Mekong Forum on Water, Food and Energy. 2012. Presentation from Session 12: Managing Controversy

1. A study in controversy: the Mala
Malika High Dam
Kim Geheb

2. Controversy
controversy |ˈkäntrəˌvərsē|
noun ( pl. controversies )
disagreement, typically when prolonged,
public, and heated: he sometimes caused
controversy because of his forceful views
| the announcement ended a protracted
controversy.

3. Kifaru River Basin basics
• Shared by RD Tembo (36%) and Abadinga
(64%)
• 49,263 ha
• Water run-off = 3 million m3/yr-1
• Abstraction = 1.3 million m3/yr-1
Of which:
-62% agriculture
-23% industrial
-15% urban
• Population ≈ 2.7 million
• Fisheries production ≈ 130,000 m.t.
• Forestry ≈ 40,000 m3/yr-1

4. Kifaru RB water use
Mali Malika
Mali Malika
Dam site
Dam site
RD Tembo
Abadinga

5. The Mala Malika
Dam (MMD)
Installed capacity: 1,300 MW
Annual Production: 3,600 GW
Height: 98.4 m
Length: 133 m
Turbines: 5 x 260 MW

6. Time line: an unfolding controversy
March, 2003
Sept, 2004
June 2006
Feb, 2005
July 2006
Aug 2010
Agreement Concession SIA and EIA Ground Starehe MMD
between awarded Approved Broken Riots Commissioned
countries to
jointly ‘The Fish are ‘Happy Fish’
construct Done Dead’ launched
dam article
appears
The Lakini
statement is
made

7. Governance indicators for Tembo
and Abadinga
Political Civil Corruption Democracy Freedom
rights liberties index score of the
(2009) (2009) (2008) (2008) press
(2009)
RD 30 30 13 17.7 4
Tembo
Abadinga 50 60 35 68.1 43
Scores standardised to percentage values, where 100% = ‘best’, 0
= ‘worst’. (Sources: Freedom House 2009; Transparency
International 2010; EIU 2009)

8. Feb. 2005: MMD SIA and EIA
• ‘Negligible fisheries impact’
• Comprehensive resettlement of
260 PAPs
• Impact on sedimentation ‘positive’
• River flows will be maintained
“The Mala Malika Dam will yield
absolutely minimal impact on the
Kifaru’s ecology, and hydrology.
PAP’s will be compensated through
an innovative and highly unusual
compensation and resettlement
package – MMD EIA Report

