Energy: United Nations Symposium on Hydropower and Sustainable Development
27-29 October 2004

The United Nations Symposium on Hydropower and Sustainable Development, which took place in Beijing from 27-29 October 2004, was jointly organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the World Bank, and the National Development and Reform Commission of People’s Republic of China. Some 500 participants, 111 of them international, from 44 countries, participated. They included Government representatives and experts, representatives of the private sector, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations, who participated actively in the meeting

The Symposium concluded with the adoption by consensus of the Beijing Declaration on Sustainable Development. Reflecting three days of in-depth discussion, the Declaration states that there is a need to develop hydropower that is socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable.

AIDE MEMOIRE

REPORT

(to be added)

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

PROGRAMME

(For detailed programme click here)

Wednesday 27 October - Opening Session
 

Opening Addresses
 

Mr. Zhang Guobao, the Vice-Chairman, National Development and Reform Commission, China (Chinese only)
 

Mr. Kui-Nang Mak, Chief, Energy and Transport Branch Division for Sustainable Development, UNDESA (address delivered on behalf the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs)

Mr. David Dollar, Country Director for China, World Bank
 

Plenary Session 1: Strategic Importance of Hydropower for Sustainable Development
 

Keynote Addresses

The sustainability imperative – Hydropower as a renewable energy source
Hon. Peter Rae, Director, International Hydropower Association

Hydropower and Sustainable Development in China (background paper)
Mr. Lu Youmei, Academician, Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chairman of Chinese National Committee on Large Dams

Key Issues and principles for hydropower and sustainable development
Hon Daudi Migereko, M.P., Minister of State for Energy and Mineral Development, Kampala, Uganda

Scientifically Exploiting Hydropower Resource to Promote the Sustainable Utilization of Water Resources and the Sustainable Development of Economy and Society
Mr. Suo Lisheng, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Water Resources, China

Hydropower and development – an international perspective
Mr. John Briscoe, Senior Water Advisor, World Bank

Current State and Countermeasures of Hydropower Environmental Protection in China (Chinese only) (background paper - English; Chinese)
Mr. Zhu Xingxiang, Director General, Department of Environmental Evaluation, State Environment Protection Administration, China
 

Lunchtime Addresses

Three Gorges Project and Sustainable Development of Yangtze River Basin
Mr. Lin Chuxue, Vice President, China Yangtze Three Gorges Project Development Corporation
 

Keynote address by Dr. Bernard Zoba, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Commission of the African Union (English; French)
 

Plenary Session 2: Hydropower and Sustainable Development- The Way Forward

Future of China’s Hydropower: Speeding up development and sustainable development

(background paper - English; Chinese)
Mr. He Gong, Vice President, Chinese Society for Hydroelectric Engineering, President of China Huadian Corporation

Hydropower and sustainable development – Overview on best practices and the way forward
Mr. Jean-Etienne Klimpt, Consultant, World Bank

Sustainable hydropower guidelines, compliance standards and certification
Andrew Scanlon, Environment Manager, Hydro Tasmania, Australia

The role and prospects for hydropower development in Africa
Mr. Michel Claude Lokolo, Deputy Director, Ministry of Energy, Yaoundé, Cameroon

The way forward for hydropower development: Perspectives from India

Mr. Yogendra Prasad, Chairman and Managing Director, National Hydroelectric Power Corporation, New Dehli, India (presentation)

Perspectives and Strategies for hydropower development in Brazil
Mr. Francisco Gomide, Brazil (former Minister of Mines and Energy)

Hydropower and Sustainable Development in Nujiang River Basin (Chinese only)
Mr. He Liuzhong, Vice Chief Executive, Nujiang Li Su Nationality Autonomous Region, Yunnan Province, China

Hydropower in the Russian Federation: Development and prospects
• Mr. Viacheslav Y. Sinyugin, Board Member, Joint Stock Company “Unified Energy System of Russia (RAO UES), Moscow, Russian Federation

Key challenges for the future: Financing dams and sustainable development
• Mr. Alberto Calcagno, UNEP/DPP, Nairobi 

Concluding summary on Plenary Session 2 - brief statements from the floor
• 4 statements from representatives of developing countries (Armenia, Colombia, Nepal, Zambia )
• 2 statements from representatives of NGOs ( 1 from China, 1 visiting delegate )
• 1 statement by representative from the private sector
• 2 statements from representatives of international organizations and agencies

