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Dams and Development Project (DDP)
[last updated January 19, 2007 7:40 AM]
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General Information
Partnership website(s) |
Expected TimeframeJuly 2002 - April 2007 |
Partners
Governments:
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Major Groups:
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UN System:
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Other intergovernmental organizations:
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Thematic Focus
Primary Themes:
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Secondary Themes:
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Geographic Coverage
Geographic Scope: Global
Country(ies) where the partnership is being implemented: Argentina, Germany, Indonesia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Uganda, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Viet Nam, Zambia |
National Focal Points
This partnership has not made any contact with the national focal points for sustainable development in the countries involved
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Goals and Objectives
Summary of the partnership's goals and objectives
To promote improved decision-making, planning and management of dams and their alternatives building on World Commission on Dams (WCD) core values and strategic priorities and other relevant reference materials. Through supporting multi-stakeholder dialogues at country-level, regional and global levels on improving decision making on dams and their alternatives with the aim of engaging all stakeholders with emphasis on governments,and producing non prescriptive tools drawing on all relevant existing bodies of criteria and guidelines for planning and management of dams and their alternatives, which can help decision makers.
Targets and Progress
Partnership targetsBy the end of Phase 2 (April 2007)
* Enlarge the partnership integrating new partner organisations * Ten national and regional dialogue activities or processes where the partnerships has been consulted or been active in supporting or facilitating them. * Five Dams and Development Forum meetings convened gathering the partner organisations. * Compendium on relevant practices on improved decision-making on dams and their alternatives edited. * Six issue-based workshops convened. * Convening of side events at main international meetings dealing with water, energy and sustainable development. * A further six initiatives to join the network in the second year. |
Progress against targetsThe multi-stakeholder Dams and Development Forum (DDF) has undergone enlargement since the WSSD (86 members) and now consists of 120 members, including governments, civil society and the private sector. Five DD Forum meetings have been convened (Nairobi, 8-9 July 2002; Geneva 25-26 September 2003; Nairobi, 17-18 June 2004; Nairobi, 6-7 October 2005; and Nairobi, 23-24 November 2006)
The DDP's Steering Committee has held 12 meetings. Dialogue activities have been facilitated in 13 countries and dialogue processes have taken place with different development in 5 countries. Four issue-based workshops have been convened. The Compendium on Relevant Practices is in its second stage of elaboration. Two side events have been convened (Kyoto 2003 and Bonn 2004). Three others are planned for 2006-7 Detailed information available in www.unep.org/dams |
Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
- Education/building awareness
- Institutional strengthening, including local participation
The DDP facilitates an exchange of experiences, case studies, tool and methodologies between nations. This is carried out through networking, national and global dialogue and compiling and disseminating examples of good and relevant practice.
* Networking and multistakeholder dialogue will raise the capacity of national multi-stakeholder initiatives to deal with re-examining their own water resource policies, including their environment and social development procedures, and determine the extent to which these policies require change.
* The Compendium on relevant practices and the web based database of examples and lessons learnt will facilitate countries to develop their own locally appropriate solutions and national reforms to improve decision-making, planning and management of water and energy resources.
* Dissemination via the internet, e-mail, newsletters, published articles and other documentation
Relationship to International Agreements on Sustainable Development
How the partnership contributes to the implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
The Project's objectives address cross cutting issues essential to achieve the International Development Targets agreed at the UN Millennium Summit, in particular, to halve by the year 2015 the proportion of people living in extreme poverty and the proportion of people which suffer from hunger and are unable to reach, or to afford, safe drinking water and to improve access to reliable, affordable, economically viable, socially acceptable and environmentally sound energy services and resources.
Nowhere are the difficulties posed by meeting targets of equitable and sustainable use and protection of the world's freshwater resources more visible than in dam projects. The conflicts of the past are a key challenge facing national governments, particularly in developing countries, which are striving towards sustainable development. Agenda 21, called for the protection of the quality and supply of freshwater resources through the application of integrated approaches to the development, management and use of water resources. It is now increasingly important to achieve these principles in meeting the UN Millennium Declaration targets.
The DDP relates directly to these challenges as it aims to support and link local, national and regional multi-stakeholder initiatives to improve decision-making, planning and management of dams and their alternatives. This integrated approach involving the social, environmental and economic dimensions of water and energy resource development has the potential to generate far-reaching and sustainable benefits. Relevant Sections of Agenda 21
Nowhere are the difficulties posed by meeting targets of equitable and sustainable use and protection of the world's freshwater resources more visible than in dam projects. The conflicts of the past are a key challenge facing national governments, particularly in developing countries, which are striving towards sustainable development. Agenda 21, called for the protection of the quality and supply of freshwater resources through the application of integrated approaches to the development, management and use of water resources. It is now increasingly important to achieve these principles in meeting the UN Millennium Declaration targets.
