Mikiyasu Nakayama

Successes and Failures of International Organizations in Dealing with International Waters

Abstract Conflict among riparian countries prevents them from making the best use of their shared water resources. A modality is needed in the global community to deal with international water bodies in a much better way. International organizations are expected to serve as a mechanism to mitigate conflicts among riparian countries. However, international organizations have so far achieved very limited success in acting in such a role. An international organization could act flawlessly as a mediator in a transboundary water system only when some critical conditions are met. This paper aims at delineating some prerequisites for international organizations to be successful in their involvement in an international water system. Four cases where international organizationshave either succeeded or failed in dealing with transboundary water issues, were reviewed. It was found that the following critical conditions need to be met for international organizations to succeed in their involvement in international wa...

Contextual algorithm adapted for NOAA-AVHRR fire detection in Indonesia

A widely cited contextual algorithm for fire pixel detection was applied to NOAA-AVHRR data of Indonesia acquired during the severe fire season of 1997. The contextual algorithm tended to underestimate the number of fire pixels. Many fire pixels which could be identified visually in AVHRR band 3 imagery were missing in the output of the contextual algorithm. Through experimentation with the data. the authors were able to developed two alterations to the original algorithm to enhance the accuracy of fire detection in the Indonesian context. The enhanced algorithm was made capable of detecting fire pixels that the original algorithm failed to identify.

Reconstruction of the livelihood of resettlers from the Nam Theun 2 hydropower project in Laos

The Nam Theun 2 (NT2) hydropower project displaced 6738 people from 17 villages and 1298 households. This research focuses on four resettlement villages. Household interviews were conducted to learn more about variations in living conditions, traditions and culture in the villages that were relocated independently compared to villages in which relocation had merged older villages together. The case study suggests that most resettlers wanted to remain exclusively with their own village members. However, it was impossible for every village to have its own resettlement location given the scarcity of the land and resources in the resettlement areas. As a result, some villages were merged with other villages in the newly developed resettlement villages. On a different note, the NT2 project provided superior compensation for the resettlers when compared with other similar projects in Laos. However, the NT2 project had insufficient land resources to satisfy the agricultural needs of the resettlers and thus created a situation where the livelihood of the villages will not be sustainable when the project concludes its support for the resettlers.

Resettlement Issues of Cirata Dam Project: A Post-project Review

Forced population displacement caused by dam construction has been regarded as the most serious issue of water resources development. Nevertheless, the best practice is still not yet established. This paper aims to examine the performance of the involuntary resettlement scheme applied to the Cirata Dam project in Indonesia to obtain clues for improvement. Aquaculture development in the reservoir succeeded in creating new jobs for resettlers. Most resettlers ended up with less farmland than they had previously owing to the increase in land price. The land-for-land compensation scheme is preferable to cash compensation. Participation of resettlers in the planning and implementation of the resettlement scheme still had room for improvement. Some intermediate mechanism, between villagers and those implementing the resettlement scheme, should be devised. More careful and streamlined efforts should have been made as regards the secondary development of the project, so that those displaced could enjoy the benefits.

Post-project Review of Environmental Impact Assessmentfor Saguling Dam for Involuntary Resettlement

Abstract It is imperative to refine the EIA methodologiesapplicable to dam construction projects. The aim of this study is to seek clues to this end by carrying out a post-project review of the EIA study conducted for the Saguling Dam in Indonesia. The following aspects were found to have been improperly dealt with either in the EIA study or during the implementation of the project: (a) collapse of the community; (b) improperly conveyed information for resettlers; (c) distrust among residents; (d) employment by construction project; and (e) compensation for resettlers. Recommendationsare made on each of these items to improve the methodologies.

Study on Feasibility of the WCD Guidelines as an Operational Instrument

The feasibility and applicability of the 26 guidelines proposed by the Dams and Development report of the World Commission on Dams are examined. There is much room to enhance these guidelines in order to make them an operational blueprint, in particular for the following major issues: (1) clarification of the background; (2) clarification of the role; (3) examination of the maturity of methodologies; (4) provision of technical standards; (5) clarifications of relations between guidelines; (6) consideration of enforcement; and (7) consideration of the independence of the impact assessments. Only six of the guidelines are considered to be ready (or ready in certain countries) for implementation as they stand.

Water and post-conflict peacebuilding: introduction

Water resources assume a unique and varied role in post-conflict recovery and peacebuilding. This article examines the ways in which water, sanitation and infrastructure play an integral role in meeting basic human needs, maintaining public health, supporting livelihoods at the household and community level, and in fostering economic recovery and long-term sustainable development in wars aftermath. Drawing upon the case studies presented in this special issue on water and post-conflict peacebuilding, we find that there is a need for a more nuanced, coordinated, participatory, and conflict-sensitive approach to managing water resources in the post-conflict context.

Improving methodologies for transboundary impact assessment in transboundary watercourses: Navigation Channel Improvement project of the Lancang-Mekong River from China-Myanmar Boundary Marker 243 to Ban Houei Sai of Laos

This paper analyzes the factors underpinning transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) methodologies through an examination of the Navigation Channel Improvement Project of the Lancang-Mekong River from China-Myanmar Boundary Marker 243 to Ban Houei Sai of Laos. A comparison of the projects expected and reported transboundary impacts shows that the EIA failed to predict a number of adverse impacts, including social and economic impacts. The restricted scale and scope of the transboundary impact assessment (TIA) is probably due to certain fundamental restrictions on how the EIA was conducted. The case study highlights the importance of public involvement (including advance notification) and adequate regulatory frameworks or guidelines in the EIA and TIA processes.

Compensation Schemes for Resettlers in Indonesian Dam Construction Projects

Abstract The performance of previous involuntary resettlement schemes for dam construction projects leaves much to be desired. The question to be asked is whether the present policy of development aid agencies is appropriate for countries where more dams will be built. This study examines the applicability of Japanese “soft technologies” to determine whether the existing policy is really instrumental in mitigating impacts. The study was carried out through analysis on Saguling and Cirata dam construction projects on the island of Java, Indonesia, in which 3,038 and 6,300 families were resettled, respectively. The emphasis of resettlement plans for these dams was on transmigration and aquaculture. The following findings were made: land-for-land policy was not fully met; transmigration schemes did not work as planned; resettlers failed to enjoy the benefits from aquaculture development fully due to the high capital needed; employment by dam construction projects was limited; and insufficient capital and tra...

Assessing the Assessments: Improving Methodologies for Impact Assessment in Transboundary Watercourses

Transboundary impact assessment (TIA) has become an important environmental management tool, particularly where a project may have transboundary impacts. With the growing practice of TIA, it becomes important to consider the accuracy of the transboundary impact assessments that are being conducted. If TIA is a planning tool designed to provide a basis for making an informed decision, does it actually provide the necessary information? This paper summarizes lessons learned in pilot testing a methodology to assess the accuracy of TIAs.