River Basin Management: A Case Study of Narmada Valley Development with Special Reference to the Sardar Sarovar Project in Gujarat,India

Intra-basin and inter-basin transfer of water have become a necessity in view of severe regional imbalances in availability of water and drought conditions in India. This paper addresses the fundamental issues of river basin management in a multi-objective framework with a unique case study of Narmada River Valley Development, and demonstrates that the socioeconomic needs of the people override the rest of the working objectives. In inter-state water allocation, even a non-riparian state is considered when looking at the needs of the people. This paper focuses on the Sardar Sarovar Project on the river Narmada and highlights its rehabilitation, environmental and social aspects, and concludes that the project is a lifeline for people in western India.     

The Narmada Project

The Sardar Sarovar Project, commonly known as the Narmadaproject, will transfer water from the water-rich Narmada basin to highly drought-prone areas of Sabarmati and Banas basins. The current plan for developing the Narmada basin envisages 30 large projects, 135 medium projects and 3000 small schemes. The project is estimated to cost Rs 100 billion and is expected to be completed by the year 2010. This paper providesan objective review of the environmentaland social impacts of the project, including afforestation, wildlife sanctuaries, health issues, siltation, resettlement, soil management, and the role of NGOs.     

Human Rights Dimension of Regional Water Transfer: Experience of the Sardar Sarovar Project

Regional water transfer-a water management alternative in general and a means of addressing water scarcity in particular-has been subject to various controversies including those relating to human rights. This paper presents the worldwide practice of RWT and describes the Indian experience against the background of water availability, legal provisions and national policies. Referring to various widely ratified international human rights instruments, the paper emphasizes that social desirability is equally as important as technical feasibility and economic viability of such projects. Intra-state regional imbalances and migration as a consequence of water scarcity in the State of Gujarat in India highlight the significance of Sardar Sarovar Project on the river Narmada. While discussing other alternatives such as rainwater harvesting, the paper goes on to establish that the state has no option but to implement RWT.     

Sardar Sarovar Project Revalidated by Supreme Court

The Sardar Sarovar Project has emerged from limbo after a six-year stay on further raising the height of the dam was vacated by an order of the Indian Supreme Court in October 2000. This multipurpose project has been termed 'Gujarat's lifeline' by some and an 'environmental disaster' by others. The NBA (Save Narmada Movement) approached the Court in 1994 on a plea that the Project authorities had defaulted grievously on the resettlement and rehabilitation of project-affected persons and in observing mandatory environmental stipulations. The Court dismissed the petition by a majority decision, finding the plaint unsubstantiated on either count. Benefits could start flowing within 18 months. That will be transforming.     

Diverting Water: Revisiting the Sardar Sarovar Project

This article considers lessons to be learned from the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP). Despite persistent attempts to portray the SSP as a technical solution to a technical problem, it is clear that many aspects of the project— from the consideration of alternatives, through the evaluation of costs and benefits, to the persistent delays in consulting with affected peoples— have been highly politicized. Drawing upon our increased awareness of the politicized nature of water resource projects, this article stresses the importance of three key issue areas: the collection and distribution of information; project accountability; and participation by affected peoples.     

The independent review of the sardar sarovar projects 1991–92

The World Bank established its first independent review of any of its projects in 1991. This independent review was set up to examine the Sardar Sarovar Projects in India. According to India, this would be the world's largest water development project. The paper summarizes the methodology and the findings of the Independent Review.     

浅析九甸峡水利枢纽及引洮供水工程环境影响评价工作

跨流域调水工程在发挥显著经济、社会效益的同时,对生态与环境产生不同程度的影响,如何充分发挥和利用有利影响尽量减免不利影响,越来越受到全社会的普遍关注。跨流域调水工程是一项复杂的系统工程,必须统筹兼顾调水对调入区和调出区经济社会和生态环境的影响,全面了解其对环境影响的各个方面和影响程度的大小,以便制定合理可行的防治措施。文中以甘肃省九甸峡水利枢纽及引洮供水工程环境影响评价工作为例,阐述调水工程环境影响评价工作的主要内容和重点考虑因素。     

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 project's 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.     

Water and Energy for Development in Gujarat with Special Focus on the Sardar Sarovar Project

More than 150 000 villages in India have been facing drinking water problems. In Gujarat State, one of the worst affected, not only is all its surface water fully tapped, but the groundwater is also overexploited (by consuming nearly 43% of state electricity) resulting in deterioration of water quality, causing health hazards. This paper highlights the importance of the Sardar Sarovar Project for the socioeconomic development of western India in general and Gujarat in particular. It also presents the path-breaking approach that has been adopted in relation to the environment, rehabilitation etc. It is concluded that in the present circumstances, the state has no choice but to harness Narmada waters.     

Actual versus Predicted Transboundary Impact: A Case Study of Phase 1B of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project

The Lesotho Highlands Water Project was initiated in 1986 as a result of discussions between the governments of the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Republic of South Africa (SA) that, together with feasibility studies, had commenced in the early 1950s. The project targeted the Senqu River, which originates in the Lesotho Highlands, merges with the Orange River in South Africa, and drains into the Atlantic Ocean, creating a natural border between Namibia and South Africa. Four riparian states, including Botswana, rely heavily on the Sengu's water for development. The multi-donor billion-dollar project consisted of two initial phases, 1A and 1B. No impact assessment was conducted for Phase 1A. As a result of international critique, lessons learned and the involvement of the World Bank, Phase 1B considered all possible environmental, social and economic impacts. The full-scale EIA recognized, but did not fully consider, transboundary impacts, which were only addressed through the commissioning of an In-stream Flow Requirement (IFR) study in 2000, once the project commenced.     

