Assessing the Environmental Impacts of Hydropower Projects (Environmental Earth Sciences)

Acknowledgements
Contents
Acronyms and Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
Part I Approach
1 Introduction
	1.1 Prologue
	1.2 Purpose and Scope
	1.3 Limitations
	1.4 My Experience
	1.5 Sources Used
	References
2 Different Ways to Look at Things
	2.1 Environment, Society and Economy
	2.2 Same Point, Different Points of View
	2.3 Islands in a Reservoir
	2.4 The Necessity to Understand
	References
3 Approach to ESIA
	3.1 Origins of Water Management
	3.2 The Early Days of ESIA
	3.3 The Main Actors, Stakeholders
	3.4 Structure
		3.4.1 Basic Structure of an ESIA
		3.4.2 Comparison of Different Approaches
	3.5 Team Composition
	3.6 The Bidding Process
		3.6.1 Preparation of an EOI
		3.6.2 Preparation of a Proposal
	3.7 Who Should Do ESIAs?
	3.8 The Use of Local Knowledge
		3.8.1 Local Experts
		3.8.2 Language
		3.8.3 Knowledge of the Local Population
	3.9 Purpose and Limits of ESIAs
	3.10 Comments to Reports
	3.11 Biased ESIAs
		3.11.1 Criticism of ESIAs: Cuts Both Ways
		3.11.2 Different Concepts
		3.11.3 Incompetence
		3.11.4 Under Pressure
		3.11.5 Three Cases
	3.12 Baseline: How Much Is Enough?
	3.13 A Multitude of IAs
	References
4 Dams, Reservoirs and Power Plants
	4.1 Main Characteristics of Dams and Hydropower Plants
		4.1.1 Types
		4.1.2 Cascades
		4.1.3 Interbasin or Transbasin Projects
	4.2 Project Stages
		4.2.1 Identification
		4.2.2 Pre-feasibility and Feasibility
		4.2.3 Detailed Design
		4.2.4 Implementation: The Construction Period
		4.2.5 Operation
		4.2.6 Decommissioning
	4.3 Standard Impacts of Dam Projects
	4.4 Good Dams and Bad Dams
		4.4.1 What Is Good or Bad?
		4.4.2 Efficiency Ratios
		4.4.3 Conclusions
	4.5 Why the Focus on Dams?
	References
5 Impacts
	5.1 What Is an Impact?
	5.2 Environmental Impacts
	5.3 Definition of “Impact” in ESIAs
	5.4 Assessment of Impacts
	5.5 Impacts in Stages of the Project Cycle
	5.6 The Problem of System Boundaries
	5.7 Monetising Impacts
		5.7.1 Cost–Benefit Analysis
		5.7.2 Willingness to Pay (WTP) Analysis
		5.7.3 Ecosystem Services
		5.7.4 Comparison of Expected Gains and Losses
		5.7.5 Conclusions
	References
6 Mitigation
	6.1 The Mitigation Hierarchy
		6.1.1 Avoiding
		6.1.2 Minimising
		6.1.3 Compensation
	6.2 Conflicting Issues
	6.3 Offset
		6.3.1 The Critical Habitat Concept
		6.3.2 The No Net Loss Approach
	References
Part II ESIA Preparation
7 Introductory Chapters to an Esia
	7.1 Introduction
	7.2 Legal and Administrative Framework
	7.3 Project Description
	7.4 The Study Area
	References
8 Physical Environment
	8.1 Climate
		8.1.1 Temperature
		8.1.2 Precipitation
		8.1.3 Evaporation
		8.1.4 Other Climatic Conditions
	8.2 Climate Change
		8.2.1 Baseline
		8.2.2 Effects of Climate Change on Hydropower Projects
		8.2.3 GHG Emissions from Reservoirs
	8.3 Air Quality and Noise
	8.4 Geology
		8.4.1 Geology of the Dam Site
		8.4.2 Geology of the Reservoir Area
		8.4.3 Seismicity and Dam Safety
	8.5 Soils
	8.6 Sediments and Sedimentation
		8.6.1 Prevailing Situation
		8.6.2 Impacts of Dams
		8.6.3 Measures
	References
9 Water
	9.1 Hydrology
		9.1.1 First Approach
		9.1.2 Prevailing Conditions
		9.1.3 Project Impacts
	9.2 Hydrogeology
	9.3 Water Quality
		9.3.1 The Parameters: What, How Much and Why?
		9.3.2 Baseline
		9.3.3 Impacts
		9.3.4 Mitigation
		9.3.5 Monitoring
		9.3.6 Importance of Qualification
	References
10 Biological Environment
	10.1 Terrestrial Vegetation
		10.1.1 Baseline
		10.1.2 Impacts
		10.1.3 Mitigation
	10.2 Terrestrial Fauna
		10.2.1 Baseline
		10.2.2 Impacts
		10.2.3 Mitigation
	10.3 Fish
		10.3.1 Baseline
		10.3.2 Main Impacts
		10.3.3 Interruption of Rivers
		10.3.4 Change from River to Lake
		10.3.5 Additional Potential Impacts on Fish
	10.4 Disease Vectors and Water Related Diseases
		10.4.1 Main Vectors and Diseases
		10.4.2 Risks During the Construction Period
		10.4.3 Risks During Operation
	10.5 Biodiversity
		10.5.1 What Is a Species?
		10.5.2 Why Conserve Biodiversity?
		10.5.3 Endemic Species
		10.5.4 Exotic and Invasive Species
	10.6 Protected Areas
	References
11 Human Environment
	11.1 Conflicts Over Land Use
	11.2 The Farmer’s View
	11.3 Caught in the Limbo: Project Delays
		11.3.1 Bumbuna
