Water

Proposed Revision in ADB's Water Policy
Regarding Large Water Resources Projects
Comments from Clients and Stakeholders

The recommendation of the interim review by the ADB’s Water Sector Committee on the Policy provision for large Water Resources Projects involving dams and storage under Paragraph 32 rightly acknowledged the impracticability to expect all stakeholders to agree on justification to such projects. Therefore, in case of large Water Resources Projects, recommendation of the ADB’s Water Sector Committee to replace the text, “and all government and non-government stakeholders in the country must agree on the justification” with “and stakeholders must be provided the opportunity to comment regarding the justification with their views considered. The ADB will promote the participation of government, civil society and other stakeholders in the society towards this end” appears acceptable to this Ministry.

However, it would be more acceptable if the proposed Revision is rephrased as follows: ….All such projects will need to be justified in the public interest “and all stakeholders must be provided the opportunity to comment regarding the justification with their views considered. The ADB will encourage and promote the participation of government, non-government, civil society and other stakeholders in the country towards this end. When such projects are proposed to be prepared on rivers flowing through more than one country, views of co-riparian countries will have to be taken into consideration. The ADB will encourage and promote dialogue on regional cooperation towards this end.