Cultural Diversity, Water Resources, and Global Environmental Crises: Emerging trends and implications for sustainable futures Fifth World Water Forum Topic Presentation March 21, 2009 Barbara Rose Johnston

World War II - year ,000 large dams built… 20 % of the world's electricity 10% of the world's food grown with irrigation.

Global consequences of large dams and water diversions: To date, 60% of the worlds major rivers have been dammed, flooding some 1% of the earth’s surface, including the most productive agricultural lands in the world.To date, 60% of the worlds major rivers have been dammed, flooding some 1% of the earth’s surface, including the most productive agricultural lands in the world. endangering or caused the extinction of one third of the world's fresh water fish species.endangering or caused the extinction of one third of the world's fresh water fish species. decimating downstream fisheries, waterfowl and mammals of the world's deltas.decimating downstream fisheries, waterfowl and mammals of the world's deltas.

India, : 60 million forcefully evicted from rural villages, majority without adequate compensation, to make way for water and other infrastructure development. China, by 2000: 60 million displaced by water development. Other nations, by 2000: 40 million forcibly evicted to make way for large dam development. Each year of this century has seen another 15 million people forcibly displaced by large dam development. … more than 1/4 of a billion people have suffered the loss of homes, community, traditional livelihood in the name of water/power development Post-project assessment of dam development by resettlement experts: not a single case where development refugees now experience an equivalent, let alone, improved quality of life.

What has happened to these millions of people? Lacking fertile lands and the means to reproduce a way life, many suffer in horrific poverty in resettlement compounds and camps or migrate as development refugees from rural to urban settings within their nation and abroad. Development-induced displacement is a major cause of global poverty.

Who are these displaced people? They are fishers, farmers, pastoralists: people who live off the land and have done so for generations in largely self- sustaining communities. The majority of development- displaced people are members of ethnic minority or indigenous groups whose society, culture, and ways of life differs from the national norm.

Pueblo Viejo, Guatemala -1978

Rio Negro, Guatemala -1977

Chixoy Dam, Guatemala Installation of automatic sensors to open flood gates

Wars in biodiversity hotspots… 80% of the conflicts in the past 50 years have taken place directly within biodiversity hotspots Hanson et al, Wars in biodiversity hotspots, Conservation Biology, February 2009

Conclusion The global implications of a massive increase in the number of dams and water diversions includes threats to and loss of a huge proportion of the worlds remaining cultural and biodiversity. How will people respond to these threats? In the event that proposals are funded and built, where will these people go? How will they survive? What consequences will we see in global loss of food security and health, and the escalation in poverty, misery, and violence? How does climate change factor in?

The primary goal of water development and management should be to sustain human environmental needs now and in the future. This means we need to develop and manage water in ways that first and foremost protect and provide the means to support sustainable ways of life.

Recommendations: Water development must comply with national law, international human rights norms, and international conventions … - recognition of and protection for “off the map” areas -- national parks, biodiversity hotspots, sacred sites, World Heritage Sites - respect the human right to water - implement indigenous peoples' rights, including the right to free, prior, informed consent; - and, insure the right for ALL affected people to access information about projects, to meaningfully participate in decision making, and to share in the benefits of development.