Efforts of Coordinating Joint Development of Hydropower Projects Within the Salween Basin

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Case Description
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, ,
Geolocation: 23° 41' 43.6214", 98° 49' 42.4409"
Total Watershed Population: 6 million
Total Watershed Area: 320,000 km2123,552 mi²
Climate Descriptors: Moist tropical (Köppen A-type), Humid mid-latitude (Köppen C-type), Continental (Köppen D-type), Moist, Monsoon
Predominant Land Use Descriptors: agricultural- cropland and pasture, industrial use, forest land, urban, urban- high density
Important Uses of Water: Agriculture or Irrigation, Fisheries - wild, Fisheries - farmed, Hydropower Generation, Livestock
Water Features: Salween River

More facts

Summary

The Salween River (known as the Nu in Chinese) originates in the Tibetan plateau and drains an area of 320,000 km2 in China, Myanmar, and Thailand before it flows into the Gulf of Martaban. Totaling 2,413 kilometers, it is the longest undammed river in mainland Southeast Asia. More than 10 million people from at least 13 different ethnic groups depend on the Salween watershed for their livelihoods: fisheries are a major source of dietary protein, and the river's nutrients nourish vegetable gardens in the dry season and fertilize farmland. Despite the fact that studies since the 1950s have identified tremendous hydropower potential, the Salween is a relatively undeveloped basin-with only one major hydro-electric project at Baluchaung. However, it is likely that with economic development and more political integration in the region, development pressure in the river basin will increase, and there will be more demands to use the waters for irrigation, urban and industrial uses, and navigation. China, Myanmar, and Thailand do not yet have an agreement on the use of the Salween, thus allowing each of them free use of the river. Each of these countries has unilateral plans to construct dams and development projects along the Salween, but these sets of plans are not compatible.

Natural, Historic, Economic, Regional, and Political Framework

Figure 1. Map of the Salween River Basin. [1]

The Salween River (known as the Nu in Chinese) originates in the Tibetan plateau and drains an area of 320,000 km 2 in China, Myanmar, and Thailand before it flows into the Gulf of Martaban. Totaling 2,413 kilometers, it is the longest undammed river in mainland Southeast Asia. More than 10 million people from at least 13 different ethnic groups depend on the Salween watershed for their livelihoods: fisheries are a major source of dietary protein, and the river's nutrients nourish vegetable gardens in the dry season and fertilize farmland. The Nujiang, the section of the Salween that flows through China, is found in the Three Parallel Rivers area, a rich center of biodiversity recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Despite the fact that studies since the 1950s have identified tremendous hydropower potential, the Salween is a relatively undeveloped basin-with only one major hydro-electric project at Baluchaung. However, it is likely that with economic development and more political integration in the region, development pressure in the river basin will increase, and there will be more demands to use the waters for irrigation, urban and industrial uses, and navigation.

China, Myanmar, and Thailand do not yet have an agreement on the use of the Salween, thus allowing each of them free use of the river. Each of these countries has unilateral plans to construct dams and development projects along the Salween, but these sets of plans are not compatible. Since December 2002, the Myanmar Military and the Electricity Generation Authority of Thailand (EGAT) have been discussing the possibility of constructing large dam projects on the Salween. Thai and Myanmar officials have been working together discretely in an insurgent area where the Myanmar army has persecuted the Shan civilian population. This part of the Shan state is the operational base of the armed Shan nationalist resistance movement, which is opposed to the junta in Rangoon.

With an already large number of Shan people being forced from the region, environmental groups and local populations are worried that the dam project will only exacerbate the problem. But, as Myanmar has a serious need for energy and has also felt the effects of drought, the junta has been willing to cooperate with Thailand. Environmental groups expressed concerns about the ecological effects of the projects, and human rights advocates warned against co-investing with a military junta that is oppressive, unpredictable, and might not respect benefit-sharing agreements. Nonetheless, in August 2004, Thailand and Myanmar agreed to set up a joint venture to construct five hydro-powered dams in the Salween river basin, beginning with Tasang dam.

Meanwhile, in 2003 China announced plans to build a 13 hydropower projects on the Nujiang River in China. More than 80 environmental and human rights groups in Thailand and Myanmar petitioned China to consult downstream countries before proceeding with the project. In April 2004, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao purportedly suspended plans for the massive dam system, and ordered officials to conduct a review of the hydropower project and an environment impact assessment. However, Li Yunfei, the director of the Nu River Power Bureau, said he had not heard of any changes and was still working on the project. According to Chinese media, the 13 dams would have a total generating capacity of 21.32 million kilowatts. Since electricity shortages forced some factories to close this past summer, the promise of a new power facility capable of generating this much electricity is very tempting. China is relying heavily on hydropower to meet its soaring demand for electricity, and officials plan to triple installed hydroelectric capacity to 270,000 MW by 2020.

