This report will be focusing Essay Example for Free

This report will be focusing Essay This report will be focusing on the different functional areas of a business, i. e. Administration, Finance and Human Resources Task 1 Functional Areas are the different areas of a firm. Each functional area has a different objective to the next. Sales will be the main turnover part of the business whereas Human Resources (HR) will be the hiring and firing of personnel. Marketing are in touch with the consumer and Finance take care of the money. The different areas include (but are not limited to): Human Resources, Marketing, Sales, Finance, and Administration (also known as Admin) And Customer Services. Task 2 This table shows which Department or Functional Area has the most importance and what they do Department Explanation Activities Importance Human Resources This functional area has the responsibility of using and developing the organisations personnel in the most productive way. Hiring and Firing, taking interviews. Making sure the employees are happy and, in some cases dealing with pay negotiations and dealing with strike situations Very Important as without HR there wouldnt really be any employees. Without happy employees, there could be strikes etc. Administration IT Services Administration provide the backup needed to run every other department, i. e. the day-to-day jobs Dealing with post, photocopying, dealing with visitors, telephone switchboard, IT Services Probably the most important as no other function can work without it, especially without IT support Finance Managing the money coming in and out, paying taxes and raising money for the business Handling money, paying the VAT man, handling taxes Very important the CEO would get indicted for not paying VAT and Tax Marketing Sales. Finding out what products customers need and advertising the products to them Advertising and selling the product to the customers Very important as without selling your goods you wont have any income Customer Services Looking after customers requirements and dealing with their complaints Contacting customers and being contacted about returns, advice, complaints and enquires Probably the least important as once youve sold your product you dont really need any further contact with the consumer Task 3 Charlton Athletic FC Human Resources. One specialist personnel officer who is responsible for all aspects of training, recruitment, interviews and development. Managers of all departments also have a responsibility for some aspects of various personnel issues. Payroll section responsible for paying all departments Finance Each department has its own budget and must meet all costs from this. Departments may request emergency funds if the budget is overspent Administration Each senior manager has his/her own Personal Assistant. Everyone does their own administration. The admin dept. also has the I. T. department within Marketing 3 Departments who deal with the marketing and sales aspect of the firm Marketing Department This department deals with sponsorship and selling stadium boxes to the public for matches Communications Dept. This department designs and updates the website, also they design, write and print brochures and matchday programmes Public Relations (PR) The PR dept. deals with player appearances to the press, they deal with all press enquiries and arranging player interviews on T. V. and Magazines Charlton also have a Schools Visit Programme in which they visit schools in Kent and South-East London to further the Charlton reach. Customer Services Charltons Customer Services department doesnt actually exist. Complaints are dealt individually with by the manager of each department. Chartlon apparently take complaints very seriously. Big complaints may be dealt with by the Chief Executive of Charlton himself. Any complaints not dealt with by the club may be handed to an independent inspector from the IFC (Independent Football Commission). Bromley Library Human Resources 42 people in total work in the Library which is down from last year The different roles include Group manager, Assistant Director of Education who is the chief librarian and Senior Customer Service Manager. You could argue that the Director of Education, Ken Davis is the head of the library There is a central HR section within the Education and Libraries dept. The HR dept. is mostly training and hiring new All Bromley Libraries put together get an average of about 2-3000 visitors a day so health and safety is important. There is an HS Executive who visits all the libraries and investigates certain problems Finance It is a legal requirement that Libraries cannot charge for books but libraries can charge money for videos, DVDs and CDs. Their funding includes New Opportunities grants (A Lottery Fund) and Government Grants. Administration This includes an IT repairman with a team of technicians who goes out to branches to sort out any IT problems Task 4 Internal Communication: Communication between the different functional areas and different people within the same functional area of the same company. External Communication: Communication to someone outside of the company, for example Banks, Suppliers, Customers, Shareholders, Stakeholders etc. Task 5 Type Of Comm. Explanation Advantage Disadvantage Verbal Conversation A real-life conversation between 2 or more people, face-to-face. Feels more personal, no technology that can fail and interrupt your conversation Someone can overhear your private conversation Telephone Conversation A conversation between 2 people on the telephone Can be private as it is only you and the other person that can hear Can get cut off, can be expensive Telephone Conferencing. A telephone conversation between more than 2 people Talk to you work colleagues when you are all in another country If one person gets cut off the conversation cannot continue without him/her. Expensive Meetings A formal meeting between important people in the firm. Usually no more than 10-15 people Meetings can be a useful place to share ideas You might not want to be in the same room as someone Video Conferencing The same as telephone conference but with a live video image of the person(s) you are speaking to. Video conversations can be made with a 3G (3Gigabit) phone or over the internet using MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger or Skype 2 Seeing your colleagues can be more personal and can feel like a meeting If one person wants to leave the entire conversation stops. Can be expensive Letters A formal external communication method between to groups Letters are always clear and to the point Slow to arrive and get lost on the post. Post is 29p Email is free Memos An internal form of letter, usually less formal Will always reach the person as it goes through internal mail Takes a long time to reply Email An electronic mail that can arrive in another part of the world in less than 3 seconds. Can be used for anything and does not have to be formal Can reach the other side of the world in around three seconds. Can be replied to instantly. Can be sent to more than one person instantly Sometimes too informal and can be lost on servers Fax A written document that is scanned and sent across phone lines A letter that can reach the other side of the world in seconds Can get lost on the phone lines. Document may not scan well. Black and white only Notices A kind of memo pinned to a notice board to inform the passers-by Notices can inform anyone about what is going on and it cannot be private May not reach the person(s) you want it to Skype and other VoIP applications It allows you to make free calls to other Skype users and very cheap calls to Landlines and Mobiles. Now, with Skype 2 you can add video to your conversation A cheaper alternative to making phone calls. The call is sent over your broadband connection so is quick and clear. No national or international charges You have to pay (albeit very little) for calls to landlines and mobiles   Aaron L. Lovegrove Page 1 09/05/2007 Page 1 of 7 Business Studies Unit 1 Functional Area.

