determine appropriate environmental flows for a dam currently under operation.
Accountability of responsible parties to agreed mitigation, resettlement and development provisions is ensured through legal means, such as contract, and through accessible legal recourse at national and international level.
Policy Principles
Recognition of rights and assessment of risks is the basis for identification and inclusion of adversely affected stakeholders in joint negotiations on mitigation, resettlement and development related decision-making.
ADB's Response: The recognition of rights varies from country to country. ADB abides by national policy and law in its assistance to DMCs as long as these are not in contravention of ADB's own policies. Environmental risk assessment forms an integral part of the appraisal process for all disaster mitigation projects. The draft revised environmental policy and guidelines include specific reference to undertaking environmental risk assessment as part of the EIA process when required.
Impact assessment includes all people in the reservoir, upstream, downstream and in catchment areas whose properties, livelihoods and non-material resources are affected. It also includes those affected by dam related infrastructure such as canals, transmission lines and resettlement developments.
ADB's Response: ADB's environmental impact assessment procedures require that all people, whether affected by the project directly or indirectly, be accounted for during the environmental/resettlement assessment, including IPDPs where appropriate.
All recognized adversely affected people negotiate mutually agreed, formal and legally enforceable mitigation, resettlement and development entitlements.
ADB's Response: ADB's resettlement policy and guidelines explicitly require agreed, formal, monitorable, and binding compensation measures.
Adversely affected people are recognized as first among the beneficiaries of the projects. Mutually agreed and legally protected benefit sharing mechanisms are negotiated to ensure implementation.
Ensuring public trust and confidence requires that governments, developers, regulators and operators meet all commitments made for the planning, implementation and operations of dams. Compliance with applicable regulations, criteria and guidelines, and project-specific negotiated agreements is secured at all critical stages in project planning and implementation. A set of mutually reinforcing incentives and mechanisms is required for social, environmental and technical measures. These should involve an appropriate mix of regulatory and non-regulatory measures, incorporating incentives and sanctions. Regulatory and compliance frameworks use incentives and sanctions to ensure effectiveness where flexibility is needed to accommodate changing circumstances.
Policy Principles
A clear, consistent and common set of criteria and guidelines to ensure compliance is adopted by sponsoring, contracting and financing institutions and compliance is subject to independent and transparent review.
ADB's Response: Third-party monitoring during design and construction has become a regular feature of major infrastructure projects supported by ADB. Compliance measures are monitored throughout the construction period. This would normally include at least two annual review missions by ADB staff.
A Compliance Plan is prepared for each project prior to commencement, spelling out how compliance will be achieved with relevant criteria and guidelines and specifying binding arrangements for project-specific technical, social and environmental commitments.
ADB's Response: A plan for achieving compliance is built into resettlement and environmental management plans and IPDPs. ADB has strict technical criteria and guidelines for compliance with technical aspects. More attention is being placed on incorporating specific social and environmental compliance requirements as clauses in contract documents.
/li>Costs for establishing compliance mechanisms and related institutional capacity, and their effective applications, are built into the project budget.
ADB's Response: In terms of social and environmental aspects, costs are built into the project budget for institutional mechanisms such as resettlement committees, environmental units, and third-party monitoring. An assessment of institutional capacity for implementing environmental management programs is a part of ADB's environmental impact assessment process. The scope of performance bonds is being enlarged to cover environmental clauses in contract documents of major works contracts.
Corrupt practices are avoided through enforcement of legislation, voluntary integrity pacts, debarment and other instruments.
ADB's Response: ADB is implementing its Governance Policy, which covers corrupt practices.
Incentives that reward project proponents for abiding by criteria and guidelines are developed by public and financial institutions.
ADB's Response: Such incentives are not offered by ADB because project proponents are expected to abide by criteria and guidelines as identified in project documents. Penalties are also included in these documents to compensate the client in case of violation of criteria and guidelines. Where practicable, mitigation measures and livelihood restoration components are included in contract documents and paid for when accomplished. ADB has adopted performance-based lending as a policy, which implies that lending can be made a condition of DMC compliance with ADB policies.
External financing agencies support the principles of good faith negotiations between riparian States.
Policy Principles
National water policies make specific provision for basin agreements in shared river basins. Agreements are negotiated on the basis of good faith among riparian States. They are based on principles of equitable and reasonable utilization, no significant harm, prior information and the Commission's strategic priorities.
ADB's Response: ADB follows and supports initiatives by subregional organizations, such as the Mekong River Commission, in matters relating to cross-border management of water resources.
Riparian States go beyond looking at water as a finite commodity to be divided and embrace an approach that equitably allocates not the water, but the benefits that can be derived from it. Where appropriate, negotiations include benefits outside the river basin and other sectors of mutual interest.
ADB's Response: ADB's new Water Policy incorporates the principle of equity and recognizes the need to look at a wide range of potential benefits.
