Background:
Hydropower is considered by some to be one of the best tools we currently have to produce clean energy, but at what cost? Since the 1960s, government and private sector interest in the production of several hydropower schemes in the Lower Mekong River’s mainstream has increased. More recently, a plan prepared by the Mekong Secretariat in 1994 was abandoned after public objection to the plan due to estimated effects on the river’s fisheries and the considerable number of people that would be adversely affected by the plans.
After this, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) signed a document in 1995 named the Mekong Agreement, which requires projects to be discussed amongst the four member countries, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Since 2006, interest has once again escalated with government and the private sector again interested in the investment of hydropower on the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB). This time, have granted approval for corporations to investigate 11 mainstream hydropower dams. The MRC consequently commissioned the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the proposed mainstream dams to attain a balanced outlook on the risks and opportunities of the project. The eventual goal of the SEA was to structure decision-making to gain the best result for the basin and countries involved. SEA was the method of assessment over Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) due to its larger boundaries in terms of space and subject coverage. This paper takes a critical stance on the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) that has been conducted on these projects.
The SEA was conducted for the (MRC), an intergovernmental agency that works directly with the governments involved to ensure that shared water resources a...
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...7010. Mekong River Commission, Bangkok.
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The author and his supporters have an incredibly resource full website that provides more information, over 1000 relevant articles, tools, assessments and more. You can dig in at www.performance-appraisals.org. No information, registration or costs required for this site.
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) entails a multifaceted appraisement of the possible aftermath caused by a project or action on the surrounding man-made and natural environment (Wood, 2003). This systematic process requires the involvement of all interested stakeholders in the process and the public, in order to achieve a widespread consent on the planned project and mitigation strategies proposed [European Commission (EC), 2014].
Mainly, impoundment hydropower, the creation of large reservoirs, covers all of these gains. The construction of dams has many perks to society. The opportunity for many outdoor sports and activities presents itself. For example, reservoir lakes bring boating, swimming, fishing, and more. Impoundment hydropower also allows for greater control over potential emergencies, like floods and water shortages (dams can be closed to save water). In rural areas, basins provide ready-access water for farmers to use for irrigation of crops. The pros of hydropower go far beyond climate
Erik Swyngedouw, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 103, No. 2, SPECIAL ISSUE: Geographies of Water (March 2013), pp. 261-270
"The Future of Hydropower." Macalester College: Private Liberal Arts College. Web. 03 Oct. 2011. .
Hydroelectric Power Plant is when electricity is generated when water in an uphill reservoir flows downhill. The gravitational potential energy of the water changes to kinetic energy of the flowing water which drives the turbines to generate electricity. The efficiency is more than 90%. The environmental impact is Floods large area and affects the ecology of the area, May cause drought downstream if not managed properly, does not cause ai...
... capacity. In some jurisdictions, there are few hydro projects that are not consider to be sustainable energy sources because of human and environmental effects, but depending on the sustainability used. (Lamb)
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Environmental management awareness rose up for last decades until today. So in managing and avoiding environmental degradation happen continuously, the are several policy and regulation formed from time to time. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) And Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is two of environmental protection that being implemented. Most country have the same policy but in own standard of control. These policy primary goal is to ensure the implementation and enforcement
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) refers to a tool that assists in limiting the potential environmental damage of various developments that are undertaken in an area (Handley & Handley, 2001). Other researchers and scholars consider EIA as a key aspect of many large-scale planning applications; whereby, the EIA is used as the technique that help developers understand the potential environmental impacts of any major development proposal (Wathern, 1988). EIA entails information gathering practice that is carried out by both the developer and other relevant bodies to enable the Local Planning Authority appreciate the potential environmental effects of any form of development before giving directions on its commencement or stoppage (Dougherty & Hall, 1995; Wathern, 1988). Therefore, EIA can simply be described as the scientific and public consultation process that helps identify the potential impacts of any proposed project on the environment; that is, the biophysical component of the physical environment.
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