Global Politics Essay Example for Free

Global Politics Essay Ethnic nationalism is formed by a group with members that may or may not exist within the boundaries of a single state, and yet can be categorized as a group of individuals that share a common ethnic national identity. The nations that practice nationalism share a common heritage, including a common faith, a common language, common ethnic ancestry and a common culture. The first stage in the formation of ethnic nationalism is a form of cultural and moral relativism. It is inspired by a sense of inferiority and resentment against societies (or social groups) perceived to be morally and culturally superior. The architects of such nationalisms begin by insisting on the plurality and equality of (national) cultures, with the fact of plurality being taken as a sign of value. Appeal of ethnic nationalism By the end of the nineteenth century, ethnic nationalism was already the most common type of nationalism in the world. The real meaning of nationalism has been confused by many people. People’s inability to distinguish between different types of nationalism and to perceive the close similarity between the ideologies of ethnic identity and ethnic nationalism, shows how natural it has become for us to think in terms of ethnic nationalism, how unproblematic, how legitimate its vision appears to us. Ethnic nationality is appealing to us because as compared to civic nationalism, it provides superior psychological gratification. It limits individual’s freedom, while at the same time relieves them of responsibility and offers a sense of tangible order. It offers the universal need, to live in a free society, where one may choose one’s identity. It is natural, what with the anomie and the disconcerting indeterminacy of one’s reality, to yearn for the comfort for the regulated world where one is never allowed more than what one can accomplish. It allows for one to be respected and the maintenance of his dignity is assured by his membership in the dignified community irrespective of his accomplishments. The experience of modernity, in other words, created as it is by nationalism, favors ethnic nationalism. (Goldmann etal 34-35) Ethnic nationality has also been promoted by the recent wave of democratization which has spread throughout the world alienation from increasingly impersonal, bureaucratic and centralized states; and the declining importance of class-based political parties and movements. Uneven economic development has often frustrated the desires of regionally based ethnic groups for educational and occupational mobility and an improved standard of living. In this light, ethnic nationalism can be seen as an attempt to maintain or to create a sense of identity and community in the face of the threat of cultural assimilation or cultural destruction. Ethnic nationalism is used by governments, including its use for elite manipulation, its involvement in situations of threat and defense, its relationship to relative economic deprivation and the interstate rivalries that feed on ethnic secession and irredentism for their own needs. Limits of ethnic nationalism On the other hand, ethnic nationalism is associated with several limitations. In the modern world, the rise of ethnic nationalism has often resulted in disruptive changes such as the disintegration experienced by several multiethnic states. As a result, it is incompatible with the idea of the state nationalism that seeks the convergence of territorial and political loyalty, irrespective of competing locus of affiliation, such as kinship, profession, religion, economic interest, race or even language. This may occur, for example, where the government forces the members of certain ethnic groups to agree to ethnic nationalism. For example, the officials of Pakistani present the country as one united nation with a common history, common culture and common religion. But various ethnic groups refuse to accept those lies and, despite a common religion, challenge them with the myths of their own distinct history, culture and language. Due to such reasons many people have sympathized with ethnic nationalism and said that it at least faces up to the negativity of the existing world. (Khan 25) Zhao Suisheng says that repression is not the only measure the state has deployed to retain ethnic minority areas. The role of the state, even the totalitarian state, has its limits. Ethnic nationalism has a resilience of its own; it cannot be easily dislodged from the minds of minority peoples by repression. The state may rewrite history as a means to colonize ethnic minorities and to control them through coercive policies. It can not however eliminate the historical memory of ethnic minorities. The inclusion of identity as a factor in ethnic nationalist should be considered. Many nations that support ethnic nationalism encourage its citizens to follow only one culture, leading to the loss of identity to many people in the country. Maintenance of people’s identity should be considered as it plays a key role in motivating ethnic nationalistic communities, and in explaining the shared goals among the members. While identity is important in explaining the shared goals within an ethnic nationalist community, other factors such as homeland relationships should also not be overlooked. (Zhao Suisheng 79) Question two Multilateralism Multilateralism is a term used in international relations to refer to many countries working jointly on certain issues. There are several principles and features of multilateralism, which it follows for the sake of its effective operation, such as defending human rights, promoting free trade and globalization, conserving the environment and encouraging freedom of movement to mention but a few. Although all the aforementioned principles are set for the good of multilateralism, they may either weaken or strengthen it as an approach to finding solutions to global problems. Principles and features of the international system affecting multilateralism Human rights Multilateralism encourages the leaders of its member countries to consider the humanitarian needs and the human rights of the citizens first, before their personal interests. It also encourages them to maintain good relations with other countries. This is especially the case when it comes to political instability. Due to multilateralism, international organizations have offered help to the member countries, for example, in cases of political instability. On the other hand, politically stable countries have helped the politically unstable ones to regain peaceful relations. This shows the role of multilateralism as a good approach to resolving problems affecting several countries. For example, the United Nations played a big role in the recent fight between Israel and Gaza. A report by the United Nations accused the Israeli troops of abusing the human rights. The troop was accused of human rights violations such as shelling a building they had ordered the civilians to enter, using a Palestinian child as a human shield during fighting in Gaza, shooting Palestinian children among many others. The United Nations was at the fore front of urging the two countries to settle their differences and observe peaceful relations. Globalization and free trade Multilateralism encourages globalization. Globalization is defined as the sense of wide spread international movement. It implies a higher place of organization, where discrete international entities dissolve, so that all major political and economic decisions are transmitted globally. It sees the death of boundaries encouraging free trade; in this sense, it is seen as a factor strengthening multilateralism as the preferred approach for resolving global problems. Globalization has been of utmost performance in reducing barriers to trade in both goods and services and capital flows. Occurrence of unhampered trade has not only caused maximum economic welfare for the participating states, but has also caused peaceful relations among states. No single country is completely self-sufficient in terms of its consumer needs, such as food. Multilateralism has therefore been able to balance the two aspects; it has provided a market for the big producers of consumer products, while satisfying the consumer needs for the people in the low producing countries. Health Multilateralism involves and encourages the movement of people from one country to another. It has seen the movement of people among nations, resulting to immigration. Immigrants find their way in an environment that is new to them due to several reasons such as wars, the search for a better life and famine among many other reasons. Multilateralism has given people the freedom to move to foreign countries and easily acquire passports, work permits and other documents required for one to settle in the country. However, this movement has seen crowding in the developed nations, as the people from the third world struggle to find ways to migrate to the developed nations. It has also resulted to the spread of diseases from one nation to the other. Many of the people who migrate as refugees are not screened for dangerous or contagious diseases. They spread diseases from their home countries to the foreign country. A good example was the spread of diseases that happened in the 20th century is spread of Ebola by Uganda immigrants to the neighboring countries like Kenya and Tanzania, and the spread of small pox by immigrants form Congo. Environmental conservation One of the principles of multilateralism is to oversee environmental conservation, especially today, when global warming has been declared a global environmental crisis. It’s well known that multilateralism encouraged the developed countries to establish industries in the developing countries. However, in doing this, it has accelerated the rate of global warming in the developing countries. Initially, the developing countries have little levels of global warming. When the multinational companies in the developed nations establish subsidiaries in the developing nations, they accelerate global warming through the increased emission of the green house gases to the atmosphere, and increasing chances acidic rain. This, not only poses health risks to the people in the developing nations, but is also a cause for the destruction of their crops as most of them rely on farming. Even though multilateralism intends to encourage environmental conservation and the development of the third world countries, it ends up encouraging global warming indirectly. Works cited 1) Khan Adeel. â€Å"Politics of identity: ethnic nationalism and the state in Pakistan. † SAGE, 2005. Pg 25 2) Goldmann Kjell, Hannerz Ulf, Westin Charles. â€Å"Nationalism and Internationalism in the Post-Cold War Era† New York: Routledge, 2000. Pg 34-35 3) Hider James, UN accuses Israeli troops of Gaza human right abuses; Times Online. 3/24/2009, retrieved on 4/17/2009 from http://www. timesonline. co. uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5962905. ece 4) Zhao Suisheng. A nation-state by construction: dynamics of modern Chinese nationalism. Stanford University Press, Beijing; 2004. pg 79

Temsas Global Product Strategy Marketing Essay

