Gaps in policy implementation related to small hydropower in Nghe An

On the afternoon of April 18, Nghe An Forestry Development Consulting Center coordinated with Tuong Duong District People's Committee to organize a workshop on "Promoting equitable sharing of water resources for ethnic minority communities in the downstream areas of small hydropower plants through cooperation between communities, businesses and state management agencies in Vietnam", at Xoong Con Hydropower Plant, Tam Thai Commune, Tuong Duong District.

The workshop was organized within the framework of a project sponsored by The Stockholm Environment Institute.

Comrades: Nguyen Thanh Nham - Director of Nghe An Forestry Development Consulting Center; Nguyen Huu Hien - Vice Chairman of Tuong Duong District People's Committee chaired the workshop.

The workshop was attended by representatives of the following agencies: Department of Water Resources Management - Ministry of Agriculture and Environment; Nghe An Province's Economic and Budget Board; provincial departments, branches and sectors; North Central Hydrometeorological Center. The workshop was also attended by experts and scientists in the field of natural resources and environment.

Comrade Nguyen Huu Hien - Vice Chairman of Tuong Duong District People's Committee reported on the action plan for equitable sharing of water resources benefits after hydropower at Xoong Con Hydropower Plant. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Nghe An is the province with the largest land area in the country, with more than 3.2 million people. The whole province currently has 32 hydropower projects, with a capacity of 1,360.95 MW, of which there are 16 small hydropower projects. The downstream basin of the Xoong Con Hydropower Plant with a capacity of 15 MW built on Cha Lap stream, in Tam Thai commune, Tuong Duong district, was selected for the study.

According to initial survey, the downstream area has 980 households with 4,067 people, mainly Thai ethnic people, who are regularly directly affected by the hydropower plant.

Research results in the Xoong Con small hydropower basin show that since its operation in 2018, this hydropower plant has had negative impacts on water resources, agriculture and livelihoods of downstream communities, reducing crop and aquatic productivity, seriously affecting food security.

Environmental changes also lead to economic inequality, especially for women and poor households, and the project has not been sufficient to compensate people for their losses. Based on the study results, specific actions have been proposed, including improving benefit-sharing mechanisms, enhancing warning information about water discharges, and supporting alternative livelihoods for affected communities.

Survey of the impact of hydropower at Xoong Con Hydropower Plant, Tam Thai Commune. Photo: CSCC

At the workshop, presentations and opinions also showed that the implementation of policies related to small hydropower, such as Xoong Con hydropower, has many gaps, especially in protecting the ecological environment and local communities.

Problems such as lack of water for farming, flooding and biodiversity loss have not been thoroughly resolved. To overcome these, it is necessary to improve the legal framework, add regulations on maintaining minimum flows, strengthen education and communication for ethnic minority communities, and at the same time, build a benefit-sharing mechanism among stakeholders.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Hien - Vice Chairman of Tuong Duong District People's Committee said: It is necessary to prioritize funding from the tax revenue of Xoong Con Hydropower Plant to support overcoming the impact after the hydropower plant, especially in quickly handling the problem of water supply to combat drought for agricultural production in Tam Thai commune.

Dr. Ho Thi Phuong - lecturer at Vinh University said: Extreme flood events and water shortages after dam construction have directly reduced crop yields, incomes and caused economic inequality among households. This has exacerbated the unstable situation of water resources.

The workshop created an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss and share practical solutions to ensure fairness in the distribution of benefits from water resources, especially for ethnic minority communities downstream of small hydropower plants./.

Source: https://baonghean.vn/con-khoang-trong-trong-viec-thuc-thi-chinh-sach-lien-quan-den-thuy-dien-nho-o-nghe-an-10295404.html