		11.3.2 Bujagali
		11.3.3 Rogun
	11.4 Victims and Profiteers: Dealing with People
	11.5 The Most Vulnerable of All: Poor People
	11.6 Gender Issues
	11.7 Ethnic Minorities
	11.8 Cash Compensation
	11.9 Impacts on the Spiritual World
	References
12 The ESMMP
	12.1 EHS Management: The Contractor’s Responsibility
	12.2 Off-Site Measures: The Owner’s Responsibility
	12.3 Monitoring: A Shared Responsibility
	References
13 Decommissioning
	13.1 ESIA and Dam Decommissioning
	13.2 The Replacement of Rheinfelden HPP
	13.3 Rehabilitation
	13.4 Removal of Dams
	References
14 Comparison with Alternatives
	14.1 Direct Project Alternatives
		14.1.1 Different Dam Sites
		14.1.2 Different Project Layout
	14.2 The No-Project Alternative
	14.3 Different Sources of Energy
		14.3.1 Comparison
		14.3.2 Fossil Fuel
		14.3.3 Wind Farms
		14.3.4 Solar
		14.3.5 Combination
		14.3.6 Nuclear
	References
Part III Specific Issues
15 Access Roads
	15.1 Impacts of Roads on Natural Habitats
	15.2 Main Impacts of Access Roads
	15.3 Mitigation
	References
16 Reservoirs as Habitats
	16.1 Reservoirs Types
	16.2 Reservoirs and Lakes
	16.3 Vegetation, Floating Plants
	16.4 Fish
	16.5 Plankton
	16.6 Benthos
	16.7 Birds and Mammals
	References
17 Reservoir Stratification
	17.1 Thermal Stratification Process
	17.2 Oxygen Stratification
	17.3 Impacts
	17.4 Assessing the Impact
	17.5 Mitigation
	References
18 Downstream Impacts
	18.1 Main Types of Impacts
	18.2 Floodplains
		18.2.1 Main Characteristics
		18.2.2 Floodplain Dynamics
		18.2.3 Effects of River Regulation on Floodplain Ecosystems
		18.2.4 Case Studies
		18.2.5 Measures
	18.3 Spray Zones
	References
19 Transboundary and Cumulative Effects
	19.1 Transboundary Impacts
		19.1.1 Definition of International Waterways
		19.1.2 The Problems
		19.1.3 TBIA: Transboundary Impact Assessment
		19.1.4 Solutions to Transboundary Issues
		19.1.5 River Basin Organisations
	19.2 Cumulative Impacts
	References
20 Residual or Ecological Flow
	20.1 A First Step
	20.2 Rules for Calculation
	20.3 Modern Scientific Approach
	20.4 Guidelines and Models
		20.4.1 How Much Good?
	References
21 Dam Projects: Pro and Contra
	21.1 Controversial Projects
		21.1.1 The Aswan High Dam
		21.1.2 Three Gorges HPP
	21.2 Sustainability of Hydropower
		21.2.1 The Concept of Sustainability
		21.2.2 Combination with Other Renewable Energy Sources
		21.2.3 The Times They Are A‘Changin’
		21.2.4 Towards Defining Hydropower Sustainability
	21.3 Wrong Arguments
		21.3.1 Cry Wolf
		21.3.2 The Risk in Using Models
		21.3.3 Earth Rotation
		21.3.4 The Kingfisher
		21.3.5 The Jaguar and the Reservoir
	References
Part IV Case Studies
22 Mekong Basin
	22.1 Short Overview
	22.2 The Mekong Cascade
	22.3 Nam Theun 1
	22.4 Don Sahong
	22.5 Mekong—Tonle Sap
	References
23 Rogun: Water Scarcity in Central Asia
	23.1 Background
	23.2 The Project
	23.3 Transboundary Impact
	23.4 The Amu Darya Basin
	23.5 The Aral Sea
		23.5.1 Development in the Twentieth Century
		23.5.2 Impacts on Aral Sea Biology
		23.5.3 Prospects for Saving the Aral Sea
		23.5.4 Problems with Water Allocation
	23.6 The Role of Dams on Vakhsh River
	References
24 Impoundment and Reservoir Development
	24.1 Lom Pangar
	24.2 Nam Ngiep 1
	References
25 HPPs in High Mountain Areas
	25.1 Mauvoisin Dam Heightening and Mauvoisin II: Talking with NGOs
	25.2 Pamir 1
	References
26 Bad Dams?
	26.1 Projects in Protected Areas
		26.1.1 Ayago Nile
		26.1.2 Sutjeska National Park
		26.1.3 Ivindo National Park, Gabon: Kongou HPP
	26.2 Palas Valley, Pakistan
	26.3 Ilisu
		26.3.1 The Project
		26.3.2 My Involvement
		26.3.3 Project Development and Conclusions
	26.4 Lower Bosna Cascade
	References
27 Epilogue: Whither Dams?
	27.1 A Future for Hydropower?
		27.1.1 Growing Energy Demand
		27.1.2 Remaining Potential
		27.1.3 Increasing Resistance
	27.2 Improving ESIA
		27.2.1 The Weaknesses of ESIA
		27.2.2 The Formalist and the Pragmatist
		27.2.3 Improving the Process
		27.2.4 Institutional Strengthening, Capacity Building and Training
		27.2.5 Introducing Alternative Processes
	27.3 Improving Implementation
		27.3.1 The Result Is Important
		27.3.2 Minimising Impacts on Rivers
		27.3.3 You Get What You Pay For
		27.3.4 Communication
	References
Annex A TOC for an EIA