Temsas Global Product Strategy Marketing Essay Q1: Discuss the product strategies of Temsa Global in 1984 and in 2009. Ans: Temsa Global, when it began manufacturing operations for buses and coaches on 1984, was selling the products only under the name of Mitsubishi motors. Licensing and distribution agreements were signed by both the companies. The company could only manufacture the products which were designed by Mitsubishi and then could distribute them. And still today, Temsa Global performs operations such as the sales, services and spare parts for Mitsubishi passenger cars, the panel van as well as the pick-up light commercial vehicles, to support its licensing and distributorship agreement with Mitsubishi. But at that point of time, Temsa was not a brand in itself because it was not selling any original products under its name. Since 2003 however, when the Temsa RD and Technology Inc. was incorporated, the company has gradually shifted its product strategy. This shift in the strategy was mainly owing to the experience that the management had in the manufacturing of products. As the result of t he amalgamation of that experience with the research and development results from the sister company Temsa RD and Technology Inc., Temsa was successfully able to create products under its brand name and create a brand name for them in the Europe in the automobile industry. This helped them to gain a substantial market share as the new products were so designed that there was a reduction in the production costs. Hence, they were able to provide products to their target market at significant low prices. Also, with these new developments in the design, they were also effectively able to reduce the fuel consumption by the buses, which also helped them to gain a competitive advantage in the market. Temsa successfully used both the porter generic strategies to their best, by providing the same quality products at lower prices, hence the cost differentiation strategy, as well as providing the product with better benefits to the customers at reasonable prices-the product differentiation str ategy. (Temsa Global Official Website) Q2: What organizational changes are required to support the shift in strategy at Temsa Global? Ans: Since the company was earlier only manufacturing products whose designs were predefined, there was hardly any requirement for any sort of research and development facility. But in order to achieve the vision and the mission of the company, To Be A World Class Global Brand As A Commercial Vehicle Producer, Together, We Create Innovative Solutions For The Customers, and keeping objectives in line with the same, the company had to start developing its own branded product soon. Hence there is a requirement of infrastructure which will enable them to innovate, design new products for their customers. Also, there is a requirement of change in the organizational structure with the inception of the RD facility. This is because there has to be a top management to make right decisions at the right time, to have the greatest impact for the benefit of the organization. This top management is the one who should be accountable for every operation that is performed in the RD facility. Also, there would be a requirement of effective and efficient employees who need to be trained so that they can play their role in the organizations quest to achieve its vision and mission. Also, there is a requirement of the organization to focus on its budgeting strategies as there would be a need to spend more on the innovation and creativity. In order to meet the demands, needs and wants of a more-than-ever informed and changing consumer, and to fend off the competition (which keeps the organization on its toes else lose the market share to the competitors), it is necessary for a company to design and develop new products on a regular basis. Also, with the pace that the old technology becomes obsolete now-a-days and new technology always being at the doorstep, product development at a faster rate doesnt seem like a tough job. And more and more automation coming into the picture, even the manufacturing industry is availing the benefits provided by the mingling of Information Technology into everyday processes. Hence, sometimes there might be a requirement of retraining their employees to keep up with the technological advancements or at times, even replacing manually skilled workers. In every organization, whenever there is a change, there is always a resistance to change, so the top management has to take some steps which should ensure that this resistance should be at its minimum and the organization can take steps further and become closer to achieve its vision and mission. (Research and Development in the Automotive Industry, 2008) Q3: What are the possible advantages of investing in the RD center for advanced technologies? Discuss the implications considering the changing perceptions and demands of consumers. Ans: Investing, for any organization, is a tough decision, and a considerable amount of thought has to be put into the matter before an informed decision can be made. Sometimes companies opt for marketing research techniques to see if they can successfully make a decision. However, in a manufacturing industry, innovation and creativity plays a huge role in the development of the organization as a whole. Especially in an automobile industry, where fuel consumption is a big issue now-a-days, and the pollution measures, the eco-friendly initiatives by various organizations including the government, across the world, it is all the more necessary for an organization to constantly look for methods and way which can give them a competitive edge over the competition. The customers today are more careful about pollution and are more informed about measures to be taken to avoid pollution, and hence prefer eco-friendly vehicles. When travelling in buses and coaches, passengers want all the com fort they can and that too at a reasonable price, which can only be given if the coaches are constantly revamped, adding one thing or the other making them more customer satisfying. Also, the constantly reducing oil reserves across the world and subsequent rise in the prices make it more necessary for the customers to focus on fuel consumption as much as possible. There is a grave need to develop engines which can efficiently utilize the fuel and save as much as possible. RD centers today, are a common existence in almost all the industries across the world. If an organization invests in a RD center, it opens up a plethora of possibilities for itself. The RD efforts of the automobile industry are mainly centered on developing new and advanced technologies so as to manufacture an automobile which is not only environmentally compatible, but also economical for customers. RD centers can help them develop advanced  batteries which would require less re-charging; finding ways to produce bio-fuels for any type of engines, either diesel or gasoline. Q4: What should be the focus of Temsa Global in supporting its market driven product strategy and customized designs? Ans: Since Temsas strategy is on creating market driven products, it is necessary for them to focus on the customers needs and wants. They should conduct a market research amongst the target customers and based on the inferences made by the research, they should take a further decision. They should focus on customer satisfaction more than anything, because customer satisfaction is the buzzword today, in the industry. Management gurus have many-a-times said that in todays competitive world, the customer rules, and he is the king. The products should be made according to what the customer desires, only then can the product will be successful enough to provide opportunities for future growth of the company. The products should be constantly upgraded with new features and designs, which should entice the customers to buy the products. The company should follow an agile business strategy. To support the market-driven product strategy, Temsa Global should be aware of the market conditions , i.e. does the market have growth potential or not? They should also take into consideration the competitors, what they are trying to do, how they are trying to capture the market share and constantly strive to acquire new customers. To sum up, the product should me manufactured according to the market conditions, what is prevalent in the industry, will the customers like what is being sold to them and what is more likely to be purchased by the customers. Therefore, the main focus of the company has to be on the customers and their satisfaction. They should always provide distinct value proposition to the customers with their products. Then only the market-driven product strategy can work effectively. (Research and Development in the Automotive Industry, 2008)

Personal Narrative- Amazon Experience Essay -- Personal Narrative

Personal Narrative- Amazon Experience Being a curious little twelve year old who was eager to discover the world, when my father asked me back in 1997 if I wanted to travel to Colombia, I jumped on the opportunity. Little did I know just how much I would be discovering. Colombia held sights, sound, and smells that I had never experienced. Crowded city highways with no marked lanes, the stench of lead exhaust filling the overcrowded streets of the capitol, the freshness of the Andean Mountains filling the country air. The thought of Colombia brings a dozen images and adventures to mind. Out of all of these, however, there is one in particular which I shall never forget. It was one of the last mornings we were to spend in Colombia. My father and I flipped through the hotel’s visitors guide looking for ‘must see’ places to visit that day. â€Å"Take a tour of the Amazon jungle,† one of the ads said, â€Å"and see the beauties of nature that have inspired thousands of painters and authors who have visited this site.† My father and I met eyes. If we wanted adventure, this is where it could be found. That morning, while eating breakfast at a small, family-owned restaurant in the country, we joked excitedly of the adventurous possibilities. â€Å"I’ll bet there are some savage cannibals out there, my dad playfully suggested between spoonfuls of Changua. â€Å"Yeah right,† I remarked,† lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!† After getting both our hopes and stomachs full, my father and a departed for our great adventure. Prior to our arrival at the day’s main attraction, we stopped at a tiny souvenir store along the way. As my father and I searched the store for some final gifts to bring back home to friends and relatives, my eyes were captured b... ...man walking along side the driver’s window. â€Å"My daughter says it’s too warm down here and she’s not feeling well. We need to run around.† â€Å"Please let us go. Please let us go. Don’t tie us up. Just let us go,† I thought. â€Å"All right,† he said to my relief. â€Å"Do you know your way back, or would you like us to escort you?† he asked kindly. â€Å"We’ve got it. Thanks,† replied my dad. I breathed a sigh of relief once I reached the paved road again. Looking back now, I realize what a silly twelve year old I was. My father was most likely right. Those primitive looking tribal men were just tour guides trying to make a living. My cowardice and ignorance kept us from exploring the wonders of the Amazon- a once in a lifetime experience! Perhaps if I went back know, I would have a different attitude. In any case, however, this was an experience I’ll never forget.

