World Commission on Dams: implications for food and irrigation11

The World Commission on Dams has now published its report. Insights into the workings and conclusions of the Commission were published in the last edition of this Journal. While the WCD report brings together a number of important existing and new recommendations on ameliorating the negative impacts of large dams, it pays inadequate attention to the impacts in the major area (food production and security) for which dams have been built. Consideration of data presented by the WCD would suggest a more positive impact, and a brief review of national and world trends in food production suggests that irrigation – of which large dams are an intrinsic and central component – has underlain if not dominated the vast improvement in food availability that occurred in the second half of the last century. With water in crisis in many countries, planners, policymakers and politicians will continue to face challenging decisions on the allocation of limited freshwater supplies, and demands to increase the level of water resources development. Some guidance from the WCD is helpful, and some is flawed. Most importantly, much is missing, and to be useful, guidance must reflect rational and balanced, expert and rigorous assessment of all the impacts of the available options.