 

Thursday 28 October - Parallel Sessions 3: Social, Environmental and Technical Aspects of Hydropower Development

Parallel Session 3A: Social Aspects of Hydropower Development

Social impacts and social risks in Hydropower Programmes: Pre-emptive planning and counter-risk measures
Mr. Michael Cernea, Research Professor of Anthropology, George Washington University, Washington D.C., USA (Background papers: 1. Social impacts and social risks; 2. Impoverishment risks and risk management)

Perspectives and experiences: Hydropower development and resettlement
Yan Zhiyong, Vice President, China Hydropower Engineering Consulting Group Corporation

Analysis on Social Impact in Water conservancy and Hydropower Development  (Chinese)
Mr. Shi Guoqing, Director, Resettlement Study Center, China

Perspectives and experiences: Hydropower development and resettlement
 Mr. E. A. K. Kalitsi, Kalitsi & Associates, Accra, (former CEO and Board Chairman of the Volta River Authority) Ghana

Concepts and methods of benefit sharing, integrated development planning and sustainable development
 Mr. Barry Trembath, Lead Power Engineer, East Asia and Pacific Region, World Bank

Concepts and methods of benefit sharing: experiences from Brazil
Mr. Francisco Gomide

Salto Caxias hydroelectric power plant consultation process and public participation: A real tool for sustainable development (Brazil)
Mr. Antonio Fonseca Dos Santos, Environmental Director, Brascan Brazil, Brasilia

Guidelines on public involvement in infrastructure development projects participation
Mr. Liu Hongpeng, Economic Affairs Officer, UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Energy Resources Section, Bangkok, Thailand

Xiaolangdi Multipurpose Dam and Sustainable Development of Regional Social Economy
Mr. Chao Yingchao, Chief Economist, Xiaolangdi Multipurpose Project Bureau, China,
Mr. Zhang Chaohua, World Bank

Building on partnerships with aboriginal communities
Ms. Karin Seelos, Senior Advisor on Strategic Environmental Issues, Hydro-Québec; Canada

Private Participation in Small Hydropower Development in China — Comparison with International Communities   (background paper - English)
Mr. Zhao Jianda, Senior Engineer, Small Hydropower Research Center of Asian and Pacific Area, China

Key dam issues and policy development in the SADC region: public participation
Ms. Anne Schuster, Advisor, German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ), and
Mr. Kenneth M. Msibi, Water Policy and Strategy Expert, Water Division,
Directorate of Infrastructure and Services, Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat

Hydroelectric Exploitations on the Upper Reach of the Yellow River in Gansu Province and Regional Economic Developments (presentation - Chinese)
Mr. Li Wenzhi, Adviser, Gansu Provincial Government, China

NGO presentation (Chinese only) (background paper - English; Chinese)
Mr. Yu Xiaogang, Green Watershed, China

Prediction of health hazards in tropical reservoirs and evaluation of low-cost methods for disease prevention   (background paper - English; Chinese)
Mr. William Jobin, Environmental and Public Health Engineer, and Director, Blue Nile Associates, Colorado, United States

NGO participation in dam development decision-making
• Representative from Chinese Society for Hydroelectric Engineering

Concluding Summary - brief statements from the floor :
• 2 statements from representatives of host country:
Mr. Wen Fubo, Academician, Chinese Academy of Engineering;
Mr. Gu Zhaoqi, Professor, Qinghua University
• 3 statements from representatives of developing countries (Ethiopia, Indonesia, Thailand );
• 2 statements from representatives of NGOs (1 from China, 1 visiting delegate )
• 1 statement by representative from the private sector
• 2 statements from representatives of international organizations and agencies
 

Parallel Session 3B: Environmental assessment and planning

Effective environmental impact assessment: Best practices, methods and processes
Mr. Peter Leonard, Senior Environment Advisor, Hydro-Québec-Production, (former Chair, International Association for Impact Assessment)

Sustainable hydropower – Information and communication on good practices
Dr. Helen Locher, Environmental Programmes Manager, Hydro Tasmania, Australia
(background paper)

