ABSTRACT
This thesis assesses the potential environmental as well as
the social impacts that are associated with the conversion of Kiri dam to a
hydro-electric power dam. As case studies, five villages namely; Mabonde,
Gelode, WuroJauro, Kiri and New Talum in the Guyuk District of the Adamawa
State region respectively, were selected for questionnaire survey and scheduled
focus group discussion. A total of 150 questionnaires were administered in the
villages and 8 persons from each village were involved in the scheduled focus
group discussions. Consultations were made to the institutional stakeholders of
the project planning including GOBADEC, UBRBDA, State Ministry of Environment
Yola, and State Ministry of Works Yola to ascertain their understanding of the
project impacts on the environment. Site visit was also undertaken to ascertain
the formation and modification of the of the proposed project environment since
the inception of the dam. Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing was
applied to study the changes in land-use and vegetation cover since the
impoundment of the river in 1982 and it was found that 27.77 km2 of
land was lost to the lake reservoir, 20.96 km2 of land was lost to
flood plains and 6.82 km2 of land lost to agriculture/settlement,
totalling 55.55 km2 of land lost in the last two decades. The result
of the study has revealed that the potential adverse impacts of the proposed
project such as flooding, pollution and threat to public health to mention a
few, are mostly limited to the construction stage of the project. However,
numerous benefits such as boost to economic growth, skill transfer to locals
and increase in local economic activities are to be enjoyed during both the
construction and operational stages of the hydropower project. To avert the potential
adverse environmental and social problems in the area, the study recommends
equal partnership between the project owners, responsible authority (UBRBDA)
with the local people to combat environmental degradation. Furthermore, the use
of computer based technologies like Remote Sensing and Geographical Information
System (GIS) should be implemented to play a major role in assisting and
combating the problems within the lake and dam catchment areas.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Preamble
In the technologically advanced world of the 21st century,
the development imperative of renewable energy resources and hydroelectric
power in particular, in developing countries is attributed to the role it plays
in economic advancement and in everyday activities including production,
consumption, health and education. Although electric energy is one of the major
propellers of economic growth, one of the biggest challenges facing both
developed and developing countries currently is the guarantee of a sufficient
supply of environmentally friendly energy (El Bassam, 2004).
Renewable energy resources in general and hydropower in
particular have been characterized as benign sources of electrical energy that
can have a positive contribution for climate change mitigation (Integrated
Healthcare Association; (IHA), 2003). Research on replenishing electrical
energy resources has established an empirical ground to argue why renewable
resources should constitute an essential part of the electrical energy system.
Major reason include that it is a clean alternative to greenhouse gas producing
fossil fuels and they can supply the demand from a rapid population increase in
the developing countries. The rise in the price of fossil fuels, and its
reserves depletion makes renewable fuel possible options for developing
economies (El Bassam 2004; Sternberg 2008). These key justifications may
provide decision makers in developing countries a ground to consider renewable
energy resources as an alternative source of energy or at least as part of the
energy mix.A large number of developing countries, of which Nigeria is not an
exception, have framed an alternative policy that could facilitate the
exploitation of locally available renewable electric energy sources such as hydropower
resources. Thus, the
question why many developing
countries and particularly Nigeria focus on exploiting locally available
renewable sources of energy such as hydropower can be a linked to empirically
established rationale and frequently debated challenges in major development
and political discourses.
Hydropower has a recorded history of electric production,
providing substantial energy services in many parts of the world such as the
U.S.A., China, Canada, and Norway (Gilpin, 1995). Different national policy
documents on hydropower development project, justifying the development of this
sector. Hydro power is a renewable, economic, non-polluting and environmentally
benign source of energy. Hydropower stations help in improving the reliability
of the power system. In addition some hydroelectric projects have long life
spans extending over 50 years and help in conserving scarce fossil fuels
(Integrated Healthcare Association; (IHA), 2003).
However, rarely mentioned in these policy documents arethe
social and environmental costs of hydropower development projects. These
dimensions have not been addressed sufficiently as parts ofhydropower project
development processes and it is argued that these two dimensions are the major
sources of controversies of hydropower development projects in developing
countries (Briscoe, 1999) and all developing projects in general.
The perception of large dams as a developing imperative is
challenged by a paradigmatic shift in water resources development from a
supply-based and control-based approach to increased concern for environmental
and ecological impacts as well as economic and social costs of the construction
of a large dam (Alhassan, 2009). Consequently the negative
impacts of large dams on both society
and nature have generated the perception of larger dams as failed development
technologies (Alhassan, 2009).
The critics of large dams is based on the concerns about how
they dismember rivers, dislocate entire communities, fracture social cohesion,
and damage the dignity and mental psyche of those affected , leading to untold
and irreparable hardships, yet without any corresponding benefits‘ (Alhassan
2009). As a result some of the populace who resettled due to the construction
of dams feel short-changed. And if they at all are compensated or relocated,
the relocated are left usually without post-compensation management.
