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Children from San Antonio protesting
the El Tigre dam
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Throughout the entire
world, dams dislodge poor and rural populations and destroy
the environment and cultural patrimony. Imposed by the neoliberal
political model for the benefit of multinational coroporations,
hydroelectric dams almost never leave any benefit for the
evicted populations. The World Bank admits that between
40 and 80 millions of people have been displaced due to
the construction of large dams. The displaced must confront
the loss of cultural patrimony, their traditional land,
and many times they never recieve what the financial groups
promise them. As is the case of the Black River in
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Hundreds
in protest of El Tigre
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Guatemala, communities
that do not want to be displaced have been repressed, threatened,
and even massacred (more than 300 died in Río Negro).
But there are people
who resist the imposition of dams with bravery and success.
Following the work of the First Foro Against Dams in Petén,
Guatemala, we are going to share experiences, plan resistance,
and discuss alternatives.
Themes of the Forum Against
Dams
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| What are dams: Basic Information |
| The update from the World Commision
on Dams and how to use it |
| How dams are constructed, and
existing strategic plans |
| Plan of action. |
| Agreements and declarations |
Effects of Hydroelectric Dams*
The most evidend impcat of dams is
probably the flooding of large expanses of forest, land
and animal habitats, just in the same way as many communities.
These dams have flunded extensive areas. At least 400,000
square kilometers have been lost in the world as a result.
Social Impact: The World Commission
on Dams concluded that between 40 and 80 million people
have been displaced because of dams. This displacement has
caused serious economic problems, disintegration of the
communities and an increase in health problems. Millions
of people that live down stream of the dams have suffered,
in this way, terrible impacts as a result of sicknesses,
and the changing of the strength of the river flow and the
loss of natural resources.
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People in
protest, profess that they will defend their land
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Environmental Costs: The great
dams have cause profound and irreversible environmental
impacts, including the instinction of species, the loss
of forrests, moisture and agrigcultural lands. The negative
environmental effects weren´t foretold and the efforts
to mitigate these effects have failed. Moreover, the dams
emit gasses with a warming effect, provoking the change
of the world climate.
Economic Impact:According
to the report from the World Commision of Dams, the displaced
persons confront a large spectrum of risks of empovrishment
that included being left without land, without work, without
dwelling, marginalized, without food security, with high
mortality, and loss of common resources. As for the people
who have been relocated, they rarely recover their means
of sustenance... the affected people in many cases have
been forced to relocate to relocate themselves around the
damn zones in which resources have already been drained
and the environment deteriorated. The repositioning of agricultural
land, basic services and infrastructure are rarely realized,
or have been inaddecuate, or delayed for many years.
Cultural Impacts: These huge
dams have had serious impacts, affecting the lives, and
the means of sustenance, the cultures and spiritual existence
of indigenous peoples. In Petén, many very sacred
places will be flooded, and places like Piedras Negras will
be lost forever.
Impacts on Women: The CMR
maintains that dams have amplified the gender disparity
between communities affected and frequently women who have
endured a disproportional part of the soical costs, for
example, the discrimination against them when it comes to
sharing the possible benefits of possilbe reparations.
Human Health Effects: The
dams can have significant adverse effects for the health
of local pouplations and communities down stream [malaria,
AIDS, esquistosomiasis, intoxication etc.] Moreover,
the destruction of the community bases of production in
agriculture and fishing can cause scarecity of food, producing
starvation and malnutrition.
* Taken
from a press release of the Fretnte Petenero Contra Represas
(21-Apr-03). Complete Document
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