This document discusses the social challenges and opportunities of hydroelectric projects in 3 paragraphs. It acknowledges that negative social impacts are real but benefits should not be overlooked. Impacts must be carefully addressed and opportunities maximized through benefit sharing. Social impacts can be complex to handle, such as effects on indigenous groups or resettlement. The document advocates going beyond compensation to promote development. Benefits are discussed at regional and local scales, including infrastructure, jobs, and programs. Finally, the document provides recommendations for addressing social issues through understanding needs, participation, adaptation, and long-term monitoring.

1. Social Dimension of Hydroelectric
Developments :
Challenges and opportunities
olivier.salignat@edf.fr
Rio, 13 nov 2012

4. Impacts are real, but let’s not forget benefits!
General focus on negative impacts of large HPP
Impacts need to be carefuly identified and anticipated to
be satisfactorly addressed
 similar level of effort required to fully identify and assess
benefits and opportunities of projects
Opportunities arising from the projects must be
maximized, not to merely compensate for the impacts, but
for the project to become a springboard for socio-economic
development and environmental protection
 Benefit sharing must be embeded in the design of the
project

5. Social impacts are real, and complex to
handle !
Ethnic minorities
Physical and Cultural Indigenous people
Resources
Impact of construction workforce
on surrounding communities
Corruption
Social disruption
Resettlement
Health
vector diseases
STDs
Downstream impacts Project Lands
Difficult to predict how, when, where, they will occur, and how
they will be perceived

6. Go beyond compensation
Why change, when :
- I’m happy with what I have Need to develop the facts that :
- I’m not sure of what I’ll get - those guys understand my needs and address
- I have no need for additional services them
- change is going to require adaptation, - there is something for me to win with the new
learning, and is going to cost me product/situation
- the effort (risk, cost) is worth the opportunities
 Benefits need to be shared (services for the
user, money for Apple)
But…
- Some will never be convinced, and some will lose (vulnerable, elderlies, …)
- resettlement / social issues are sligtly more complex than marketing…

7. Benefits at regional / national scale
1 - Electricity generation
- reliable, predictible, known price, most often national (except for
rans-boundary projects)
-essential for the electric system management (grid stability, quick
start, energy storage)
2 – Electricity availability is an essential component of the economic
development at national level, either through remote use or local
consumption by large industry, smelters etc…
3 – large project may trigger regional development of large industry
turbine manufacturing…)
4 – Project may be a direct source of income for the national budget
taxes on energy sale, dividends of shares, royalties of concession) : can
be used to support development programs

8. Benefits at local scale
1 – Infrastructures and services for local communities
roads, electricity, communications,
new housing, schools, dispensaries
2 – change of hydrology
- improved navigation (reservoir, downstream)
- irrigation
3 – associated development programs for local communities
going beyond mere compensation - fisheries
4 – employment and training of local workforce
cash income, training and experience for other projects
5 – local development of a small industry network, participating to the
construction activities
 Support expressed by local communities will be an essential component o
acceptability of the project, and will be achieved only if they are convinced that
the new situation will bring more benefits than risks!

9. How can social issues be addressed?
U stay C A L M
Uderstand Communicate Anticipate the Long term : Monitor for
the socio- appropriately, social studies programs likely reporting,
economic timely and and programs to last longer communication,
situations and honestly than and
the needs : A dapt to the construction! management : if
surveys, baselin C onsult the evolving And not succesful,
es, etc… Project Affected situations when resettlement is goto A
People, develop implemeting the for ever…
a participatory programs
approach
L isten, and
C ommit on express a will to
compensations address the
and outcomes expressed
needs
C ontractually

10. Usually a bumpy ride…
That looks nice, but… it’s usually not that simple!
What did I miss?
…debate