Verdensnaturfonden (WWF) benytter Den Internationale Vanddag fredag til at kritisere dæmningsprojekter – ny rapport fremhæver “syv synder” ved den slags giga-projekter verden over, som griber dybt ind i miljømæssige, sociale og økonomiske forhold. BERLIN 22 March 2013: In the WWF report, “Seven Sins of Dam Building,” numerous dam projects under construction or planned are given a failing review by the conservation organization. Aside from the internationally controversial Belo Monte (Brazil) and Xayaburi (Laos) dams, European projects, such as in Austria and Turkey, are also on the list. “Hangen til at bygge for enhver pris” The ‘seven sins’ outlined in the report include issues with dam location, neglecting biodiversity, environmental flows, social and economic factors, and risk analysis. WWF also notes that dam decisions often blindly follow “a bias to build” without considering better, cheaper, and less damaging alternatives. “Properly planned, built, and operated dams can contribute to food and energy security. Unfortunately, short-term interests are too often the focus of decision-making,” says Dr. Jian-hua Meng, Water Security Specialist for WWF. Strengere kontrol med projekter nødvendigt “In order to guarantee acceptable levels of social and environmental sustainability, dam installations and operations should be stringently checked against sustainability criteria as formulated under the World Commission on Dams or the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol. If necessary, insufficiently performing projects must be modified or halted,” added Meng. No sustainable outcomes can be expected when dam proponents rely on superior financial strength and political connections rather than on dialogue, transparency, and reason, says WWF. Additionally, some governments lack the capacity or independence to protect public interests. Man kan læse pressemeddelelsen og hente (donwloade) rapporten på http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?207997/WWF-exposes-seven-sins-of-dam-building Læs videre fra: ”Additionally, some governments lack the capacity or independence to protect public interests…”
