Five international consortia have been short-listed to carry out studies for the Philippines-based Asian Development Bank’s (ADB’s) new committee on ‘large dams and recommended practices for regional assistance’.
The studies are intended by ADB to offer a parallel to those from the World Commission on Dams, and they are being funded by an US$800,000 commitment allocated by the ADB in 1998.
The consortia short-listed to carry out the studies are:
•Hecec Australia, in association with Geo-Eng Australia and Oirnie/HPL International.
•Stockholm Environment Institute of Sweden.
•electrowatt Engineering of Switzerland, in association with the Institute of National, Regional and Local Planning; Laboratory of Energy Systems and Laboratory of Hydraulics Structures in Switzerland.
•Southeast Asia Technology of Thailand, in association with Schema Konsult and AIT-Net.
The long-term objectives of the studies will be to ensure that dam projects provide maximum benefits to all concerned. They will also assess the success with which projects include mitigation of adverse impacts to ‘an acceptable level’ and to the satisfaction of all stakeholders. ADB says that the study will give recommendations on the best practice for projects in Asia.