The DDP relates directly to these challenges as it aims to support and link local, national and regional multi-stakeholder initiatives to improve decision-making, planning and management of dams and their alternatives. This integrated approach involving the social, environmental and economic dimensions of water and energy resource development has the potential to generate far-reaching and sustainable benefits. Relevant Sections of Agenda 21
Combating poverty; Changing consumption patterns; Integrating environment and development in decision-making; Protection of the quality and supply of freshwater resources: application of integrated approaches to the development, management and use of water resources; Recognizing and strengthening the role of indigenous people and their communities; Strengthening the role of non-governmental organizations: partners for sustainable development; Transfer of environmentally sound technology, cooperation and capacity-building; Promoting education, public awareness and training; Information for decision-making
Relevant Sections of the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 Integration of economic, social and environmental objectives
Relevant Sections of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation Poverty eradication ; Changing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production ; Protection and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development ; Strengthening the institutional framework for sustainable development at the international level
Coordination and Implementation
Coordination Mechanism of the PartnershipIt is the Dams and Development Project (DDP), an initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) that has the mandate of improving decision-making, planning and management of dams and their alternatives through promoting multistakeholder dialogue and producing practical tools. A multi-stakeholder Steering Committee provides guidance on substantive matters and the DD Forum catalyses the multi-stakeholder dialogue at global level. The DDP will liaise with all the national partners and offer guidance to multi-stakeholder regional, national and subnational processes, workshops and dialogues and examples of good and relevant practice. National and regional dialogue facilitated by the provide avenues for coordination and capacity building.
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Implementation Mechanism of the PartnershipNational, regional and global multistakeholder dialogue activities. The DD Forum, the Steering Committee, issue base workshops and side events are the primary mechanisms for global dialogue together with networking and communication. Progress reports are published on a regular basis (bimonthly, annual, final). Updated information on specific activities is available via the internet - www.unep.org/dams. Proceedings from DD Forum meetings and Issue Based Workshops. Reports from the various partners is available on the DDP website and disseminated through the DDP newsletter at six monthly intervals. Publication of the Compendium on relevant practices. On-line inventory of policy/normative frameworks. Web-base database of examples and lessons learnt.
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Resources
Funding Currently AvailableAmount in US$: 2,5 million USD (Phase 2, Feb 2005- Apr 2007)
Source(s): Government
The following organizations have committed financial supports to the DDP. * Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (SIDA)(Phase 1 and 2) * Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany, (Phase 1 and 2) * Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)(Phase 1 and 2) * Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS), Netherlands (Phase 1 and 2) * Department of International Development (DFID), United Kingdom (Phase 1) * British Dams Society (BDS), United Kingdom (Phase 1) * GTZ (Phase 1) Specific activities * WB (Phase 1) Specific activities |
Non-financial resources availableType(s):
Source(s): Government
UNEP, Steering Committee members |
Funding SoughtRequired Amount in US$: not specified
Source(s) already approached:
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Non-financial resources soughtRequirement(s):
Source(s) approached and details:
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Additional Information
Additional Relevant Information
* The initial focus on promoting multistakeholder dialogue as a vehicle to improve decision making on dams and their alternatives was shifted to improve decision making as a goal through national, regional and global multistakeholder dialogue and the availability of non prescriptive practical tools as means to achieve the goal.
* Capacity building for enhanced planning and management of dams as well as strengthening of national and international normative frameworks is sought through dialogue and providing examples of good and relevant practices.
* While open dialogues inclusive of all stakeholder groups are a must to achieve broad based recommendations on policy and procedure reform, the involvement of governments in the process is fundamental to facilitate the implementation of the recommendations.
* The DD forum has proved to be an unique multistakeholder platform to advance the discussion of sensitive issues surrounding the dams planning and management and it has been useful to move forward the dams debate.
* The issue-framework-implementation approach adopted for the elaboration of the Compendium on Relevant Practices prove to be useful in addressing conflicting issues, placing them within proper institutional context and providing positive forward looking examples of relevant practice.
* Capacity building for enhanced planning and management of dams as well as strengthening of national and international normative frameworks is sought through dialogue and providing examples of good and relevant practices.
* While open dialogues inclusive of all stakeholder groups are a must to achieve broad based recommendations on policy and procedure reform, the involvement of governments in the process is fundamental to facilitate the implementation of the recommendations.
* The DD forum has proved to be an unique multistakeholder platform to advance the discussion of sensitive issues surrounding the dams planning and management and it has been useful to move forward the dams debate.
* The issue-framework-implementation approach adopted for the elaboration of the Compendium on Relevant Practices prove to be useful in addressing conflicting issues, placing them within proper institutional context and providing positive forward looking examples of relevant practice.