China Watch / Worldwatch Institute
August 2, 2002

In all of the debate so far over the proposed dams, ‘there is one group of stakeholders whose voice is largely unheard: the mostly poor local residents.’

(excerpt)

The Nu River dam project, suspended by Premier Wen Jiabao in April 2004 after a heated controversy, got a boost after local officials proposed a smaller-scale project while lobbying the premier during his trip to the Yunnan province in July. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project is currently under review, and will likely get approved in the next month. China’s State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) is resolute that this EIA will be publicly disclosed, encouraging a new wave of public participation in the decision-making process. Among all of the debate so far over the proposed dam, there is one group of stakeholders whose voice is largely unheard: the mostly poor local residents, who currently earn their livelihoods through subsistence farming methods. If the project advances, power companies expect windfall profits and local authorities at various levels anticipate augmented tax revenue – while local farmers will allegedly benefit from the project through job creation and cheaper electricity.