Issues and Stakeholders

Promoting and coordinating joint development of hydropower projects within the Salween Basin between the countries of Myanmar, Thailand, and China.

NSPD: Water Quantity, Water Quality, Governance, Assets
Stakeholder Types: Sovereign state/national/federal government, Environmental interest, Industry/Corporate Interest, Community or organized citizens

The river flows through regions of ethnic unrest and drug trade; collaboration and support of a government in Myanmar that violates human rights; dam project could detrimentally impact the environment and disrupt the livelihoods of local peoples.

Stakeholders:

  • Myanmar
  • Thailand
  • China
  • Electricity Generation Authority of Thailand (EGAT)
  • MDX Power Corp (Thailand)
  • Shan Nationalist Resistance Movement


Analysis, Synthesis, and Insight

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Key Questions

What role(s) can hydropower play in a nation's energy strategy? What calculations considerations and potential outcomes should be investigated by countries looking to harness additional hydropower?

The importance of water cooperation/economic development can supersede working with an oppressive regime. Even though Myanmar is controlled by a junta that is blamed for human rights violations, Thailand is still willing to cooperate with their government in order to promote regional management of the Salween River. For Thailand, the development of the Salween River and the benefits received from such development takes precedence over working with an oppressive regime. National sovereignty to protect water resources goes beyond international pressure.



How do issues of equity and development impact the identification of stakeholders in cases involving hydropower or other revenue generating water infrastructure?

Lack of inclusion of populations of a shared river basin in the decision-making processes may cause conflicts. The local populations in both Thailand and Myanmar have not been included in decision-making processes with regards to major hydroelectric projects. Whereas Thailand and Myanmar may work cooperatively to avoid conflict, large-scale projects may create or exacerbate intrastate conflicts.



To what extent can international actors and movements from civil society influence water management? How and when is this beneficial/detrimental and how can these effects be supported/mitigated?

Tensions are created when a country within a basin acts unilaterally without consulting other nations. Thailand and Myanmar have been working together for some time on the development of the Salween River basin, but China has been acting unilaterally, potentially constructing up to 13 dams on the upper stem of the river. Without working with the two downstream nations, China risks creating conflict with Thailand and Myanmar.



How can government be dis/incentivized to offer an inclusive planning process?

Upstream nations with superior strength can hinder joint management of river basins. China, with far more military might and economic power than both Thailand and Myanmar combined, has little incentive to work jointly with them in the management of the Salween River. Thailand and Myanmar's water resources from the Salween may be at great risk depending on what China decides to do on the upper part of the river.

External Links

  • Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database (TFDD) (2012). Oregon State University. — The Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database (TFDD) is a database intended for use in aiding the process of water conflict prevention and resolution. We have developed this database, a project of the Oregon State University Department of Geo-sciences, in collaboration with the Northwest Alliance for Computational Science and Engineering.
  1. ^ Product of the Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database, Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University. Additional information about the TFDD can be found at: http://www.transboundarywaters.orst.edu/research/case_studies/Salween_New.htm



Facts about "Efforts of Coordinating Joint Development of Hydropower Projects Within the Salween Basin"RDF feed
Area320,000 km² (123,552 mi²) +
ClimateMoist tropical (Köppen A-type) +, Humid mid-latitude (Köppen C-type) +, Continental (Köppen D-type) +, Moist + and Monsoon +
Geolocation23° 41' 43.6214", 98° 49' 42.4409"Latitude: 23.6954504
Longitude: 98.8284558
+
IssuePromoting and coordinating joint development of hydropower projects within the Salween Basin between the countries of Myanmar, Thailand, and China. +
Key QuestionWhat role(s) can hydropower play in a nation's energy strategy? What calculations considerations and potential outcomes should be investigated by countries looking to harness additional hydropower? +, How do issues of equity and development impact the identification of stakeholders in cases involving hydropower or other revenue generating water infrastructure? +, To what extent can international actors and movements from civil society influence water management? How and when is this beneficial/detrimental and how can these effects be supported/mitigated? + and How can government be dis/incentivized to offer an inclusive planning process? +
Land Useagricultural- cropland and pasture +, industrial use +, forest land +, urban + and urban- high density +
NSPDWater Quantity +, Water Quality +, Governance + and Assets +
Population6 million +
Stakeholder TypeSovereign state/national/federal government +, Environmental interest +, Industry/Corporate Interest + and Community or organized citizens +
Water FeatureSalween River +
Water UseAgriculture or Irrigation +, Fisheries - wild +, Fisheries - farmed +, Hydropower Generation + and Livestock +
Has subobjectThis property is a special property in this wiki.Efforts of Coordinating Joint Development of Hydropower Projects Within the Salween Basin +, Efforts of Coordinating Joint Development of Hydropower Projects Within the Salween Basin +, Efforts of Coordinating Joint Development of Hydropower Projects Within the Salween Basin + and Efforts of Coordinating Joint Development of Hydropower Projects Within the Salween Basin +