Dams on shared rivers are not built in cases where riparian States raise an objection that is upheld by an independent panel. Intractable disputes between countries are resolved through various means of dispute resolution, including, in the last instance, the International Court of Justice.
ADB's Response: ADB follows and supports initiatives by subregional organizations, such as the Mekong River Commission, in matters relating to cross-border management of water resources. These principles are also contained in ADB's Water Policy.
For the development of projects on rivers shared between political units within countries, the necessary legislative provision is made at national and subnational levels to embody the Commission's strategic priorities of "gaining public acceptance", "recognizing entitlements", and "sustaining rivers and livelihoods".
ADB's Response: ADB has not supported dams where objections are raised by subnational entities.
Where a government agency plans or facilitates the construction of a dam on a shared river in contravention of the principle of good faith negotiations between riparians, external financing bodies withdraw their support for projects and programs promoted by that agency.
ADB's Response: ADB has not faced such cases but if they would appear in the future, ADB would seek assistance of riparian river commissions to resolve disputes before taking action.
Develop programs to help countries, especially those with a significant existing or potential dam population, formulate a response to the Commission's report and find ways to implement its recommendations.
ADB's Response: ADB has already assisted the Commission in distributing copies of the Commission's report to selected national agencies. ADB has supported two regional dissemination meetings in the Asian Region to discuss the report and its implementation. ADB is undertaking internal discussions of other ways and means for ADB to support the Commission's findings. ADB also has an ongoing program of in-country workshops (which commenced in August 2001) to (i) encourage ADB's developing member countries (DMCs) to review their current laws, regulations, and practices in the light of the WCD guidelines; (ii) provide a forum for constructive debate between government officials and civil society about national water resource development; and (iii) form a consensus view on whether ADB's policies require modification.
Ensure that any dam options for which financing is approved emerge from an agreed process of ranking alternatives and respect the Commission's guidelines.
ADB's Response: ADB ranks alternatives on a least-cost basis. Cost-benefit may also be used as described in ADB's guidelines for the economic analysis of projects. More attention to the social and environmental considerations in least-cost solutions is a task which ADB is attempting to address. ADB supports most of the Commission's guidelines and intends to consider them in all future projects.
Accelerate the shift from project-to sector-based finance, especially through increasing financial and technical support for effective, transparent, and participatory needs and options assessment, and the financing of non-structural alternatives.
ADB's Response: ADB has long provided sector financing. It is providing assistance in several countries to strengthen participatory processes and has strengthened its own capacities in this field over the past several years. ADB has also emphasized non-structural alternatives in its lending programs. ADB plans to continue these efforts in the future.
Review the portfolio of past projects to identify those that may have under-performed or present unresolved issues and share in addressing the financial burden of such projects for borrower countries. This may include, for example, canceling the outstanding debt related to them, converting debt repayment into development assistance targeting affected areas, or providing new support to help borrower countries address unresolved economic, social and environmental problems.
ADB's Response: ADB could provide assistance for social and environmental mitigation measures. ADB has no current policy to deal with debt relief.
Review internal processes and operational policies in relation to the Commission's recommendations to determine changes needed in the selection of projects for lending portfolios; the appraisal process; and implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
ADB's Response: The Commission's recommendations have been reviewed in relation to their application to ADB's revised environmental policy and guidelines (under preparation) and social policies. A similar review has been carried out for ADB's Infrastructure and Agriculture Departments, which are responsible for the energy, water supply, flood control, and irrigation sectors. Further review will await completion of the ADB program of in-country workshops/consultations with DMCs. NGOs are being invited to these workshops.
A broad indication of whether ADB is undertaking these good practices is provided for reference. Underlining indicates those we are not doing or not planning to do at the moment.
1. Stakeholder Analysis - Yes (as part of social assessments including establishment of stakeholder forums).
2. Negotiated Decision-Making Process - Projects are not "negotiated" with local people except through government. ADB's policies (as with WCD guidelines [see footnote 1]) do not require unanimous consent of those who may be required to be resettled or of affected indigenous peoples. The approved Board paper that established ADB's Policy on Involuntary Resettlement, begins by explaining the "involuntary" aspect of resettlement:
"That people should be at the center of development is increasingly recognized. However, there may be instances where a development intervention such as a road or power generation project should proceed for the greater benefit of society, in spite of its potential adverse effects on some people"
ADB would, however, ensure that our existing mechanisms are adequate to protect the important interests of even a few persons who may be adversely affected. This could be in the form of enhanced alternative livelihood mitigation and rural development projects.
3. Free, Prior and Informed Consent - This is left to government, but ADB increasingly supports mediation by a mutually accepted third party, respected for their independence, to achieve informed consent.
4. Strategic Impact Assessment for Environmental, Social, Health and Cultural Heritage Issues - Yes, in revised environmental guidelines.
5. Project-Level Impact Assessment for Environmental, Social, Health and Cultural Heritage Issues - Yes
6. Multi-Criteria Analysis - Yes. A recent study of 31 potential hydropower plant sites on tributaries to the Mekong River3, used a multi-criteria analysis to rank the projects. Non-technical and non-economic parameters carried more than 50% of the possible score.
