International Symposium "Evaluation of the Environmental Impacts of Large Hydroelectric Dams in Tropical Regions: The case of the Madeira River"

Aware that Bolivia and Brazil have been developing research regarding the possible economic, social and environmental impacts as a result of the construction of dams on the Amazon watershed, and in particular the Madeira River watershed, the Hydraulic and Hydrology Institute of the San Andrés Main University (IHH/UMSA La Paz), the Institute for Research for Development (IRD France) and WWF, the global conservation organization, are organizing a meeting of experts with the objective of exchanging results obtained from research and propose recommendations for the technical-environmental evaluation to be carried out for this type of infrastructure. The Symposium will cover three central themes:

• State of knowledge in the region
• Biophysical and socio-economic impacts of the proposed dams on the Madeira River watershed
• Evaluation systems for environmental impact and hydrological management.

The Symposium will be held in the city of La Paz, Bolivia, on May 19th – 20th, 2009, at the Capitolio, Av. Arce Nr. 2519, Plaza Isabel La Católica.

We take this opportunity to invite you and your organization to participate in this event. Please confirm your participation via email to: manez@wwfbolivia.org or by phone (+591) 76600919 (Ms. Marcela Añez, Infrastructure Officer, WWF Bolivia).

Background
The increasing demand for water to produce electricity, irrigation and general household use combined with the availability of this resource makes South America one of the most active regions worldwide in terms of the construction of dams. Other factors, such as the possible consequences of global climate change, could very well influence the pace at which dams are built, more so if we consider their capacity in regulating the flow of water and lessen droughts or floods

The full report produced by the World Dam Commission (WDC, 2000) highlights the important role of dams in terms of human development, but also mentions that in many cases they have generated a cost that is “unacceptable and frequently unnecessary in social and environmental terms”. Several countries in Latin America are contemplating the construction of dams, in both Andean regions as well as in low land areas, which, beyond their economic relevance, could produce significant socio-environmental and ecological impacts in its watershed and hydrological systems. The fact that most of South America is located in a tropical area and that many of its rivers and watersheds are international, emphasizes the need for extensive, in-depth environmental impact studies, which in many cases can not be limited to a national scope.

The use of hydrological resources in the framework of integral water management is a challenge from a political, technical and scientific standpoint. However, evaluating the direct and indirect environmental impacts of large dams in tropical regions is yet still a scientific challenge, because in many cases the information to support an evaluation is weak due to a lack of knowledge regarding many of the processes, or because of a lack of modeling methods and tools appropriate for the tropics.

Objective
The projects to build hydroelectric dams on the Madeira River, the Amazon’s greatest tributary and one of the world’s largest rivers, is of great public interest and for which environmental evaluation is critical for debate, yet at the same time reveals weaknesses. In view of this reality, the main objective of this scientific Symposium will be to present the available data and evaluation methodologies that could be applied on the Madeira River and its tributaries. It is hoped that a discussion will be initiated regarding the evaluation methods for environmental impacts of dams on large tropical rivers.


For further information: Jorge Molina, IHH/UMSA: jmolina_ihh@acelerate.com