9. Feb. 2006: ‘The Fish are Done
Dead’ The Abadinga Herald
One Nation, One Voice
Thursday, June 27 2006!
Makundo in Brussels! “The fish are done dead”!
“Mali Malika will destroy us all. The
Aid discussion at EU! Claims – MMD will destroy Kifaru Fisheries!
Generally, a fishery is an
entity engaged in raising
or harvesting fish which is
determined by some
fish will die. I will not work. And then
authority to be a fishery.
According to the FAO, a
fishery is typically defined
in terms of the "people
involved, species or type
my children will die. Otieno, John Samuel. Quoted
of fish, area of water or
seabed, method of fishing,
class of boats, purpose of
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or the activities or a
harvesting fish which is determined by some authority combination of the
Abadinga Herald, June 27, 2006 to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is
typically defined in terms of the "people involved,
species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method
foregoing features”. The
definition often includes a
combination of fish and!
of fishing, class of boats, purpose of the activities or a
combination of the foregoing features”. The definition
fishers in a region, the latter fishing for similar species with
often includes a combination of fish and fishers in a
similar gear types. fishers in a region, the latter fishing for similar
"Th ima t o th M Do th Kifa 'se o ys mislike tob
e p c f e D n e ru c s te ly e
region, the latter fishing for similar species with similar
species with similar gear types.!
gear types.!
!
A fishery may involve the capture of wild fish or raising fish
c n id ra le H wca it n t?W a a ticip tin s n n
o s e b . o n o e re n a g ig ifica t Health bill still stuck!
A fishery may involve the capture of wild fish or
through fish farming or aquaculture. Directly or indirectly, the
livelihood of over 500 million people in developing countries
depends on fisheries and aquaculture. Overfishing, including the
re u "Th into in mn T modo s mth a u try'se tho p o le'
d ctio s Ab drisaaTh e b Gvarntenec vio tinco eme p s
ne au g . disw eveta e ts ren la g nir y".
ill o
raising fish through fish farming or aquaculture. taking of fish beyond Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in
Directly or indirectly, the livelihood of over 500 raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority
million people in developing countries depends on to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically
h ttpnrig tss-re aa 0s o6sth tesM 2 1ill9ig ifica tly
(hm://a hreO r ree rch0 0 - aa the 1 Dw s n n
u a tt.p . su le s .3 h w cc sedM/0 /0 )
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fisheries and aquaculture. Overfishing, including the defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish,
taking of fish beyond Generally, a fishery is an entity area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats, purpose
engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is of the activities or a combination of the foregoing features”. The
determined by some authority to be a fishery. ! definition often includes a combination of fish and fishers in a
region, the latter fishing for similar species with similar gear
a "Allfoa s cu ct a dahc o, a3 I te p o leh t,cea ,inmpes d Y u
ffe t dd sarity a fis et s rn0 0ll yopwO mn I ath s e . o
c om ffe , ll fferieve d,0 0 eu . a a a , eis
e n n g
According to the FAO, a
types. A fishery may involve the capture of wild fish or raising
fishery is typically defined
fish through fish farming or aquaculture. Directly or indirectly, the
in terms of the "people
livelihood of over 500 million people in developing countries
n e gno mn sca mnccumth co r-u sa dg:s e p s d T e
e daveffic ltstanbea fro doeS A?It'sthrow 're is e . h
o rn e te e t s f AF p n is s
e ve
involved, species or type of
depends on fisheries and aquaculture. !
ia
fish, area of water or.!
!
Kifaco droSADCdCouncil0ofcaAfricaww tiofis0T.concernsgb g the
m n u (Ab in aB a s gC rp rta n 2 0 Th
is ct" a g ro d tin o o
ru"Theedf thJb s 5 2rsin te foregistershits6 Atie oin regarding
iso ao seuet rive0 .Ministers r tigSmn ae enh rin s
In rvie . B
te w n cat ly1 , 6 In rvie ith ra, a.thig r fis,
e
a o t 2 0 aARrsin th rnAfricaeoryyetoa dth yponfo to rs b y
b u ,0construction of thein aCMalika r,r). Dam, a the Kifaruu
0 n le S toAb d Malaverd aHigh e y r u , River
g C o e a g o ina n
u
cu s s e dth irthe n y W etimteth t thof Tembo, te3m Republic of
rio , between m Democratic Republic e co trib and the nU
p n e o e . e s a a y n u illio S
d lla toth n tioIt lis c n m a nthat .the dn wth ofw ndamtog been
o rsAbadinga.n econcerned u lly Animpactse thet th t have
e a a oo y n a o y a a o
insufficiently investigated, and that the dam could have significant
a a G fig re J p Vimpacts, C fiir, S A,the environment, and the
w y? and irreversiblea T re toh sheries, in rvie e o AB
o u ". a i n u n a AF te w d n C
peoplesd those "V w o t", Au u t 1 CoM).
R of S o two nations". (SADC, 2 0 Minutes, Ministerial
a io h w ie p in g s 0 6
Meeting, September 13, 2006. Johannesburg, SADC).

10. Feb 2006: The Lakini Statement
“A few fish and a few
fishermen cannot stand
in the way of progress.
Major General Charles Lakini,
President RD Tembo
“Water is a shared
resource. We must all
therefore share in
decisions about it.
Dr Alfred Makundo, President,
Abadinga

11. July 2006: The Starehe Riots

12. July 2006: Happy Fish Campaign
Fishing NGOs &
communities Associations
Regional Media
Organisations
Campaign
Approach
Radio News Extension Diplomac
Papers y
TV

13. Outcomes
• SADC issues statement,
satisfied with the findings of the Be your people fishing up-up de Lasatho Fall?
EIA. NO!
• 26 media ‘moments’ explaining Be your fish going up-up de Lasatho Fall?
NO!
EIA. Will de Mali Malika High Wall make your fish not happy?
• Extension agents visit ca. 7,000 NO!
fishermen/other stakeholders.
• NGOs/Associations ‘go quiet’.
• No further protests in Tembo.
• 33 press conferences.
• 7 adjustments to EIA/SIA made
as a result of feedback.
• 3 Design changes to dam made
as a result of feedback.

14. Thank you for your attention