Life after Myitsone

Jun 5, 2017 | Joern Kristensen
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After more than five years of uncertainty, it seems likely that the Myitsone Dam will be cancelled.

Such a decision would create a rare opportunity for dialogue between government and civil society on how best to produce and distribute electricity for economic development in Myanmar, including hydropower. This opportunity should not be lost.

Damming Myanmar rivers remains controversial. This was demonstrated yet again when the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, conducted public consultations in Kachin and Kayah States in late January and early February to inform and receive feedback on a planned Strategic Environmental Assessment of hydropower in the country. People gathered outside the meeting venue to express opposition.

But tensions remain high on both sides. At a recent press briefing, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Electricity and Energy, U Htein Lwin, expressed frustration at the government’s inability to move forward on new hydropower projects due to public opposition.

Given the legacy of hydropower in Myanmar, the lack of acceptance from the public is understandable. In the past, during years of military rule, the approach has not been strategic; the aim was to maximise profit. Developers were allowed to choose sites for construction of hydropower dams with apparently little consideration for environmental and social safeguards. Communities that would be affected by construction, including those being relocated from villages where they had lived for generations, were not consulted. There was no dialogue.