As the World Bank plunges back into the large dam business, the legacy of its past dam projects remains unresolved. This briefing paper highlights the ongoing social, environmental and economic problems of a number of Bank-funded dams, and provides recommendations to address this legacy.

The Unresolved Legacy of the World Bank's National Drainage Program in Pakistan - an Eyewitness Account

The World Bank's Inspection Panel (IP) issued its investigation report for the Bank-funded Pakistan National Drainage Program in 2006. The IP report found that Bank management had violated six of the Bank's safeguard policies in the NDP project, contributing to the loss of lives and livelihoods in Pakistan's southern Sindh province. In response to the findings of the IP investigation, Bank management outlined measures they would take to address the policy violations and problems in the NDP.

JVE Togo

RE : Inquiétudes au sujet du projet proposé « Regional and Domestic Power Markets Development Project » (ID P097201)

Lisez un lettre à la Banque Mondiale des ONGs Congolais

Opinion piece published in Bangkok's The Nation

This week, Thailand's new energy minister, Dr Piyasvasti Amranand signed an agreement to buy up to 5,000 megawatts (MW) of hydropower from Laos by 2015 - 2,000 MW more than envisioned by his predecessor.

Dr Piyasvasti claims its eastern neighbour will provide Thailand with a reliable supply of electricity. But that strategy is extremely expensive, particularly for the hundreds of thousands of Lao villagers who will be forced to bear the cost.

Hydropower projects developed over the past decade in Laos have left a legacy of destroyed livelihoods and damaged ecosystems. The five case studies in this paper point to the great difficulties in implementing large-scale infrastructure projects in Laos. These experiences raise fundamental questions regarding the Lao government's institutional capacity and political will to ensure that infrastructure projects are adequately monitored, that compensation is fairly and fully distributed and that environmental issues are properly addressed.