The following document is a precis of an annotated bibliography on the socio-economic impacts of natural resource megaprojects in Canada, published by the University of British Columbia. In keeping with the nature of the Dam-Reservoir Impact and Information Archive, this precis focuses on papers dealing with hydroelectric and other reservoirs. Dedicated with thanks to Duncan Marshall. -Dianne Murray, Sept. 1996. N.B. This bibliography excludes the environmental data EXCEPT for those cases where it was directly linked to social or economic conditions for existing residents. A substantial literature on biophyical monitoring and conditions is also excluded. For these impacts please consult the bibliography/refererce section of this online publication/archive. -cdm, Monday, Sept. 16th, 1996. ______________________________________________________________________________ *WATER DEVELOPMENT PROJECT BENEFITS ARE GROSSLY EXAGERATED* Some excerpts from the original introduction to the bibliography: "Natural resource megaprojects are among the largest investment decisions in the Canadian economy. They generally involve investments of more than one billion dollars and create enormous levels of new employment." "Resource megaprojects tend to be located in remote or rural regions and they are expected to generate significant regional economic growth. Further, this growth is expected to provide considerable local benefits such as jobs for regional residents and increased business and entrepreneurial opportunities in the local and regional business sector. Overall, resource megaprojects are perceived as a regional development tool that will stimulate and support a vital, dynamic regional economy with independant and self-sufficient communities and individuals." "However, many of these promised local benefits may not actually appear. While project planners emphasize the need to maximize local benefits...most of the high paying jobs directly associated with the megaproject may be taken by outsiders. ...the expected development in the local business sector... may not materialize... in stark contrast to the social and environmental costs of megaprojects which are ...borne by regional residents." "In theory, monitoring studies during project construction and operation will... produce data that can be used to assess the accuracy of the pre-project projections... [But] there are few publicly available studies of the actual local benefits and costs of these projects." "Interestingly, few studies were done explicitly as part of a development contract between government(s) and the... proponent." "Hydroelectric megaprojects appear to be the most disruptive due to their enormous spatial impact and the ecological changes that result. Many of these studies discussed and documented the link between... ecological changes [e.g. decimation of fish resources and flooding of wildlife habitat) and negative impacts on the native economy... from complete loss of the resource base to increased effort and out-of-pocket expenses required to achieve similar harvests. In turn, these studies noted the link between the ecological and economic chnges and social impacts which included health impacts and increased individiual and community stress. In the studies reviewed, these impacts were not compensated for by employment in the hydroelectric megaprojects." **The authors of the original bibliography note that any increased affluence and access to the communities resulting from for e.g. road improvements tends usually to result in more alcohol, drug abuse, crime and violence, and in family breakdown. _______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Projects Covered... TABLE 1: MEGAPROJECTS BY PROVINCE [* indicates cost-benefit studies available] BRITISH COLUMBIA *WAC Bennett Dam, Peace River, BC Hydro, 1960's Columbia River Treaty [Mica, Keelyside, & Duncan Dams], late 1960's *Revelstoke Canyon Dam, BC Hydro, late 1970's *Alcan Smelter and Kemano Dam, Kitimat, 1960's MANITOBA Limestone Dam, Nelson River [Long Spruce and others], Manitoba Hydro, 1985-90 *Lake Winnipeg regulation [Jenpeg], Manitoba Hydro, 1975 *Churchill-Nelson Rivers Diversion Project, Manitoba Hydro, completed 1976. *Grand Rapids Hydro Project, Manitoba Hydro, Saskatchewan River, completed 1962. *E.B. Campbell Dam, completed 1964. MARITIMES Churchill Falls Hydroelectric project, Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador Power Corp., 1950's QUEBEC *James Bay I and II, Hydro Quebec, Northern Quebec, 1970's to present. *Le Manic hydroelectric dam, Hydro Quebec, near Sept-Iles, "North Shore", 1960's. SASKATCHEWAN Churchill River dam projects, Saskatchewan Power Corp. Diefenbaker Dam, irrigation Rafferty-Alameda dam and reservoir project, Souris River, Souris Basin Development Authority, 1993. Oldman dam, 1993. Squaw Rapids Hydro Project _____________________________________________________________________________ Of the 31 studies examining hydroelectric megaprojects, most focused on native impacts. Their conclusions centre on the dramatic ecological upheaval, these projects create and the resulting and significant negative effects that these have on native societies and their economies. TABLE 3: SUMMARY OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF WATER "DEVLOPMENT" ON NATIVE SOCIETY AND ECONOMIES 1) Decimation of fisheries, 2) Flooded hunting territiories, 3) Declining natural resources which require increased efforts to maintain the harvest and increased out-of-pocket expenses 4) Increased stress: individual and community. 5) Health impacts 6) Other social and cultural impacts ___________________________________________________________________ Please note that it was found by the origibnal bibliographers that pre-project projections of impacts did not accurately predict the actual impacts of the projects! ___________________________________________________________________ BIBLIOGRAPHY [in progress] Berkes, Fikret. 1990. "Impacts of James Bay Development. In Delisle, C. E. et M.A. Bouchard, eds. Collection Environnement et Geologie 9: 623-636. Berkes, Fikret. 1988. "The Intrinsic Difficulty of Predicting Impacts: Lessons from the James Bay Hydro Project". Environmental Impact Assessment Review 8: 201-220. Berkes, Fikret. 1982. "Preliminary Impacts of the James Bay Hydroelectric Project, Quebec, on Estuarine Fish and Fisheries." Arctic 35(4): 524-30. Berkes, Fikret. 1981. "Some Environmental and Social Impacts of the James Bay Hydroelectric Project, Canada". Journal of Environmental Management 12: 157-72. Berkes, Fikret. 1981. (title unknown) Translated from annotation in Levesque, Carole. 1989. les enjeux sociaux du projet de la Baie James". Vol. 2: Bilan des connaissance., Montreal, Groupe Helianthe Inc., for Hydro Quebec. pp 15-16. Bisonnette, Alain, et Serge Bouchard. 1984. "Repercussions sociales et economiques du detournement de la [Riviere] Caniapiscau sur les activites de chasses et de peche de la population de Kuujjuaq: Point de vue des utilisateurs. Montreal: centre de recherche et d'analyse en sciences humaines (ssDcc Inc.) for Societe d'Energie de la Baie James. [Annotation translated from Levesque, Carole: see previous entry, pp 16-17.]. B.C. Hydro. 1981. Review of Revelstoke Project Impacts on Social and Community Services and Agencies. Vancouver: B.C. Hydro. Charest, Paul. 1982. "Hydroelectric dam construction and the foraging activities of eastern Quebec Montagnais". In: Eleanor Leacock and Richard lee. Politics and History in Band Societies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Charest, Paul. 1980. "Les barrages hydro-electriques en territoires montagnais et leurs effets sur les communautes amerindiennes." Recherches amerindiennes au Quebec IX (4): 323-37. [This is a longer version of the previous piece by Charest, augmented with quotes from the hunters on the impacts.] Cloutier, Luce. 1987. "Quand le mercure s'eleve trop haut a la Baie James." Acta Borealia Vol. 1/2:5-23. Deschenes, Jean-Guy. 1988. Les impacts du projet Mani-Outardes sur le milieu humain. Montreal: Centre de recherche et d'analyse en sciences humaines (ssDcc) for Hydro-Quebec. DPA Group Inc. 1986. Revelstoke Canyon Dam Socio-Economic Impact Monitoring. Victoria: B.C. Ministry of the Environment. Dumont, Charles and Tom Kosatsky. 1992. "Evolution de l'exposition au mercure chez les trappeurs cris de la Baie James." In: Les Enseignements de la Phase 1 du Complexe La Grande. Montreal: Hydro-Quebec. [editor's note: TO BE CONTINUED...I'm hoping to have this completed by the end of September.] -cdm, sept. 16, 1996. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- IN PROGRESS... TABLE 2: Distribution of Studies By PUBLICATION YEAR Year Published # of studies % 1960-1969 1970-1979 1980-1989 1990-present