7. Life Cycle Assessment - Yes. Replacement costs of project components are included for dam projects and their alternatives. Final decommissioning costs of dams are negligible when discounted to present values. Decommissioning and potential compensation should be agreed between government, financiers, and developers.
8. Greenhouse Gas Emissions - Limited due to only recent awareness of potential problems with reservoirs and scarce data, but has been dealt with for thermal projects in the People's Republic of China. Further research is required on emissions from reservoirs compared to alternative options, including thermal power plant emissions and heated water discharges to recipient waters, which may damage aquatic resources. ADB will support such research.
9. Distribution Analysis of Projects - Yes, for future projects
10. Valuation of Social and Environmental Impacts - Yes
11. Improving Economic Risk Assessment - Yes, for future projects (already done for the Ghazi-Barotha Hydropower Project in Pakistan).
12. Ensuring Operating Rules Reflect Social and Environmental Concerns - Initially done as a part of the Loan Agreement through assurances but not normally on a long-term basis (left to government). Funds for post-completion measures have recently been made available to address unmitigated impacts (Theun Hinboun and Nam Leuk Hydropower Projects, and Nam Song diversion dam, all in the Lao PDR; Ghazi Barotha Hydropower Project in Pakistan which specifies additional livelihood enhancement measures for affectees of Tarbela Dam; and Kali Gandaki A Hydropower Project in Nepal).
13. Improving Reservoir Operations - Would be left to the operator after construction but in line with agreed operation guidelines with monitoring by government, but see 12 above.
14. Baseline Ecosystem Surveys - Yes
15. Environmental Flow Assessment - The release of environmental flows has been a topic of investigation in more recent ADB-supported projects, though this is far from a precise science. Studies intended to be done through international research with ADB involvement.
16. Maintaining Productive Fisheries - Yes, in the form of fish ponds and reservoir culture, and possible fish transporters/bypasses or ladders if found attractive to the migrating fish population.
17. Baseline Social Condition - Yes
18. Impoverishment Risk Analysis - Yes, through social assessment and poverty assessment.
19. Implementation of the Mitigation, Resettlement and Development Action Plan - Yes
20. Project Benefit-Sharing Mechanisms - ADB's policy is that project affected people should be at least as well-off as they would have been in the absence of the project. The means to achieve this may be derived from the project or from other sources (see also under B5. Strategic Priorities No. 5, last paragraph).
21. Compliance Plans - A plan for achieving compliance is built into resettlement and environmental management plans. ADB has strict technical criteria and guidelines for compliance with technical aspects. More attention is being placed on incorporating specific social and environmental compliance requirements as clauses in contract documents.
22. Independent Review Panels for Social and Environmental Matters - Yes
23. Performance Bonds - Part of ADB's draft revised environmental guidelines and procurement procedures.The scope of performance bonds is being enlarged to cover environmental clauses in the contract documents of major works contracts.
24. Trust Funds - Limited ADB experience but could be an option as for Nam Leuk Hydropower Project in Lao PDR, where 1% of revenues is set aside for national park upkeep.
25. Integrity Pacts - Not yet tried, but could be done.
26. Procedures for Shared Rivers - Yes, ADB follows and supports initiatives by subregional organizations, such as the Mekong River Commission, in matters relating to cross-border management of water resources. These principles are also contained in ADB's Water policy.
Summary of WCD guidelines, with which ADB Guidelines partially conform (numbers are WCD guideline numbers):
8) Greenhouse Gas Emissions - Not being done at the moment but research supported by ADB.
15) Environmental Flow Assessment - Being done in limited scale for Theun Hinboun Hydropower Project. ADB is supporting research.
21) Compliance Plans - Technically yes; socially and environmentally, limited.
Summary of WCD guidelines which ADB is not currently using or has not proposed to use in future (numbers are WCD guideline numbers):
2) Negotiated decision-making process - ADB expects government, as owner, to do this with possible ADB-supported mediation services (see above under guideline 2); the private sector would need definite financial closure in a fixed time span.
3) Free, prior and informed consent - ADB expects government, as owner, to do this (see above under guideline 3).
12) Ensuring operating rules reflect social and environmental concerns - this is after loan completion, so ADB only look into this if it is stipulated in the loan agreement.
13) Improving reservoir operation - this is after loan completion, so ADB rarely look into this, unless it is stipulated in the loan agreement.
24) Trust funds - could be done such as the 1% surcharge on Nam Leuk Hydropower Project (Lao PDR) revenues, and the Environment Fund in the recently approved ADB project in Lao PDR: Environment and Social Program Loan.
25) Integrity pacts - could be done as part of ADB's Anti-Corruption Policy but is not yet an ADB practice.
In summary of the above, the current ADB conformance status with the 26 WCD guidelines is:
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