Primary School Capers :: essays research papers

It seems so long ago now, since the mischievous days of mid-primary school. Since the days I never did homework, and was ever so surreptitious to avoid getting caught – well trying to anyway. And the days when my little ploys of â€Å"forgetting† to have done homework, were discovered in the most humiliating of ways. There was on specific day this happened, I can vividly remember. It was grade 3, half way through primary school, a time I never contemplated high school or my future, a time when the concept of homework was a joke. Like the facetious Hyena, I was in hysterical laughter at peoples’ earnestness toward school. But life is not without karma, as I now understand the importance of homework and schooling. Today school is about â€Å"ENTER† scores and getting â€Å"A+†. Back then it was about staying away from the â€Å"Goodie, Goodies†, who would always have the homework completed for question time the next day. â€Å"Goodie, Goodies† to us little â€Å"blokes†, were usually girls in the class, or a boy we considered to be a girl – a â€Å"pussy†. Why is it that the majority of human beings have a lackadaisical approach to school? All those cliched comments like â€Å"I hate homework† or â€Å"school sucks big time man†, reinforce a wide spread inclination to not do homework. Is that what it is, or is it all about image and ego to us â€Å"blokes† – earnestly trying to avoid the dreaded label: â€Å"Goodie, Goodie†. It is therefore not half-obvious why schools such as Camberwell Grammar experience horrific cases of school bullying. Occupied with maintaining our â€Å"tough† image, we â€Å"little tackers† never took heed to these important issues. Nor did we take heed to doing homework. During grade 3, our Math homework became accustomed to rotting away at the depths of our school bags, along with the mould ridden sandwiches and three-year-old bananas. One day â€Å"judge dread† (the teacher), was going through the homework question by question†¦ â€Å"Math books open at least nights homework† in what sounded like a vultures screech. I opened at some pretend page and stayed low key, whilst the teacher mercilessly pointed her finger around the room. It was terrifying as she always seemed to sense an â€Å"evader† in the room – her eyes a radar, and her finger a laser, ready to embarrass her victim at any moment. All the â€Å"Goodie, Goodies† held their fingers in the air back at the teacher, which seemed like some tribal link between teacher and â€Å"Goodie, Goodie† – it was the â€Å"Kripendorfs Tribe† of St.

Significance of Social and Economic Change in the USA Between 1898 and 1921 :: American America History

Significance of Social and Economic Change in the USA Between 1898 and 1921 Sweeping social and economic reforms that occur in any country at any time are always very significant. In relation to the United States of America (USA) during the period of 1898-1921, it is even more so. This period of time saw remarkable changes occurring both inside the USA, and in relation to the USA and the outside world as it became a global force. After the Spanish-American War, led by President McKinley, American ideologies, basically ignorant, capitalist and isolationist at heart, seemed to shift and do a 180 degree turn. This can be said as being signified by the accession of the political dogma of Progressivism, advocated by the next President Theodore Roosevelt, who believed in a 'Dirigisme' style of government. With Roosevelt came swift economical and business reforms, the Roosevelt coined 'Square Deal' is an example of the reforms he implemented, and the advent of the 'muckrakers', with their campaigns against malpractice in the corporate world and big business monopol istic power. William Howard Taft, the successor of Roosevelt, tried to follow this road with his attempts at reforming tariff protection, but inner party disagreements, and a split, in the Republican camp denied him the chance to do so. As the world, and America, edged closer to the First World War, we see that the United States had significantly revolutionised both socially and economically, especially assisted with the Democrat Woodrow Wilson as President, who reformed the country more than any other. However, as the Great War progressed and after its completion, we see a drastic reversal. A new US stepped out of the war, one where its people wore blinkers for thinking caps. As the era of Communist take-over fears, suffrage for women, prohibition and the 'roaring 20's' neared, isolationism, restricted immigration, and social, civil, and racial unrest had come to the forefront of American society's priorities. This period ended with the introduction of 'laissez-faire' economics, a swift turn-around from usual government methods used in the last 20 years. American society had once again done a 180-degree turn, back to 'normalcy', under the guidance of President Warren Harding. This original form of control and regulation in the country was a way in which the people repudiated all the years of hard work done by the progressives and others in the past in their attempts to make the USA a more friendly, safe, prosperous and free place to live in.

Good and Bad Dams

Latin America and Caribbean Region Sustainable Development Working Paper 16 Good Dams and Bad Dams: Environmental Criteria for Site Selection of Hydroelectric Projects November 2003 George Ledec Juan David Quintero The World Bank Latin America and Caribbean Region Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development Department (LCSES) Latin America and the Caribbean Region Sustainable Development Working Paper No. 16 Good Dams and Bad Dams: Environmental Criteria for Site Selection of Hydroelectric Projects November 2003George Ledec Juan David Quintero The World Bank Latin America and the Caribbean Region Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development Sector Management Unit George Ledec has worked with the World Bank since 1982, and is presently Lead Ecologist for the Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development Unit (LCSES) of the World Bank’s Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office. He specializes in the environmental assessment of development projects, wit h particular focus on biodiversity and related conservation oncerns. He has worked extensively with the environmental aspects of dams, roads, oil and gas, forest management, and protected areas, and is one of the main authors of the World Bank’s Natural Habitats Policy. Dr. Ledec earned a Ph. D. in Wildland Resource Science from the University of California-Berkeley, a Masters in Public Affairs from Princeton University, and a Bachelors in Biology and Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College.Juan David Quintero joined the World Bank in 1993 and is presently Lead Environmental Specialist for LCSES and Coordinator of the Bank’s Latin America and Caribbean Quality Assurance Team, which monitors compliance with environmental and social safeguard policies. He specializes in environmental assessment of infrastructure projects, mainly roads, hydropower, oil and gas, urban transport, and water supply and sanitation. He has received the Regional Award from the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) for promoting improvements in environmental impact assessments throughout Latin America.He is a civil engineer with postgraduate degrees in Environmental and Sanitary Engineering. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions in this document are those of the authors, and should not be attributed in any manner to the World Bank, its affiliated organizations, members of its Board of Executive Directors, or the countries they represent. This working paper series is produced by the Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development Sector Management Unit of the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office. Additional copies may be obtained from the authors or from LCSES Program Assistant Peter Brandriss ([email  protected] rg, or tel. 1-202-473-9379). Cover photos (clockwise from upper left): Loksop Dam, South Africa Guavio Dam, Colombia Yacyreta Dam, Argentina/Paraguay All photos by George Ledec ii Contents Acknowledgments †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. iv Foreword †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. v Executive Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ii Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 1 Adverse Environmental Impacts of Hydropower Development †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 Key Indicators of Likely Environmental Impacts †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 9 Overview of Environmentally Good and Bad Hydroelectric Dam Sites †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 13 Conclusions †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 17 Tables 1. Hydroelectric Projects: Adverse Impacts and Mitigation Options 4 2. Land Area Flooded and People Displaced in Large Hydropower Projects iii 12 Acknowledgments Doug Mason (consultant) compiled data on more than twenty completed Latin American hydroelectric projects; this information was very useful in our analysis of environmental and social impacts, mitigation measures, and site selection criteria.Several current and former World Bank Group staff members provided useful comments and much encouragement, including Alessandro Palmieri, John Briscoe, Teresa Serra, Tony Whitten, Robert Goodland, Tor Ziegler, Warren Van Wicklin, William Partridge, Maria Clara Mejia, Kristine Ivarsdotter, Mateen Thobani, Salman Salman, and A. J. Glauber. This paper also reflects the helpful comments provided by Dominique Egre and Gaitan Guertin (Hydro-Quebec), Jose Goldemberg (World Commission on Dams), and Paul Dulin. Peter Brandriss helped edit and prepare the report for publication. iv ForewordFew types of development projects arouse as much controversy as hydroelectric dams. Their often serious environmental damage has been amply documented within the past decade. Nonetheless, many countries, in Latin America and worldwide, rely upon hydroelectric