strategic environmental assessment in the lower … strategic environmental assessment in the lower...
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StrategicEnvironmentalAssessmentintheLowerMekong
SEAprocess,toolsandlessonsfromthelowerMekongregionenergysector
Bangkok,24-27May2016TheLandmarkBangkok138SukhumvitRoad
SEAinthehydropowersectorinMyanmar
IntroductionThis document provides background information on the SEA process in the hydropower sector inMyanmar.PleasereviewtheinformationinpreparationoftheWorkingGroupSessiononDay2oftheworkshop(Wednesday).BackgroundinformationonthesectorThe Government ofMyanmar (GOM) has identified 92 potential large hydropower projects (eachwithatleast10MWcapacity)withtotalpotentialinstalledcapacityof46,101MW(Figure1).Thesehydropowerprojectsareexpectedtoharnessupto50%ofthecountrieshydropowerpotential.Themajority of the development plans are targeted to the Thanlwin, Ayeyarwady and the Chindwinbasin.Mostoftheseprojectswillexportpowerto IndiaandBangladesh inthenorthwest,China inthenorthandeastandThailandinthesouthwest.
Figure1:Existingandplannedlarge-scalehydropowerprojectsinMyanmar
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Myanmarhasanestimated100,000MWof totalhydropower resourcepotential,with38%on theAyeyarwaddyRiver.Thetotalinstalledcapacityofexistinghydropowerplantsis2,660MW.Thereare6proposeddamsalongtheThanlwinRiver,whichwouldhaveacombinedcapacityofover18000MW.Tappingthecountry’sextensivehydropowerpotentialcouldprovideacriticalsourceofelectricityforthenationalgridandpowereconomicgrowth,whichisexpectedtoaverageatleast6.8%incomingyears. Myanmar also has one of the lowest electrification rates in Asia, less than a third of thepopulationhasaccesstotheelectricitygrid.ChallengesfacingthesectorThefollowingaresomeofthechallengesfacinghydropowerdevelopmentinMyanmar:
1. Balancingtheneedsofrural-urbanaccesstoenergyandexportingpowertoneighbouringcountries: 75 per cent of the population in major cities in Myanmar enjoys access toelectricity,howeverruralareasonlyhaveanelectrificationrateof16percent.
2. Dealing with operational challenges of existing hydropower projects: Degradedinfrastructure and seasonal variation from prolonged dry seasons are limiting hydropowerprojectsfromgeneratingpoweratfullcapacity
3. Limited capacity to prioritise hydropower developments and apply environmental andsocial safeguards: The 2014 Myanmar Water Policy and the Environmental ImpactAssessment(EIA)procedures2015arerecentdevelopmentstoenhancethelegalframeworkforSEAinthehydropowersector.
4. Mounting pressure from civil society and local communities concerning large scaleprojects: Environmental groups in Myanmar have called on the government to halthydropower projects on major rivers, citing potential negative environmental and socialimpacts.Forexample, the6000MWMyitsoneDamwassuspended in2011dueto intenseoppositionfromlocalcommunities.
5. Workingwithethnicminorities:Therearemorethan135ethnicitiesinMyanmar,thesevenlargestethnicminoritiesareKachin,Kayah,Kayin,Chin,Mon,RahkineandShaneachlinkedtoaState.TheThanlwinRiverflowsentirelythroughtheShan,Kayah,KayinandMonStateandtheChindwinandAyeyarwadyoriginateintheKachinState.
6. Limitedenvironmentalandsocio-economicdataavailable.ProposedSEAofthesectorAnSEAofhydropowerdevelopmentinMyanmarisplannedin2016-17.ThemainobjectivesofthisSEA is todevelopa sustainablehydropowerdevelopmentpathway inMyanmarover thenext 20years (2035)andbeyond,basedonenvironmental, socialandeconomicconsiderations, toachievelong-term economic development and sustainable use and protection of natural resources andecosystems.ThekeyexpectedoutcomesoftheSEAare:
• amoreinformedandimproveddialoguebetweenstakeholders;• enhanced understanding by decision makers and other stakeholders of the range of
stakeholder values and priorities that need to be taken into account in formulating thesustainablehydropowerdevelopmentpathway;
• anenvironmentalandsocio-economic(E&S)ratingofpipelineprojectproposals;• ashareddevelopmentpathwaythataccountsforstakeholderpriorities;and
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• recommendations on policies, procedures and plans required to plan hydropower, tradingoffdifferentvaluesandoutcomes.
WorkingSession2:SEAofhydropowersectorinMyanmar–consolidatedresponses
1.Whoarethekeystakeholders?• Relevantministriesatna-onalandlocallevels• CSOsandNGOs• Localcommuni-es(includingethnicminori-es)
• Neighbouringcountries
2.Howwillyouengagethestakeholders?• Consulta-vemee-ngs• Interviewsandsurveys• Focusgroupdiscussions• Dissemina-onofprojectinforma-onviamassmedia(newspapersandtelevision)
3.Whatarethekeyenvironmentalissues?• Deforesta-onandforestdegrada-on• Hydrologyimpacts• Biodiversityloss• Waterandairpollu-on• Floods,droughtsandlandslides
4.HowwouldyouprioriEzethekeyenvironmentalissues?
• Experts’judgement• Scien-ficdata• Consulta-onswithstakeholders• Priori-esiden-fiedindevelopmentplans.
5.Whatarethekeysocio-economicissues?
• Land-usechange• Communitydisplacement• Foodsecurity(par-cularlyforfisheries)• Employmentopportuni-es• Healthandpovertyimpacts• Lossofculturalvalues
6.HowwouldyouprioriEzethekeysocio-economicissues?• Experts’judgement• Consulta-onswithstakeholders• Priori-esiden-fiedindevelopmentplans• Mone-za-onofimpacts
7.WhatkindsofcumulaEveimpactsneedtobeconsidered?• Impactsofonehydropowerplantontheothers
• Climatechange• Fisheries• Floodingandwaterlevels• Impactsonminoritygroups
8.WhatareotheralternaEvestomedium/largehydro-powerandhowshouldtheybeconsidered?• Energyefficiencymeasures(e.g.efficientstoves)• Small-scalehydropower• Otherrenewableenergysourceswhereappropriate(wind,solar,biomass),biogas,LNG
9.Anycomments/suggesEonsontheSEAprocess?• Allocatesufficientbudgetand-meframeforconsulta-onsanddatacollec-on
• Standardisedatacollec-on• Runpilotprojects
10.WhattoolscanbeusedtoprioriEzestrategicissues?• Mul-plecriteriaanalysis&cost-benefitanalysis• Workshopsandconsulta-ons• Trendanalysis• GIS• Long-termna-onaldevelopmentplans