Cost-Benefit Analysis of Dam Projects: The Perspectives of Resettled and Non-resettled Communities

Wiejaczka, Łukasz; Piróg, Danuta; Fidelus‐Orzechowska, Joanna

doi:10.1007/s11269-019-02451-0

Cited by 8 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…The social assessment of dam projects differs significantly depending on whether one belongs to the resettled or the hosting community. Displaced people view the dam project more negatively than people who do not have to move (Wiejaczka et al, 2020), but at the same time, the effects on hosting communities are less rigorously tested or supported by international or national safeguard policies. Our results…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An applied framework for assessing the relative deprivation of dam‐affected communities

Zhang

Owen

Kemp

et al. 2021

Sustainable Development

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Over the past half century, hydropower dams have displaced 40-80 million people around the world. In the development literature, the outcome of these shocks is represented in the form of "absolute deprivation." The policy norms surrounding development-induced displacement and resettlement, across all industries, prioritize compensation as the primary means through which to address any short-term deprivation caused by the shock of displacement. One dimension that has been overlooked is the force and effect of "relative deprivation (RD)." To demonstrate the merits of the RD approach, we develop a novel framework to assess the poverty conditions of affected communities across different resettlement schemes in Qinghai Province, China. A review of the case literature shows the scope and depth of deprivations experienced by those directly impacted by project-induced displacement.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An applied framework for assessing the relative deprivation of dam‐affected communities

Zhang

Owen

Kemp

et al. 2021

Sustainable Development

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“…In an ideal-type scenario, they manage funds received from the developer in a transparent manner, towards achieving development goals [12]. Local governments work for all citizens, meaning that they can try to harmonise relations between resettled and non-resettled citizens, considering strongly differential impacts of dams on these groups [22], although this is not an easy task. Local governments have the advantage that they are often seen as legitimate Fig.…”

Section: Local Governmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hydropower dams in particular may generate significant financial revenues to the private or public entities that operate them, while potentially curtailing development opportunities for local people. Especially people who were displaced by a dam project may struggle to adapt [22] and develop new livelihoods [1,23], and are often worse off after dam construction [8]. Researchers continue to highlight the social injustice of excluding resettlers from the economic benefits that hydropower development can produce [16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydropower benefit-sharing and resettlement: A conceptual review

Schulz

Skinner

2022

Energy Research & Social Science

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Globally, hydropower developers are increasingly expected to share benefits with people living in projectaffected areas. Nevertheless, hydropower benefit-sharing has not found sufficiently widespread application, and the concept is not yet widely understood. The present paper aims to make the following contributions: First, we clarify the commonalities and differences between benefit-sharing, compensation and related concepts, which refer to processes in which developers transfer resources to project-affected people. We suggest that benefitsharing can be understood as a 'sustainability intervention', i.e. the focus is on making an additional and positive long-term development impact, beyond replacing or marginally improving on lost assets. Further, we propose that benefit-sharing is defined by the transfer of resources and services that are 1) substantively different from those serving as compensation for lost assets; 2) determined via participatory processes with projectaffected people and 3) delivered in the later stages of the timeline from dam planning to operation. Second, we explore some governance challenges on the pathway towards 'good' benefit-sharing, highlighting: (i) that effective participation by project-affected people requires capacity building over time, involving a gradual transfer of control over spending decisions; and (ii) that the appropriate institutional set-up for benefit-sharing may be dependent on the existing capacity of governments in the dam-hosting location. Legally mandated benefit-sharing mechanisms to raise funds may be more appropriate in the context of high existing state capacity, whereas developer-led mechanisms will be required where the existing capacity is low. In practice, a mix of multiple institutional arrangements and benefit-sharing mechanisms is possible and desirable.

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“…Socio-political acceptance of energy policies at the European international and national level is sought to initiate hydropower projects 23 . While water storage structures are necessary for adjusting to climate change, their development is controversial and may generate opposition not only because of their ecological impact, but also because of the displacement of people and the destruction of livelihoods, making the investigation of the social acceptability of dams a priority 24 , 25 . Taking into account social attitudes towards dams and reservoirs is especially important for designing effective restoration strategies that are often guided by economic and social opportunism 26 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite their importance for water and energy supply, their large number in European rivers and their recognized ecological impacts, few studies have addressed the social acceptance of dams and reservoirs in Europe by the general population. Using in-depth interviews (N = 153), Wiejaczka et al 25 found that people directly affected by a reservoir in Poland (i.e. displaced from their homes) perceived higher negative environmental impacts of dams than non-resettled people.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water security determines social attitudes about dams and reservoirs in South Europe

Dopico

Arboleya

Fernández

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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River barriers affect river dynamics and aquatic biota, altering the entire ecosystem. Nevertheless, dams and reservoirs provide goods like water supply and low-carbon energy that are becoming increasingly critical under current climate change. To know to what extent dams and reservoirs are important to the population, we explored social attitudes towards dams and reservoirs using a face-to-face questionnaire in two regions of contrasting climate and water security in Spain, a country with one of highest densities of dams in Europe. Results (N = 613) revealed a higher support for dams, mediated by the recognition of the services they provide, in the drier Mediterranean Malaga province (Andalusia), than in the wetter Atlantic Asturias province (Bay of Biscay), where water shortages are rare. Awareness of the impacts of the dams was more pronounced in Malaga, coupled with a higher willingness to pay for reconnecting rivers. Social awareness of both impacts and services provided by dams and reservoirs may depend on local climate and water security; different dam acceptance emphasizes the need to involve local citizens in the decision-making processes about water management.

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Cost-Benefit Analysis of Dam Projects: The Perspectives of Resettled and Non-resettled Communities

Cited by 8 publications

References 25 publications

An applied framework for assessing the relative deprivation of dam‐affected communities

An applied framework for assessing the relative deprivation of dam‐affected communities

Hydropower benefit-sharing and resettlement: A conceptual review

Water security determines social attitudes about dams and reservoirs in South Europe

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