dams for a major portion of their electric power. Electricity remains a key ingredient for improving the lives of poor people almost everywhere. In developing countries, rapid urbanization and continued population growth will ensure increased demand for electric power for decades to come, even with the most successful of demand management and en ergy efficiency measures.Energy planners in many developing countries are thus likely to continue seeing hydroelectric dams as a promising source of renewable electric power. This report provides important advice for substantially reducing the environmental damage from future hydroelectric dams (whether or not they receive World Bank Group financing) through good project site selection. Although the report’s conclusions are drawn primarily from a review of Latin American dams, its innovative methodology for dam site selection–based on robust environmental and social criteria and straightforward, quantitative indicators–should prove useful worldwide.The report also helpfully summarizes the environmental mitigation options for the improved operation of existing hydroelectric dams. As such, this report should be of considerable interest to people interested in hydroelectric dams, whether at the World Bank, other multilateral and bilateral development institutions, government agencies, private energy companies, consulting firms, environmental and other NGOs, and academia. This report is part of the LCR Sustainable Development Working Paper Series published by the Latin America and the Caribbean Region’s Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development Sector Management Unit (LCSES).This series seeks to disseminate the results of our analytical and operational work, present preliminary findings, and describe â€Å"best practices† with respect to major sustainable development issues facing the region. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in these papers are entirely those of the authors and should not be attributed to the World Bank, members of its Board of Executive Directors, or the countries they represent. John Redwood Director Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development Latin America and Caribbean Region The World Bank v Executive SummaryLarge dams vary considerably in their adverse environment al and related social impacts. From an environmental standpoint, there are relatively good dams and bad dams. While some large dams are relatively benign, others have caused major environmental damage. The severity of environmental impacts from a hydroelectric project is largely determined by the dam site. While dams at good sites can be very defensible from an environmental standpoint, those proposed at bad sites will inherently be highly problematic, even if all feasible mitigation measures are properly implemented.This paper provides a simple, yet robust, methodology for comparing proposed hydroelectric project sites in terms of their expected negative environmental impacts, and relating these to power generation benefits. The paper also summarizes the environmental mitigation options for large dams. If properly implemented, these mitigation measures can effectively prevent, minimize, or compensate for many (though not all) of a hydroelectric project’s negative impacts.Non etheless, the most effective environmental mitigation measure is good site selection, to ensure that the proposed dam will cause relatively little damage in the first place. The paper presents quantitative indicators (using data that are relatively easy to obtain) for rating and ranking proposed new hydroelectric projects in terms of their likely adverse environmental impacts. Projects with a small reservoir surface area (relative to power generation) tend to be most desirable from both an environmental and social standpoint, in part because they minimize natural habitat losses as well as resettlement needs.In general, the most environmentally benign hydroelectric dam sites are on upper tributaries, while the most problematic ones are on the large main stems of rivers. Power expansion planning should ensure that environmental criteria, of the type outlined in this paper, are given appropriate weight in hydroelectric project site selection. Many of the more problematic dam sites are best left undeveloped, because the environmental or related social impacts are likely to be unacceptably high. In those cases, other power generation technologies are likely to be more environmentally desirable.Conversely, hydroelectric dams at good sites (with relatively low adverse impacts) and with effective implementation of proper mitigation measures are likely to be more attractive from an environmental standpoint than the most likely power generation alternatives. vii Introduction 1. Large hydroelectric dams are among the most controversial of all types of development projects. They have been the focus of much criticism of the World Bank and other international financing agencies. The â€Å"large dams† debate is often highly polarized.Critics of large hydroelectric projects point to a wide range of negative environmental and related social impacts, from the destruction of unique biodiversity to the displacement of vulnerable human populations. Defenders of large dams n ote that they are often the economically least-cost source of electric power available, especially to large urban centers; they are a renewable electricity source; and most other power generation technologies also imply significant adverse environmental impacts. 2.Worldwide, many countries rely upon hydropower for a substantial portion of their electricity. In developing countries, rapid urbanization and continued population growth will ensure increased demand for electric power for decades to come, even with the most successful of demand management and energy efficiency measures. Electricity remains a key ingredient for improving the lives of millions of poor people throughout the developing world. Energy planners in many countries are likely to continue seeing hydroelectric dams as a promising, renewable source of electricity.Major recent international initiatives–including the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 2002), World Water Forum (Kyoto, 2003), Wo rld Commission on Dams (1997-2002), and the ongoing Dams and Development Project of the United Nations Environment Program–have reaffirmed the commitment of many governments and international agencies (including the World Bank) to hydropower development, but in a manner which fully reflects modern environmental concerns. 3. In this context, it is important to remember that all large hydroelectric dams are not alike.Large hydroelectric projects vary tremendously in the extent of their adverse environmental and related social impacts. (In this paper, we define large hydroelectric dams as those with 10 megawatts or more of installed generating capacity, to distinguish them from small or micro-dams which generate power on a smaller scale. ) For example, the 500–megawatt Pehuenche Hydroelectric Project in Chile flooded only about 400 hectares of land (with minimal damage to forest or wildlife resources) and has had no water quality problems.By contrast, the Brokopondo Dam i n Suriname inundated about 160,000 hectares of biologically valuable tropical rainforest and is known for serious water quality and aquatic weed problems, while providing relatively little electric generating capacity (only 30 megawatts). 4. We conducted a review of more than twenty completed hydroelectric dam projects in Latin America, along with several well-known projects from other regions. Our study found that some large dams are relatively benign, while others have caused substantial environmental and related social damage.This paper provides a methodology for easily comparing proposed hydroelectric project sites in terms of their expected adverse environmental impacts, relative to their power generation benefits. The technical criteria and quantitative indicators in this paper should be viewed as complementary to 1 2 LCR Sustainable Development Working Paper No. 16 the broader and often more process-oriented advice of other recent reports on dams, including the 2000 Dams and Development report of the World Commission on Dams.This paper’s recommendations are fully compatible with the World Bank’s Water Resources Sector Strategy, although this paper provides more technical detail regarding specific environmental impacts, mitigation options, and site selection criteria. Adverse Environmental Impacts of Hydropower Development 5. The range of adverse environmental and related social impacts that can result from hydroelectric dams is remarkably diverse. While some impacts occur only during construction, the most important impacts usually are due to the long-term existence and operation of the dam and reservoir.Other significant impacts can result from complementary civil works such as access roads, power transmission lines, and quarries and borrow pits. Table 1 summarizes the adverse environmental and social impacts associated with dams and reservoirs, along with the typical kinds of mitigation measures often proposed (and, less often, effective ly implemented). 6. Our analysis indicates that with properly implemented mitigation measures, many of the negative environmental and related social impacts of hydroelectric projects can be reduced to very acceptable levels.As outlined in Table 1, mitigation measures can effectively prevent, minimize, or compensate for most adverse impacts, but only if they are properly implemented. In our review of Latin American hydroprojects, we found wide variation in the extent to which environmental mitigation measures were planned, budgeted, and actually implemented. 7. Moreover, for some types of negative impacts, at some project sites, the available mitigation measures—even when properly implemented—are inherently unsatisfactory.Examples of adverse environmental impacts which occur at some hydroelectric projects and cannot be fully mitigated include (i) irreversible biodiversity loss, if critical natural habitats not occurring elsewhere are submerged (or left dry) by the dam; (ii) fish passage facilities frequently cannot restore the pre-dam ecological balance of a river, in terms of species composition or fish migrations; and (iii) some cultural property (including sacred sites) cannot be adequately salvaged prior to reservoir inundation. 