龙滩水电工程环境影响综合评价方法研究

针对龙滩工程对各环境因子复杂的影响需进行综合分析评价，以便了解工程兴建前后的环境总体情况，以及工程的可行性，并为选择工程方案提供科学依据。采用多级模糊综合评价法及灰色关联分析综合评价法对龙滩水电工程环境影响进行了分析后，认为工程兴建是可行的。     

Positive externalities of irrigation from the Sardar Sarovar Project for farm production and domestic water supply

A detailed study was conducted in six districts of Gujarat, India, in gravity- and lift-irrigated commands of the Sardar Sarovar Project to assess the direct and indirect benefits of canal irrigation. Benefits such as savings in the cost of energy used to pump groundwater for irrigation, reduction in well failures, and increased income of well irrigators from farming (crops and dairy) were remarkable. Groundwater augmented by recharge from gravity irrigation resulted in large economic returns to the well irrigators in the command areas and reduced the cost of domestic water supply in villages and towns (through improved yield of agro-wells and drinking-water wells, respectively). Canal irrigation also raised wages for workers, through enhanced agricultural labour demand along with appreciation of land markets.     

三峡工程的环境影响及其对策

三峡水利枢纽工程是开发治理长江的关键工程，三峡工程建设将对生态与环境产生广泛而深远的影响。它的有利影响主要在长江中下游，能有效地抗御洪水和提供清洁能源；不利影响主要在库区，将形成库区淹没和大量移民，在三峡工程的规划与设计，建设与运行中，要使有利影响得到充分发挥，并采用有效对策与措施，使不利影响得到减免。     

Multi-Criteria Environmental Impact Assessment of Alternative Irrigation Networks with an Adopted Matrix-Based Method

Environmental impact assessments (EIA) identify the type, importance, and severity of the environmental consequences of human activities. This study performs an EIA of the Shahriar dam irrigation project in Iran. Physical, biological, and social-economic-cultural criteria and parameters are evaluated in the short and long terms with the Leopold matrix method. Results show that short-term project implementation has its most negative impact in the biological realm (with a score of ?48), while long-term implementation would impact most favorably the social-economic-cultural component (+233). A sensitivity analysis of the EIA was employed to determine the relative impacts of the physical, biological, and social-economic-cultural components of the Shahriar irrigation project.     

Operation of Sardar Sarovar Conveyance System

Conveying 11.7 BCM of water annually over a distance of up to 700 km fulfilling the functional requirements such as safety, flexibility, dependability, equity of distribution and efficiency is challenging by any standard. Operation of the Sardar Sarovar Conveyance System is even more critical because of its unprecedented size, complexity, value of water for the drought-prone areas and inter-state commitments. This paper analyses the functional requirements of the system vis-à-vis the limitations of conventional operation. The Controlled Volume Concept of operation through remote monitoring and a control system is adopted, which calls for canal automation as a 'solution'. Discussing issues such as maintenance, training, economic evaluation etc., the paper concludes that the pilot project taken up on Vadodara DOC will be a forerunner for other irrigation projects.     

刘树坤访日报告:河流整治与生态修复(五)

在河流整治中,工程建设必然会对生态环境产生影响。为了缓和和减轻这种影响,世界上一些发达国家开展了河流生态修复工作。根据工程建设对环境影响的内容、程度不同,河流生态修复方法也多种多样。     

关中灌区改造项目对下游河流的影响分析

从关中灌区改造工程世行贷款项目实际出发,用把项目对环境的负面影响降到最低和可接受程度的环境管理理念,从河流伦理观的角度分析了灌区改造项目增加引水量对下游河流的影响,并提出了解决对策。     

Environmental impact assessment for Subarnarekha irrigation project

This paper deals with EIA for construction of three reservoirs, namely Haldia, Jambhira and Baura in Mayurbhanj district, Orissa. The gross command area of the project is about 170 000 ha while the culturable command area is 110 000 ha. The baseline data for parameters such as water quality, population, meteorology, phys‐iograhpy, geology, ecology, soil, land use, etc. were collected to assess the impacts. The positive as well as negative impacts were ascertained and management plans were formulated for critically affected parameters. Management measures such as compensatory afforestation, rehabilitation of oustees, plantation of village woodlots, realignment of canals etc. have been prepared. A post‐project monitoring plan is being suggested for water quality, soil, public health and growth of aquatic weeds. The costs for management measures and post‐project monitoring programmes have been computed. A checklist of positive and negative impacts has also been prepared which highlights that the project is eco‐friendly.     

基于能值分析的水利工程环境影响经济评价

文中首先介绍了目前水利工程经济评价和环境影响评价的不足,然后建立了适用于水利工程经济与环境影响分析的能值效益费用的计算模型,接着对江西省廖坊水利工程的主要环境影响进行了分析,并对工程淹没和施工对环境的影响进行了能值分析.研究结果表明,从能值研究的角度看,廖坊水利.工程建成后,工程的社会经济效益巨大.     

流域梯级规划环境影响评价的特征及研究方向

本文对流域梯级开发规划环境影响评价的特征做了较全面的介绍，分析了梯级开发布局对环境的影响及对资源构成的影响，提出水电梯级规划环境影响评价的主要研究方向及关于生态友好的绿色大坝建设与运行的生态准则研究的内容。