Effective environmental assessment: best practice in the planning cycle. Comprehensive options assessment
Mr. Alberto Calcagno, Manager, UNEP/DDP, Nairobi, Kenya

Presentation: Hydropower and the environment: Towards better decision making
Ms. Ute Collier, Global Freshwater Programme, WWF International

Construction and Environment Protection of Guangzhou Pumped Storage Power Station (GPSPS)
Mr. Luo Shaoji, Academician, Chinese Academy of Engineering
Mr. Liu Guogang, Director, Guangzhou Pumped Storage Power Station

Mitigation of environmental impacts: IUCN projects and perspectives
Mr. Ger Bergkamp, Coordinator, Water and Nature Initiative, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Gland, Switzerland

Three Gorges Project and the Environment (Chinese only)
Mr. Zheng Shouren, Academician, Chinese Academy of Engineering
Mr. Liu Yuanxin, Senior Engineer, Three Gorges Project Construction Commission, China
 

The issue of greenhouse gases from hydroelectric reservoirs: From boreal to tropical regions
Mr. Alain Tremblay, Hydro-Québec, Canada (background paper)

An overview of the environmental management of the Bakun hydroelectric project in Sarawak, Malaysia (abstract)
Mr. Ten Wuan Ping, Environmental Specialist, Sarawak Hydro Sdn Bhd (SHSB), Malaysia

Environmental issues and management for hydropower peaking operations
• Dr. Helen Locher, Environmental Programmes Manager, Hydro Tasmania, Australia
(background paper)

Presentation: Ecological Compensations for Damned Rivers  (Chinese)
Mr. Dong Zheren, Professor, Chairman of China, Global Water Partnership

Hydropower and sustainable development: A matter of ethical, social and environmental considerations
Mr. Urban Norstedt, Director of Dam Safety, Vattenfall, Sweden, and former Chairman ICOLD Committee on Strategy

Full evaluation on the social, ecological and environmental functions of hydro power generation (Chinese only)
Mr. Zhang Baoting, Secretary-General, China Hydropower Engineering Society

Improving sediment handling in the Himalayas
Mr. Pratik Man Singh Pradhan, Advisor/General Manager, Nepal Hydropower Association / Hydro Lab Pvt. Ltd., Kathmandu, Nepal

Lao Hydropower Potential and Policy in the Greater Mekong Subregion Context
Mr. Davong Phonekeo, Manager, Electricité du Laos, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Environmental compacts of hydropower and sustainable development (Chinese only)
Mr. Gu Hongbin, Chinese Hydropower Engineeering Consulting Group Corporation

Perspectives for development of Hydropower in Mongolia
Mr. Togooch Ganbold, Fuel and Energy Agency, Government

Considerations on the integrated watershed management in Western China
Mr. Huang Guangcheng, Yunnan Academy of Social Science

Concluding summary - brief statements from the floor :
• 2 statements from representatives of host country:
Mr. Cao Chusheng, Academician, Chinese Academy of Engineering
Mr. Li Qingbin, Professor, Qinghua University
• 4 statements from representatives of developing countries (Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Paraguay, Rep. of Korea)
• 2 statements from representatives of NGOs (1 from China, 1 visiting delegate)
• 1 statement by representative of private sector
• 2 statements from representatives of international organizations and agencies
 

Parallel Session 3C: Environment-friendly technologies and policies: Experiences and perspectives for hydropower development in developing countries

A framework for policy and decision making on dam and hydro plant rehabilitation
Mr. Laurent Bellet, Mr. Jean-Michel Devernay, Eléctricité de France (et.al)

Sustainability drivers for hydropower design and operation
Mr. Richard Taylor, International Hydropower Association

Commissioning, licensing, dam monitoring and dam safety in China (Chinese only)
Mr. Liu Ning, Chief Engineer, Ministry of Water Resources, China

Scope and options for refurbishing existing facilities
Mr. Michael Liu, Vice President, Shanghai Hydro Equipment Company (SHEC)

Key Technological Issues in Constructing an Ecology and Environment-friendly Hydropower Project Development System  (background paper - English; Chinese)
Mr. Gao Jizhang, President, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research

Establishing a scientific development philosophy and Innovating hydro construction techniques to realize a harmonious development of resources exploitation and eco-environment protection