8.Thus, because mitigation measures are often not fully implemented, and are sometimes inherently inadequate, the single most important environmental mitigation measure for a new hydroelectric project is good site selection, to ensure that the proposed dam is will be largely benign in the first place. In the following summary of typical adverse environmental impacts and corresponding mitigation options, it is important to keep in mind that all these types of impacts can be either avoided or minimized through good project site selection. 3 4Note: All of these impacts can be avoided or minimized by good dam site selection, the single most important environmental measure. Environmental Impacts Mitigation Options Impacts o f the Dam and Reservoir Flooding of Natural Habitats Some reservoirs permanently flood extensive natural habitats, with local and even global extinctions of animal and plant species. Very large hydroelectric reservoirs in the tropics are especially likely to cause species extinctions (although such losses are only infrequently documented due to the lack of scientific data).Particularly hard-hit are riverine forests and other riparian ecosystems, which naturally occur only along rivers and streams. From a biodiversity conservation standpoint, the terrestrial natural habitats lost to flooding are usually much more valuable than the aquatic habitats created by the reservoir. One occasional exception to this rule is that shallow reservoirs in dry zones can provide a permanent oasis, sometimes important for migratory waterfowl and other terrestrial and aquatic fauna.To offset the loss of natural habitats to reservoir flooding or other project components (such as borrow pits), one or more compensatory protected areas can be established and managed under the project. If an existing area is protected â€Å"on paper† only, a useful project option is to strengthen its onthe-ground protection and management. The area protected under the project should ideally be of comparable or greater size and ecological quality to the natural area lost to the project.Under the World Bank’s Natural Habitats Policy, hydroelectric and other projects should not be sited where they would cause the significant conversion or degradation of critical natural habitats that do not occur elsewhere (and, hence, cannot be adequately compensated). Loss of Terrestrial Wildlife The loss of terrestrial wildlife to drowning during reservoir filling is an inherent consequence of the flooding of terrestrial natural habitats, although often treated as a separate impact. Although they may be useful for public relations purposes, wildlife rescue efforts rarely succeed in restoring wild populati ons.Instead of drowning, the captured and relocated animals typically starve, are killed by competitors or predators, or fail to reproduce successfully, due to the limited carrying capacity of their new habitats. Wildlife rescue is most likely to be justified on conservation grounds if (a) the species rescued are globally threatened with extinction and (b) the relocation habitat is ecologically suitable and effectively protected. However, the money spent on rescue would usually do much more for wildlife conservation if it were invested in compensatory protected areas.The most effective way to minimize wildlife mortality in hydroelectric projects is to choose dam sites which minimize the wildlife habitat flooded. LCR Sustainable Development Working Paper No 16 Table 1. Hydroelectric Projects: Adverse Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Options Environmental Impacts Mitigation Options Involuntary Displacement Involuntary displacement of people is often the main adverse social impact of hydroelectric projects. It can also have important environmental implications, such as with the conversion of natural habitats to accommodate resettled rural populations.For physical displacement, the main mitigation measure is the resettlement of displaced populations, including new housing, replacement lands, and other material assistance, as needed. Success usually requires consultation and participatory decisionmaking by both the resettled and host populations (mandatory for World Bank–supported resettlement). Effective resettlement of vulnerable ethnic minorities is particularly challenging because some of these people are highly vulnerable to adverse social changes.Accordingly, the World Bank’s Involuntary Resettlement and Indigenous Peoples policies afford special consideration to these populations, specifying that, among other requirements, all viable alternative project designs should be explored before considering physical displacement for these groups. Fo r people who are not physically displaced but suffer an economic loss of livelihoods (based on fisheries, agricultural or grazing lands, river-edge clay for brick and tile production, or other resources), mitigation measures should involve the provision of replacement resources, new job training, or other income restoration assistance, as needed.Deterioration of Water Quality The damming of rivers can cause serious water quality deterioration, due to the reduced oxygenation and dilution of pollutants by relatively stagnant reservoirs (compared to fast-flowing rivers), flooding of biomass (especially forests) and resulting underwater decay, and/or reservoir stratification (where deeper lake waters lack oxygen).Water pollution control measures (such as sewage treatment plants or enforcement of industrial regulations) may be needed to improve reservoir water quality. Where poor water quality would result from the decay of flooded biomass, selective forest clearing within the impoundmen t area should be completed before reservoir filling. Downriver Hydrological Changes These adverse impacts can be minimized through careful management of water releases.Objectives to consider in optimizing water releases from the turbines and spillways include adequate downriver water supply for riparian ecosystems, reservoir and downriver fish survival, reservoir and downriver water quality, aquatic weed and disease vector control, irrigation and other human uses of water, downriver flood protection, recreation (such as whitewater boating), and, of course, power generation. From an ecological standpoint, the ideal water release pattern would usually closely mimic the natural flooding regime (although this may not be feasible for densely settled floodplains where flood protection is a high priority).Dams that generate baseload electricity are typically more capable of replicating near-natural downriver flows than those that produce peaking power (where daily water releases may fluctu ate sharply, often to the detriment of aquatic organisms that are adapted to less frequent flow changes). Environmental management plans for hydroelectric projects should specify environmental water releases, including for dams owned or operated by the private sector. Good Dams and Bad Dams 5Major downriver hydrological changes can destroy riparian ecosystems dependent on periodic natural flooding, exacerbate water pollution during lowflow periods, and increase saltwater intrusion near river mouths. Reduced sediment and nutrient loads downriver of dams can increase river-edge and coastal erosion and damage the biological and economic productivity of rivers and estuaries. Induced desiccation of rivers below dams (when the water is diverted to another portion of the river, or to a different river) kills fish and other fauna and flora dependent on the river; it can also damage agriculture and human water supplies.Mitigation Options Water-Related Diseases Some infectious diseases can sp read around hydroelectric reservoirs, particularly in warm climates and densely populated areas. Some diseases (such as malaria and schistosomiasis) are borne by water-dependent disease vectors (mosquitoes and aquatic snails); others (such as dysentery, cholera, and hepatitis A) are spread by contaminated water, which frequently becomes worse in stagnant reservoirs than it was in fast-flowing rivers.Corresponding public health measures should include preventive measures (such as awareness campaigns and window screens), monitoring of vectors and disease outbreaks, vector control, and clinical treatment of disease cases, as needed. Control of floating aquatic weeds (see below) near populated areas can reduce mosquito-borne disease risks. Fish and Other Aquatic Life Hydroelectric projects often have major effects on fish and other aquatic life. Reservoirs positively affect certain fish species (and fisheries) by ncreasing the area of available aquatic habitat. However, the net impacts are often negative because (a) the dam blocks upriver fish migrations, while downriver passage through turbines or over spillways is often unsuccessful; (b) many riveradapted fish and other aquatic species cannot survive in artificial lakes; (c) changes in downriver flow patterns adversely affect many species, and (d) water quality deterioration in or below reservoirs (usually low oxygen levels; sometimes gas super-saturation) kills fish and damages aquatic habitats.Freshwater molluscs, crustaceans, and other benthic organisms are even more sensitive to these changes than most fish species, due to their limited mobility. Management of water releases may be needed for the survival of certain fish species, in and below the reservoir. Fish passage facilities (fish ladders, elevators, or trap-and-truck operations) are intended to help migratory fish move upriver past a dam; they are usually of limited effectiveness for various reasons (including the difficulty of ensuring safe downriver passage for many adults and fry).Fish hatcheries can be useful for maintaining populations of native species which can survive but not successfully reproduce within the reservoir. They are also often used