reclaiming submerged rights
communities seek compensation for
impacts of yacyretá mega-dam
friends of the earth
paraguay
“Large dams have fragmented the world's
rivers and displaced between 40 and 80
million people.”
World Commission on Dams Final
Report, ‘Dams and Development', 2000.
Yacyretá is one of the largest and
most complex hydroelectric projects in
the world, and a striking example of
the environmental and social rights
violations caused by large dams.
Affected communities in Paraguay and
Argentina are currently claiming the
right to compensation and remediation
for the extensive damage done to their
lives and environments.
Construction of the 67-kilometre dam
across the Paraná River , joining
Argentina and Paraguay , began in 1983
with funding from the World Bank and
Inter-American Development Bank. Ever
since, the project has been plagued
with delays, corruption, disputes,
political instability and abuse of
power. Attempts by civil society to
participate in the decision making
process have been met with strong
institutional resistance.
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The 110,000-hectare artificial lake that
was created when the reservoir was
partially filled in 1994 inundated unique
natural ecosystems, valuable agricultural
land and densely populated urban areas. The
impacts of the project on indigenous, rural
and urban communities have been enormous,
with thousands of families being
involuntarily relocated. Rising groundwater
levels and altered surface water flows have
contaminated water supplies and exposed
thousands of poor urban families to
increased risk of water-borne disease.
Existing compensation and resettlement
programs have failed to meet the basic
needs of thousands of affected families,
creating a lasting legacy of poverty and
suffering. To make matters worse, the
governments intend to raise the reservoir
level from 76 to 83 meters above sea level,
which will likely displace at least 57,000
additional people.
claiming
reparations
The enormous social impacts of Yacyretá
constitute a grave violation of basic human
rights to property, housing, health,
livelihood, environmental and quality of
life. In 1996, Friends of the Earth
Paraguay d affected communities presented a
claim to the World Bank and the
Inter-American Development Bank, requesting
that the violations of both bank's policies
in relation to the dam be investigated. The
reports of the two independent inspection
panels recommended immediate action to
remedy the harm caused by violation of bank
policies. Yet to date, no credible action
has been taken. In 2002, a local community
organization presented a new claim
highlighting the ongoing violations of bank
policies; the reports of the investigations
on this second claim have not yet been
issued.
Friends of the Earth Paraguay is calling
for the Yacyretá Binational Entity to
compensate for the damages that have been
caused by the dam. They propose the
implementation of a debt payment mechanism
to finance compensation, the mitigation of
past damages, and reinvestment in affected
communities. They are also calling for the
development of programs to restore
watersheds and key ecosystems, to implement
sustainable agriculture and to reinvigorate
towns and cities. They also want
international financial institutions and
governments to create a ‘remedy and
reinvestment fund' in order to restore the
quality of life of affected people.