(background paper - English; Chinese)
Mr. Guo Jiantang, President, SINO Hydro Corporation

Seismic Safety for Hydropower Engineering in China (background paper - English; Chinese)
Mr. Chen Houqun, Chinese Academy of Engineering

Integration of Water and Wind Energy
Mr. Mark Kelleher, Hydro Tasmania, Australia

Momentum and Vitality for Social Sustainable Development From Existing Hydropower Dams  (Chinese)
Mr. Wang Yan, Deputy Director-General, Center for Dam Safety

Presentation: To Build or to Remove Dams
Representative from China on behalf of Mr. Pan Jiazheng, Academician, Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chinese Academy of Science

Hydropower dams and fluvial morphological impacts: An African perspective
Mr. Gerrit Basson, Professor & Head, Water Division, Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, Chairman of the ICOLD Committee on Reservoir Sedimentation (paper)

Sediment management and reservoir operations in China
Mr. Han Qiwei, Academician, Chinese Academy of Engineering

Environmental Protection in Hydropower Planning and Hydroelectric Project Designing of China (abstract)
Mr. Zhou Jianping. Chief Engineer, China Hydropower Engineering Consulting Group Corporation

Multi-purpose projects: Profile and experiences of the Xiaolangdi project

Mr. Wang Xianru, Professor, Yellow River Resources Commission

Development of hydropower, regional development and international cooperation
Mr. Mithat Rende, Head of Department, Water Resources and Transboundary Waters, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ankara, Turkey

Regional and international cooperation on the development of hydropower: Shared river basins in Africa
Mr. Pancrace Niyimbona, Energy Affairs Officer, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UN ECA), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Development of hydropower in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Mr. Kim Tok Gil, Senior Expert for Sustainable Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Kim Kyong Su, Senior Officer, Department of Hydropower, Ministry of Electricity and Coal Mines;

Concluding summary - brief statements from the floor :
• 2 statements by representatives from host country:
Mr. Qing Changgeng, Professor, Kunming Design Institute
Mr. Sha Yiqiang, Chinese Electric Industry Association
• 4 statements by representatives from developing countries
( Argentina, Bhutan, Viet Nam )
• 2 statements by representatives of NGOs ( 1 from China, 1 visiting delegate )
• 1 statement by representative from the private sector
• 2 statements by representatives from international organizations and agencies
 

Friday 29 October - Plenary Session 4: Hydro Development: Investment Challenges and
Opportunities

A fresh start: prospects for financing hydropower in developing countries
Mr. Chris Head, Consulting Engineer, United Kingdom

Development of Hydropower in East Asia: Current and future World Bank activities
Part 1: Overall Plans, Mr. Jamal Saghir, Director, Energy and Water Department (presentation)
Part 2: East Asia and Pacific activities, Ms. Wu Junhui, Director, East Asia (presentation)

A developer’s perspective on hydropower
Mr. Jean-Michel Devernay, Deputy Managing Director, Eléctricité de France

Hydroelectric Exploitation and Sustainable Development of the Yanlong River  (Chinese)
Mr. Chen Yunhua, President, Ertan Hydropower Development Corporation Ltd.

Persist with the Scientific Exploitation of Hydropower to Realize the Sustainable Development of Daduhe Valley  (Chinese only)
Mr. Chen Fei, Deputy General Manager, China Guodian Corporation

Creating a favourable environment for hydro investment
Mr. Bernard Tardieu, Chairman and CEO, Coyne et Bellier, France

The role of the consultant in achieving sustainable outcomes (abstract)
Mr. Refaat Abdel-Malek, Vice-Chairman, MWH Global, USA

Regulatory and contractual issues relating to hydro investment
Mr. Garvin Warnock, Managing Director, Monitor (International) Ltd., Edinburgh, UK (paper)

Closing Session

Session Co-Chairs:

Mr. Kui-Nang Mak, Division for Sustainable Development DESA
Mr. Wang Jun, Deputy Director-General, Dept. of Energy Bureau, NDRC, China
Mr. Jamal Saghir, Director, Water and Energy Department, World Bank
• Session rapporteurs of parallel sessions A, B, and C on social, environmental and technical issues report to the plenary with summary of discussions.
• Presentation and adoption of Beijing Declaration on Hydropower and Sustainable Development
• Closing statements