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ASIA GEOSPATIAL FORUM Hanoi, 17-19 September, 2012. Impact of Hydropower plants construction and consequences to forests. A case study in Dong Nai river basin of Dak Nong province. By: Prof. Hoang Hoe Eng. Le Huy Cuong Dr. Do Xuan Lan. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY.
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ASIA GEOSPATIAL FORUM Hanoi, 17-19 September, 2012 Impact of Hydropower plants construction and consequences to forests. A case study in Dong Nai river basin of DakNong province By: Prof. Hoang Hoe Eng. Le Huy Cuong Dr. Do Xuan Lan
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY • The overall objectiveTo make recommendations for the coordination between sectors in the land use planning, hydropower planning and development, forest management to benefit the sustainable socio-economic development and the environment. • Specific objectives of the study to:- Assess impact of hydropower projects to forest, land use in terms of changes in area and quality;- Define some effects of hydropower projects on environment and socio-economic life of the community.
STUDY METHOD • Mapping forest status in the year 2000 and 2010 using Remote sensing data. • Interpretation key and ground truthing. • Overlay maps of 2 periods to assess changes in forest area between two date. • Assess the quality of the forest types after the hydropower plants constructed. • Setting up temporary plots to measure forest characteristics; • analyzing survey data for assessment of forest quality indicators • Investigate the environmental and socio-economic conditions and production activities in the area of hydropower plant construction regarding resettlement though interviewing affected households.
Impact of the Hydropower plant to the forest • In the period from 2000 - 2010 in the Dong Nai river basin construct 18 hydropower plants of various scale
Figure 1: Location map of the Hdropower plants of the Dong Nai River Basin in Dak Nong Province
Area loss under reservoirs • Total natural area lost due to reservoir construction of 18 plants was 5,328.7 ha, • natural forest loss was 2,128.2 ha. in which: • poor forest: 220.8 ha; • the newly regenerated forest: 86.2 ha; • bamboo forest 803.9 ha; and • mixed bamboo-wood forest: 902.1 ha. • Forest loss mostly occurs in the basin of Dong Nai 3 hydropower reservoir being submerged now.
Area loss under reservoirs (cont’d) • Non-forest area lose is 3,200.5 ha, in which: • 565.3 ha of bare land, • 1964.6 ha of agricultural land and industrial plantations. • Thus the actual area of forest and non-forest land lost due to construction of hydropower reservoirs is only a small part of the total area of forest lost in the basin. • The indirect impacts of hydropower projects are also caused by the other factors should be assessed in detail.
Forest and land use by 2010 • By 2010, the total forest area in the basin remains very low, just 48,803.7 ha accounted for only 25.2% of the total land area. • High percentage of poor forest while the medium and rich forests have very small ratio, showing that quality of the forest is increasingly declined. • Non-forest land accounted for 74.8%, in which: • agricultural and other land covers a large area with 124,600.8 ha showing that agricultural production activities are growing and the large area of forest were converted to meet the needs of population. • Forest cover of only 25.2% this is a big concern
Forest and land use change during 2000-2010 • Forest area in 2010 has lost 42,682.8 ha compared to 2000 corresponding to 46%. • 42,682.8 hectares of forest disappear after 10 years is worrying figures for the forests protection and management. • The area of agricultural land and other land increased by 41,379.4 ha, • forest loss has converted into industrial plantations and agricultural land. • The reason of forest loss is to grow agricultural crops and industrial trees by DakNong province, after separation from the DakLak: • Plateau flat terrain fertile basalt soil suitable to species cash crops such as coffee, pepper.
Forest and land use change during 2000-2010 (Cont’d) • Lagest changes is medium and poor forests. • The medium forest in 2000 was 26,273 ha; after 10 years only 6383.7 ha, • Poor forest 25,722.1 ha in 2000 and in 2010 only 14,065.5 ha. • Regeneration forest also decreased by 9,400 ha after 10 years • in 2000: 16,018.9 hectares whereas in 2010: 6,618.9 ha. • Other land area increased 41,379.4 ha, while 42,682.8 hectares of natural forest are lost after 10 years. This suggests that most of the deforestation area converted into other land.
Impact of Hydropower plants on socio-economic life Impact on population distribution • Construction of hydropower plants occupy area along the rivers and streams where locate agricultural and residential land. • Resettlement of large number of households. • Resettlement work may take in place or relocation to a new place i.e. process of redistribution of the population in a small area or a region. • Small and medium-sized hydropower plants: usually on-site resettlement. People use cash (compensation) to buy a piece of land and continue to live in the old place. • Large hydropower projects: due to large scale land acquisition, people have to resettle to new place
Affect on culture, customs and habits of ethnic minorities. • The hydropower largely built in the watershed areas of rivers and streams, where many ethnic minorities live. • Nearly half of the households are poor, • material and spiritual life more difficult and also offers many living traditions of their people. • The resettlement process lead to lose of all traditional architecture. • Households are arranged in a standard house built by investors with an area of 55m2. • Houses are located along the route as a new urban center. • Living in conditions of high concentration, cultural and ethnic identity eroded gradually, no longer wear traditional clothing, no festival, singing and cultural activities also decrease. • Life of the ethnic minority people in the resettlement areas were also changed. The family does not use firewood that use gas, do not use mineral water wells but tap water, no longer countryside living community but urban environment.
Affect on social welfare • In resettlement communes, the social welfare significantly improved • Typically in resettlement new Dak Plao commune has built 5 kindergartens, 5 cultural community, one clinic, three schools and institutions of social work nicely. Transport systems, electricity and water supply relatively complete. • In contrast to the resettlement communes, in the other communes where people resettled in place, investors just pay compensation (in cash) and do not focus on improving the welfare of the people. • No improvement of roads, electricity, schools. Even some households agreed on resettlement compensation without electricity and water. • Communication system severely degraded due vehicles for building hydropower. • People are affected by dust, waste from the construction work.
Affect on arable land and settlement • The survey of 50 households affected by hydroelectric plant construction shows: • in 2000 the average household had 2.44 ha (the highest upto 6.9 ha); • by the end of 2010 the average households has only 1.33 ha (highest only 4 hectares). • The average household lost one hectare of arable land due to hydropower plant construction. The loss of productive land has a huge impact on people's social and economic life. • The survey results showed that: • 31.1% of households were completely change production practices. • 56.6% of households changed production practices. • 13.3% of households no or little change in production practices.
Conclusions • From 2000 to 2010, in the Dong Nai River Basin of Dak Nong province and forests lost 48,804 ha, in the area of natural forest is 45.013ha. Average annual forest loss of 4268ha, the average annual loss of 4.65% of forest area from 2000. • By 2010, forest cover in the Dong Nai River Basin is only 25.18% that is an alarming number for watershed area. • The main reason for forest change is conversion to agriculture land. Hydropower projects contribute only a small part to the process of deforestation, but largely impact indirectly on change by resettlement, construction of supporting facilities. • Very high density of Hydropower plants in the basin, while forest cover is down to alarming levels lead to: • low protection capacity for the reservoir and dam, • increase risk and danger for downstream, • lack of water in the dry season and floods in rainy season • Construction of hydropower plants affects on socio-economic life of the local people due to loss of arable land, change of lifestyle.