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36. Improved livelihoods through dam management

Full Title:

Improved Planning of Large Dam Operation: Using Decision Support Systems to Optimize Livelihood Benefits, Safeguard Health and Protect the Environment

Download project proposal [PDF 113Kb]

In its report, the World Commission on Dams (WCD) called for the inclusion of all identified stakeholders in the planning and management of water resources stored in reservoirs and a more equitable distribution of the benefits to be gained from dams. This requires a new approach to the planning and management of dam operation.

The wise and sustainable use of the water stored in a reservoir requires consideration of a large number of complex and interrelated issues and poses intricate technical and political problems.
Optimizing reservoir releases must take account of water uses upstream and downstream of the dam, including water supply, agriculture (i.e., irrigation and livestock), fisheries and power- generation requirements, as well as the requirements of communities dependent on the natural resources of downstream ecosystems, the needs of aquatic habitats and possible health impacts.
It is necessary to consider not just physical factors, but also socioeconomic issues. However, in any specific situation, the relationships between physical and socioeconomic dynamics are not well understood. In such situations, the quality of the decision-making process is critical to the sustainability of decisions made. There is a need for tools that facilitate both stakeholder participation and informed decision making by clarifying the likely consequences of different management options.

Decision support systems (DSS) can help structure decision processes and support analyses of the consequences of possible decision choices. Modern DSS can promote an understanding of system dynamics and facilitate the communication of information to people without technical abilities, so that they can participate more fully in the decision-making process. This project, undertaken over a 4-year period, will investigate the applicability of linking tools/methods for social appraisal/stakeholder involvement and modern DSS in the management of reservoirs. The key questions to be answered by the research are: Which DSS are most appropriate for planning and managing the complexity of large dam operation? How are these DSS used most effectively to ensure successful participation and assess the costs and benefits of different options for all stakeholders?

An evaluation will be made of modern DSS and their applicability to planning large dam operation. The most appropriate DSS will be tested through implementation in two case studies one in each of the Nile and Limpopo basins. The case studies will enable the DSS to be “field- tested” and will provide insight into the modalities of stakeholder involvement in the planning process. On the basis of experience gained, guidelines on the use of DSS and incorporation of stakeholders within the planning and management process of dam operation will be disseminated.
The project will increase understanding of the application of innovative tools and methods for improved water resources planning. By facilitating the optimization of the mix of benefits to be gained from large dams the ultimate beneficiaries will be both people with reservoir-dependent livelihoods and people with downstream river-dependent livelihoods.