Water

Dams and Development E-Paper Contents

p. 12 of 74 BACK | NEXT Home Page of Dams and Development Foreword I. Why an e-paper on dams and development? II. Assessing options What is options assessment? Where does options assessment fit in the project cycle? What do ADB policies say? Sector specific guidance Tools for options assessment Examples and case studies III. Participatory processes IV. Social impacts V. Environmental impacts VI. Benefit distribution VII. Dam safety and sustainability VIII. Existing projects IX. Improving governance X. What other organizations say XI. ADB, Dams, and Development XII. References Contact Us

Where does options assessment fit in the project cycle?

Elements of options assessment are part of three process levels:

• policy options (policy review and development, reform of the legal and regulatory framework)
• strategic planning options (master plans, basin plans, poverty reduction strategies, sector strategies, pre-feasibility etc)
• project options - (feasibility, detailed planning, design, implementation and management phases).

At each level, the range of alternatives are progressively screened and filtered, thereby reducing the number of options for more detailed study.

The policy framework and sector strategy of a country has increasingly become the focus of the debate over dams with critics often arguing for a 'level playing field' and claiming that the full breadth of options are constrained by policy distortions or subsidies. Opportunities to resolve such issues early on in the planning process and to balance between supply-side and demand-side solutions are provided by:

• An enabling policy environment
• Strategic planning and sector analysis
• Targeting poverty reduction
• Relevance to the Country Strategy and Program

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