for stocking the reservoir with economically desired species, although introducing non-native fish is often devastating to native species and not ecologically desirable. Fishing regulation is often essential to maintain viable populations of commercially valuable species, especially in the waters immediately below a dam where migratory fish species concentrate in high numbers and are unnaturally easy to catch.Floating Aquatic Vegetation Floating aquatic vegetation can rapidly proliferate in eutrophic reservoirs, causing problems such as (a) degraded habitat for most species of fish and other aquatic life, (b) improved breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other nuisance species and disease vectors, (c) impeded navigation and swimming, (d) clogging of electro-mechanical equipment at dams, and (e) increased water loss from some reservoirs. Pollution control and pre-impoundment selective forest clearing will make reservoirs less conducive to aquatic weed growth.Physical removal or containment of floating aquatic weeds is effective but imposes a high and recurrent expense for large reservoirs. Where compatible with other objectives (power generation, fish survival, etc. ), occasional drawdown of reservoir water levels may be used to kill aquatic weeds. Chemical poisoning of weeds or related insect pests requires much environmental caution and is usually best avoided. LCR Sustainable Development Working Paper No 16 Environmental Impacts (table continues on following page) 6 Table 1.Hydroelectric Projects: Adverse Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Options (continued) Environmental Impacts Mitigation Options Loss of Cultural Property Cultural property, including archaeological, historical, paleontological, and religious sites and objects, can be inundated by reser voirs or destroyed by associated quarries, borrow pits, roads, or other works. Structures and objects of cultural interest should undergo salvage wherever feasible through scientific inventory, careful physical relocation, and documentation and storage in museums or other appropriate facilities.However, it is often not possible to replace the loss of, or damage to, unique or sacred sites which may have great religious or ceremonial significance to indigenous or other local people. Reservoir Sedimentation Over time, live storage and power generation are reduced by reservoir sedimentation, such that much of some projects’ hydroelectric energy might not be renewable over the long term. If effectively implemented, watershed management can minimize sedimentation and extend a reservoir’s useful physical life, through the control of road construction, mining, agriculture, and other land use in the upper catchment area.Protected areas are sometimes established in upper catchme nts to reduce sediment flows into reservoirs, as with the Fortuna Dam in Panama and the proposed Rio Amoya (Colombia) and Nam Theun II (Laos) projects. Aside from watershed management, other sediment management techniques for hydroelectric reservoirs may at times be physically and economically feasible; they include, among others, upstream check structures, protecting dam outlets, reservoir flushing, mechanical removal, and increasing the dam’s height.Greenhouse Gases Greenhouse gas releases from reservoirs can be reduced by a thorough salvage of commercial timber and fuelwood, although frequently this does not happen because of (a) high extraction and transportation costs, (b) marketing constraints, or (c) political and economic pressures not to delay reservoir filling. The surest way to minimize greenhouse gas releases from reservoirs is to choose dam sites that minimize the flooding of land in general, and forests in particular. table continues on following page) Good Dams and Bad Dams 7 Greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and methane) are released into the atmosphere from reservoirs that flood forests and other biomass, either slowly (as flooded organic matter decomposes) or rapidly (if the forest is cut and burned before reservoir filling). Greenhouse gases are widely considered to be the main cause of human-induced global climate change. Many hydroelectric reservoirs flood relatively little forest or other biomass.Moreover, most hydroprojects generate sufficient electricity to more than offset the greenhouse gases which would otherwise have been produced by burning fossil fuels (natural gas, fuel oil, or coal) in power plants. However, some projects which flood extensive forest areas, such as the Balbina Dam in Amazonian Brazil, appear to emit greenhouse gases in greater amounts than would be produced by burning natural gas for many years of comparable electricity generation. Mitigation Options Impacts of Complementary Civil Works Access RoadsNew acc ess roads to hydroelectric dams can induce major land use changes— particularly deforestation—with resulting loss of biodiversity, accelerated erosion, and other environmental problems. In some projects (such as Arun II in Nepal), the environmental impacts of access roads can greatly exceed those of the reservoir. The siting of any new access roads should be in the environmentally and socially least damaging corridors. Forests and other environmentally sensitive areas along the chosen road corridor should receive legal and on-the-ground protection.Road engineering should ensure proper drainage, to protect waterways and minimize erosion. Environmental rules for contractors (including penalties for noncompliance) should cover construction camp siting, gravel extraction, waste disposal, avoiding water pollution, worker behavior (such as no hunting), and other construction practices. See Ledec and Posas (2003) for details. Power Transmission Lines Power transmission line r ights-of-way often reduce and fragment forests; indirectly, they occasionally facilitate further deforestation by improving physical access.Large birds are sometimes killed in collisions with power lines, or by electrocution. Power lines can also be aesthetically objectionable. Power lines should be sited to minimize these concerns and built using good environmental practices (as with roads). In areas with concentrations of vulnerable bird species, the top (grounding) wire should be made more visible with plastic devices. Electrocution (mainly of large birds of prey) should be avoided through bird-friendly tower design and proper spacing of conducting wires.Quarries and Borrow Pits Quarries and borrow pits are used to provide material for construction of the dam and complementary works. They can considerably increase the area of natural habitats or agricultural lands that are lost to a hydroelectric project. To the greatest extent feasible, quarries and borrow pits should be sited w ithin the future inundation zone. Where this is not feasible, the pits should be rehabilitated after use, ideally for conservation purposes such as wetland habitats. Impacts of Induced DevelopmentAssociated Development Projects Hydroelectric dams often make possible new development projects with major environmental impacts, including irrigation, urban expansion, and industrial facilities (due to new water supplies). New development projects should be planned to minimize adverse environmental and social impacts. Environmental impact assessment studies should be carried out in the early stages of project planning; the resulting environmental mitigation plans should be fully implemented. Additional DamsThe construction of the first dam on a river can make the subsequent construction of additional dams more economical, because flow regulation by the upriver dam can enhance power generation at the downriver dam(s). The environmental impact assessment study for the first dam on any river should include a cumulative environmental assessment of the likely impacts of proposed additional dams on the same river system. Implementation of mitigation measures for cumulative (rather than dam-specific) impacts should be completed or well underway prior to construction of the second dam on the river. LCR Sustainable Development Working Paper No 16Environmental Impacts 8 Table 1. Hydroelectric Projects: Adverse Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Options (continued) Key Indicators of Likely Environmental Impacts 9. Before a dam site is chosen (with a project-specific environmental impact assessment), sector-level environmental analysis can rank potential sites according to their degree of environmental desirability. A sectoral environmental assessment (SEA) should be carried out prior to making major power sector planning decisions, especially in the comparison of hydroelectric and other power generation (and demand management) alternatives.However, even without a detailed SEA , it is possible to carry out a simple environmental and ranking of different hydropower sites using basic, often readily available technical data. There exist various quantitative, easily calculated indicators that can be used to estimate the extent of adverse environmental impacts for any proposed hydroelectric project. 