Sustainable infrastructure
WWF Bolivia's role regarding sustainable infrastructure
In the Upper Watershed of the Madeira River, WWF Bolivia supports the research and dissemination of technical information related to the possible impacts that may be generated in Bolivian territory by the construction of the Jirau and San Antonio dams on the Madeira River in Brazil. These efforts are undertaken aiming at providing inputs for involved local actors to influence decision makers towards minimizing negative impacts and ensuring sustainable energy infrastructure in the Bolivian Amazon.
WWF Bolivia has identified the need to carry out research studies that will allow local stakeholders to lobby in favor of minimizing the environmental and social impacts of the Madeira River dams about to be built in Brazil.By doing so, WWF premise that development in the area is necessary and unavoidable. With this, the main objective of the studies is to contribute to this fair and expected development to be reached in a sound manner, specially considering enough elements not to jeopardize the ecosystem and its use irreversibly for future generations.
Finally, through the dissemination of the studies' results, we expect all actors to be able to jointly explore the pros and cons, supporting an informed and democratic decision making process through a productive and transparent dialogue that harmonizes the multiple interests involved.
In summary, we are led by no other objective than supporting the achievement of a sustainable and sound development in the Bolivian Amazon, by offering responsible technical information in order to support decisions that are well founded and supported by a democratic and participatory frame.
Background: The Madeira dams
As of 2001, the Brazilian government made evident its intentions of constructing a hydroelectric energy complex on the Madeira River for generating power as part of IIRSA (Initiative for the Regional Integration of South America). The objective of the latter is to produce energy for the region as well as for the inter-connected Brazilian system, in addition to promoting regional navigation along 4,225 Km. The Project consists in:- the construction of four dams: Jirau and San Antonio on the Brazilian side, Guayaramerin as a bi-national undertaking and Cachuela Esperanza in Bolivia
- the dams will allow for floodgates to operate which would make possible the navigation of the Madeira River and its tributaries, which implies eliminating an area of rapids that would “interrupt” navigation
- the operation of ports on the hydrovia for the Madeira-Guaporé-Beni-Madre de Dios Rivers (Brazil-Bolivia-Peru).
In view of the fact that the licenses awarded by the government of Brazil for the construction of the dams did not consider potential ecological, socio-economic and environmental impacts in Bolivia, the Bolivian government reacted as well as those sectors of civil society potentially affected.
The Bolivian Amazon’s fishing economy could be affected by the imminent construction of dams
A recent study carried out by the NGO FaunAgua, in collaboration with WWF, and presented to a high level governmental commission, gave convincing results in terms of the possible impacts that could be caused by the Jirau and San Antonio dams - on the Madeira River in Brazil - on the fishing economy and food security of the inhabitants of the Bolivian Amazon.
The study reports that in the Amazon fish are a part of the diet for approximately 950,000 people in Bolivia, and that roughly 155,000 people living along river banks in the Departments of Beni, Pando, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba and La Paz carry out subsistence fishing. It also gave information on the existence of some 16,000 commercial fishermen who generate USD 4,000,000 annually (approximately 3,200 metric tons annually from commercial fishing). The study goes on to indicate that the current fishing activity barely represents 10% of the fishing potential in the Bolivian Amazon and could represent up to 0.3% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).The species of Amazon fish that are currently targeted for commercial fishing are Prochilodus nigricans, catfish (Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum), cod (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum) and red belly pacu (Piaractus brachypomus). Of these commercially fished species, 80% are migratory; in other words, they first migrate up river (from Brazil to Bolivia) to spawn and then return in the opposite direction to develop. In spite of a system which is supposed to allow the fish to pass through the dams, this migration – vital to the survival of these fish – will be reduced by the dams which will be obstacles in their migratory habits.
The final recommendations of the study bring attention to three fundamental aspects:
- National hydro-electric energy policies should take into consideration not only economic aspects, but also ecological and socio-cultural aspects as well;
- The dams should be placed above the range of the migration of fish; and
- Smaller dams have less of a socio-cultural and environmental impact in comparison to larger dams, such as those planned for Jirau and San Antonio on the Madeira River.
