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Special
Reports/Water Crisis |
Lives and rights at risk: Water sector
development
By Zubaida
Birwani
Dams are built to control floods and to store water for
hydropower, agriculture, industrial and drinking purposes.
But in the second half of the last century, many questions
were raised on building of large dams because of their
social and environmental impact. These large reservoirs have
displaced at least 40-80 million people in different parts
of world.
 People world wide are committed to caring for their rivers
and believe in finding the best ways to produce and
distribute electricity. They think that access to water is a
basic human right and must be a core principle guideline for
any development.
The World Commission on Dams (WCD) has studied these
divergent views and perspectives and recommended alternate
options. And hence arises the need to define and explore
these alternates.
According to WCD, five principles govern the entire process.
As per the evidence presented in the Global Review, these
are: equity, efficiency, participatory decision-making and
sustainability and accountability.
THE WCD REPORT BOILS DOWN TO THIS: world wide, large dams
have not provided benefits, which were promoted and were
predicted by the proponents of large dams. Negative impacts
of large dams have been far greater then imagined.
The outstanding social and environmental problems associated
with existing dams need to be addressed; and that the rights
of all people especially indigenous people, must be
respected and risk must be fairly analysed and publicly
discussed for thousands of people who are expected to lose
their fisheries and other livelihoods and specially because
they have never been consulted to assess potential risks
they would be subjected to in the short and long-term.
LIVES AND RIGHTS AT RISK: In the context of Pakistan, the
affected people are involuntary risk takers, who have been
provided no opportunity to participate in decisions
affecting their lives. Indus Delta and Chashma Right Bank
Canal may be referred to as examples.
INDUS DELTA: Indus Delta is home to centuries old indigenous
communities. These people have universally recognized rights
over the Indus River. According to the law of the land, they
posses constitutional right to be consulted before starting
any water project on Indus River.
The National Resettlement Policy aims to ensure full
consultation and participant with indigenous people. Fisher
folk of the delta have historical and traditional rights on
Indus River, but they are not even recognized as affectees
of large dams.
Indigenous communities are totally ignored in the
decision-making process regarding dam development. People
have suffered due to big dams constructions as they have
paid huge cost of ecological disaster.
The situation will become more alarming owing to further
dams building on Indus River. The community will be exposed
to further risks due to such project. Further decrease in
the water flow to the Indus delta and increased displacement
of communities from there is aggravating situation.
RIGHT BANK CANAL: In the specific case of Chashma Right Bank
Canal, project proponents have ignored the communities and
trespassed their rights without paying any compensation to
them.
Rights of not only the present generation but of future
generations in regard to land, water and pastures. flow;
Moreover, the compensation process has been in total
violation of the laws of the land.
In case of Chashma Right Bank Canal, while land acquisition
for construction of the project began in 1995, the formal
process of notification was initiated in December 2001.
Construction of the project resulted in various forms of
disruptions in the lives of local communities, including
disintegration of support networks such as disabling of
Rowed-kohi (traditional irrigation) system.
Hence in Pakistani context, experience of large reservoirs
and dams have been largely against guidelines and proposed
values of the WCD. Public sector projects in water sector
have been designed and executed completely even without
ceremonial participation of stakeholders. Thus these
projects have benefited only privileged classes at the cost
of marginalized, and voiceless and uprooted communities.
The worst-hit in such a disruption are women, although women
play very significant role in managing natural resources.
Being food providers, they interact with natural resources.
In Pakistani context, women are actively involved in water
sector related activities such as agriculture, fishing and
livestock such as, agriculture harvesting, net making
shrimps peeling, nets cleaning, cattle grazing etc which is
the major contribution towards their house incomes.
However women have never been part of any pre-project
consultation and decision making in this regard.. Though the
list of rights of communities' at risk is endless, the most
important of such rights them are given below:
* Downstream people have historically recognised rights on
natural flows such as Indus River and Roewd-Kohi, which
become increasingly at risk with every new reservoir
constructed at upstream.
* People have constitutional right of consultation in regard
to their water projects on Indus River as recognized in the
National Resettlement Policy).
* Fisher folk have historical fishing right which is
directly dependent on flow of Indus River.
* People possess property rights which no one can deprive
them against their will. In large reservoir projects, this
right is often risked and violated.
* People have historical rights on natural endowment in
their areas such as lakes, ponds, and pastures. These
natural resources are often inundated or left dry due to new
reservoirs. Resettlement and money cannot compensate this
loss.
* People have legislative right to participate in
decision-making. But there is no provision to include
potential affectees in decision-making process.
* Women have right to fully participate in entire process
(e.g. according to National Resettlement Policy affected
women should be ensured equal access to all income
restoration programme by maximum involvement of women).
RISKS: The following are the risks, most frequently observed
in large reservoir projects:
* Water projects are designed and executed without proper
consultation and thus become non-participatory; new
reservoirs decrease fresh water flow to downstream areas
such as delta; more increased displacement from project
sites and downstream areas; additional communities loose
their natural means of livelihood; new developments unfold
new conflicts among communities due to dwindling resources;
indigenous community face specific cultural and social risk
(inflow of new cultural groups from affectees or
beneficiaries) due to large sale development projects;
fragile eco-systems are exposed to variety of risks such as
inundation and desertification; beneficiaries' lobbies
temper laws and rules in their favour to execute large
projects thus leaving communities politically deprived from
right of participation in decision making.
All viable options should be properly explored before opting
for large reservoirs and dams. Energy and irrigation
development should not be carried out at the cost of
livelihood and natural endowment of communities.
Courtesy :
The DAWN
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Pakissan.com;
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