10. This paper presents 13 quantitative, easily calculated indicators that we consider especially useful for hydroproject site selection from an environmental standpoint. These indicators have high predictive value for likely adverse environmental (and related social) impacts.The first nine indicators (A–I) use information that is normally easy to obtain from basic dam planning data, even without a separate environmental study. The other four indicators (J–M) are also very important in the environmental comparison of alternative dam sites, but involve data that may require further environmental (or resettlement) study to obtain. Indicator A (hectares of land inundated) is perhaps the single most useful one in predicting the degree of environmental damage, because this indicator is positively correlated with many of the others.From a social standpoint, the number of people requiring resettlement (Indicator J) is an especially important. A. Reservoir Surface Area 11. The area flooded by the reservoir is a strong proxy variable for many environmental and social impacts (Goodland, 1997). A large reservoir area implies the loss of much natural habitat and wildlife and/or the displacement of many people. Very large reservoirs are typically in the lowlands (often with tropical disease and aquatic weed problems) and usually impound larger rivers (with more fish and other aquatic species at risk).A very useful measure of environmental costs relative to economic benefits is the ratio of inundated hectares per megawatt (ha/MW) of electricity; it varies by four orders of magnitude for large power projects (see Table 2). The global average f or all large hydroelectric dams constructed to date (not just those in Table 2) is about 60 ha/MW (J. Goldemberg, pers. comm. ); it would be environmentally highly desirable for this average to be much reduced in future hydroprojects. B. Water Retention Time in Reservoir 12.Mean water retention time during normal operation (the shorter, the better) is very useful in estimating the extent to which reservoirs will have long-term water quality problems. This figure (number of days) is calculated as a function of reservoir volume (cubic meters) and mean river flow (cubic liters per second). 9 10 LCR Sustainable Development Working Paper No. 16 C. Biomass Flooded 13. Biomass flooded is calculated in tons per hectare based on the percent cover of different vegetation types in the reservoir area.For good reservoir water quality, dams should minimize flooding of forests (which have high biomass content). Flooding native forests also threatens biodiversity and releases greenhouse gases. D. L ength of River Impounded 14. To conserve aquatic and riparian biodiversity (including riverine forests), dam sites should minimize the length (kilometers) of river (main stem plus tributaries) impounded by the reservoir (measured during high flow periods). E. Length of River Left Dry 15. This measures the kilometers of river left dry (with less than 50 percent of dry season mean flow) below the dam, due to water diversion.The length of dried-up river bed (before the next important downstream tributary) should be minimized, due to the loss of fish and other aquatic life, damage to riparian ecosystems, and disruption of human water supplies, agriculture, and/or fishing. F. Number of Downriver Tributaries 16. The more (major, undammed) tributaries downriver of the dam site, the better, in terms of maintaining accessible habitat for migratory fish, the natural flooding regime for riverine ecosystems, and nutrient or sediment inputs needed for the high biological productivity of estuarie s. G. Likelihood of Reservoir Stratification 7. Stratification in a reservoir occurs when the lake’s upper zone (epilimnion) is thermally divided from the deeper zone (hypolimnion); the latter becomes stagnant and lacking in dissolved oxygen (anaerobic), thereby unsuitable for most aquatic life. A rapid estimate of stratification tendencies in a reservoir can be obtained with the Densimetric Froude Number (F). F can be calculated as: F = 320(L/D)(Q/V), where L = length of the reservoir (meters), D = mean reservoir depth (meters) (for which dam height can be a proxy), Q = mean water inflow (cubic meters per second), and V = eservoir volume (cubic meters). If F is less than 1, some stratification is expected, the severity of which increases with a smaller F. When F is greater than 1, stratification is not likely. H. Useful Reservoir Life 18. Useful reservoir life is the expected number of years before a reservoir’s dead storage is completely filled, so that further sedim entation reduces the live storage and curtails power generation. Dead storage comprises all reservoir water beneath the level of the intakes for the dam’s turbines; all of the water at or above this intake level is part of the live storage.Useful reservoir life is a function of dead storage and river-borne sediment loads. Useful reservoir life is a good indicator of the relative sustainability of electric power generation; it varies from less than ten years before dead storage is filled (such as the Paute Dam in Ecuador) to potentially thousands of years. In general, reservoirs with the longest useful life are relatively deep and situated on rivers with low sediment loads. Maintaining low sediment loads over time typically requires good watershed management. Good Dams and Bad Dams 11 I. Access Roads through Forests 19.Where the risks of induced deforestation are high, project siting should minimize the kilometers of required new or upgraded access roads passing through or nea r natural forests. J. Persons Requiring Resettlement 20. The number of people physically displaced by hydroelectric projects ranges from zero (e. g. Pehuenche, Chile) to over 50,000 in Latin America (e. g. Yacyreta, Argentina-Paraguay) and well over 1 million in Asia (Three Gorges, China). Dam siting should generally seek to minimize the number of individuals or households requiring resettlement from lands affected by the reservoir and complementary civil works.A useful measure for relating resettlement costs to hydropower benefits is the ratio of people displaced per megawatt (Table 2). Because of their usually greater vulnerability to social disruption, it is especially important to minimize the number of indigenous people with traditional land-based models of production who would require resettlement. K. Critical Natural Habitats Affected 21. It is important to know the number of sites and hectares of critical natural habitats that would be lost to inundation, borrow pits, or oth er project components.Critical natural habitats include existing and officially proposed protected areas, as well as unprotected areas of known high importance for biodiversity conservation. To comply with the World Bank’s Natural Habitats Policy, hydroelectric projects should not cause any significant loss or degradation of critical natural habitats. On the other hand, some hydroelectric projects imply very important conservation opportunities by providing a strong justification (sediment reduction) and financial resources needed for protecting natural habitats in upper catchment areas.L. Fish Species Diversity and Endemism 22. Fish species diversity is the number of species known from the project area, including the dam and reservoir site, as well as the downstream zone of project influence. Fish species endemism is the number of native species known only from the project area, or the river system where the project is located, and nowhere else on Earth. Dams are environment ally less objectionable if they affect rivers with a naturally low diversity and endemism of native fish species.In general, large, lowland rivers in warm (tropical or subtropical) climates have a high diversity of native fish and other aquatic organisms, while small rivers in cold (tropical highland or temperate) climates have relatively low diversity. Large, lowland rivers are also more likely to have significant seasonal fish migrations, which are effectively blocked by most dams. However, highland rivers and streams often have relatively high endemism in their fish fauna, especially if they are isolated from other rivers by waterfalls or other natural barriers.River segments with threatened fish species found nowhere else should be classified as critical natural habitats and, ideally, would receive permanent protection from dams or other potentially damaging civil works. However, dams and reservoirs in upper tributary rivers and streams need not threaten the survival of any ende mic fish (or mollusks, or other aquatic life) if they affect only an insignificant portion of the river area used by these species (see Indicators D and E); they should also be sited so as not to block important fish migrations. M. Cultural Property Affected 23.An indication of the cultural significance of the area to be inundated (or otherwise affected by the project) is the number (by type) of cultural (archaeological, historical, paleontological, or religious) objects or sites. It is important to note whether each type of cultural property at the project site is salvageable (totally, partially, or not at all). 12 LCR Sustainable Development Working Paper No. 16 Table 2. Land Area Flooded and People Displaced in Large Hydropower Projects Project (country) Arun II (Nepal) Pehuenche (Chile) Pangue (Chile) Guavio (Colombia) Tehri (India) Ghazi Barotha (Pakistan)Nam Theun-Hinboun (Laos) Ertan (China) Fortuna (Panama) Chixoy (Guatemala) Grand Coulee (United States) Three Gorges (China) Tarbela (Pakistan) Salvajina (Colombia) Zimapan (Mexico) Itaipu (Brazil/Paraguay) Victoria (Sri Lanka) Kararao/Belo Monte (Brazil) Aguamilpa (Mexico) Betania (Colombia) Urra I (Colombia) Mangla (Pakistan) Bakun (Malaysia) Ataturk (Turkey) El Cajon (Honduras) Ilha Solteira (Brazil) Guri Complex (Venezuela) Salto Grande (Argentina/Uruguay) Nam Theun II (Laos) Arenal (Costa Rica) Yacyreta (Argentina/Paraguay) Tucurui (Brazil) Narmada Sagar (India) Porto Primavera (Brazil)Churchill Falls (Canada) Khao Laem (Thailand) Kedung Ombo (Indonesia) Kainji (Nigeria) Pak Mun (Thailand) Cabora Bassa (Mozambique) Aswan High (Egypt) Nam Ngum (Laos) Sobradinho (Brazil) Kariba (Zambia/Zimbabwe) Balbina (Brazil) Akosombo (Ghana) Bayano (Panama) Kompienga (Burkina Faso) Brokopondo (Suriname) Installed capacity (MW) 402 500 450 1,000 2,400 1,450 210 3,300 300 300 6,494 18,200 3,478 270 280 12,600 210 8,381 960 510 340 1,000 2,400 2,400 300 3,200 10,300 1,890 1,086 157 3,100 3,980 1,000 1,815 5,225 300 2 9 760 34 2,075 2,100 150 1,050 1,260 250 833 30 14 30 Reservoir rea (hectares) 43 400 500 1,530 4,200 2,640 630 10,100 1,050 1,400 33,306 110,000 24,280 2,030 2,300 135,000 2,270 116,000 13,000 7,370 7,400 25,300 70,000 81,700 11,200 125,700 426,000 78,300 45,000 7,000 165,000 243,000 90,820 225,000 665,000 38,800 4,600 126,000 6,000 380,000 400,000 37,000 415,000 510,000 236,000 848,200 35,000 20,000 160,000 People displaced 775 0 50 4,959 100,000 899 0 30,000 446 3,445 10,000 >1,300,000 96,000 3,272 2,800 59,000 45,000 n. a. 1,000 544 6,200 90,000 9,000 55,000 4,000 6,150 1,500 n. a. 5,700 2,500 50,000 30,000 80,500 15,000 0 10,800 29,000 50,000 4,945