The disapproval of large dams as a failed technology due to
the social and environmental costs has coincided with a surge in
non-governmental activism. The strong opposition against large-scale hydropower
dams in contemporary Africa has then hinged the support of such large
infrastructure developments in the continent, leading to a significant decline
in the development of large dams in the late 1980s (Bergeretet al., 2003, in
Alhassan 2009).
1.2 Background of the Study
Recently, demand of the growing population for food, electric
power supply and economic growth has led to the initiation of large scale river
development projects. Hence the construction of manmade lakes and dams are
examples of commonest forms of river developments aimed at providing water for
hydroelectric power, irrigation of floodplains, fishing industry and domestic
needs among others. Some of these multipurpose dams provide integrated series
of benefits like reservoir fisheries, transportation, domestic and industrial
water supply, and recreational facilities needed by man.
Of course, it is in connection with
the purposes stated above that the River Gongola was dammed at Kiri under the
sponsorship of the Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority on behalf of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Kiri dam was originally conceived by Savannah
Sugar Company but was completed by and it‘s now under the control of the Upper
Benue River Basin Authority (UBRBDA). Savannah Sugar Company is however, still
the greatest user of the dam, where the water is used for irrigating its
sugarcane plantation. The dam was constructed in 1982, on River Gongola at Kiri
some 25kilometres up stream of its confluence with river Benue. The dam covers
the land area of about 134 Square Kilometres. It has been reported that the
construction of the dam displaced over 20,000 people who were resettled in new
areas (Salau, 1986). The main aim of constructing Kiri dam is to provide water
for irrigation, fisher and transportation among others.
The development of well-planned water infrastructure is
widely recognized as a critical component of economic growth (World Bank,
2004). This is particularly true in sub-Saharan Africa, which experiences more
climatic variability than other regions of the World. Dams are constructed for
a variety of reasons.They are built for flow regulation and many more reasons
including provision of both domestic and agricultural water supplies at times
when water is naturally scarce, to provide power and, to reduce the devastating
effects of floods. Consequently are provided opportunities for improve rent of
livelihood, increased incomes and reduced vulnerability.
Currently, only 1,039 of the 45,000 large dams on the World
Register of Dams (International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), 1998) are
located in sub-Saharan Africa and half of these are located in South Africa.
The majority are for irrigation (World Commission on Dams (WCD), 2000). Water
storage capacity per person is often used as an
indicator of water security and a
measure of water infrastructural development. Per capita storage in many
sub-Saharan countries is the lowest in the world. For example, although
Australia and Ethiopia have similar climatic variability, the two countries‘
per capita storage capacity is 4,729m3 and 43m3 respectively (World Bank,
2004). Kenya has levels of storage similar to Ethiopia and it has been
estimated that seasonal and inter-annual variability in runoff costs theEthiopia,
through production losses and flood damage, the equivalent of 2.4% of GDP per
annum (Stockholm International Water Institute, 2005).
The need for construction of more dams in Africa therefore
seems clear. However, the recent review undertaken by the World Commission on
Dams concluded that while large dams have made a significant contribution to
human development, in the past they have often failed to live up to
expectations and in many cases the environmental and social impacts have been
unnecessary and, by current standards, unacceptable (WCD, 2000). It is now
widely agreed that there is a need to improve the environmental management of
dam impacts in order to achieve sustainable development. As a result,
considerable effort has been invested in developing approaches to lessen the
most damaging effects of dams. However, experience indicates that the success
of these measures is extremely variable and far from the assured (Bergkampet
al., 2000).
The present study is formulated in an effort to evaluate the
environmental impact of Kiri Dam with respect to the proposed hydroelectric
power project. This is because little or no comprehensive research has been
undertaken so far to appraise the environmental and socio-economic problems
associated with the hydropower development.
Over the past decade or so, hydropower projects around the
world have attracted muchattention concerning the environmental and social
impacts that have arisen from such developments. Construction and operation of
dams have always been associated withchanges in the physical and biological
environment. Adverse effects have more often than not, outnumbered the positive
effect. Some of the negative impacts of hydropower include loss of vegetations,
changes in river-rine flow patterns and regimes,involuntary resettlement,
health problems, loss of cultural values, marginalization of local people,
inundating of valuable agricultural land, and severe reduction of flow
downstream. Most hydropower projects in the past have been given much attention
regarding the technical design and economic issues of the project rather
thantheir environmental and social impacts. The Kiri dam was constructed to
purposely supply irrigation water for savannah Sugar Company. At the time of the
construction, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was not a planning and
management tool available in Nigeria. In view of this, there are several issues
of environmental impacts, which have not been considered under mitigation measures
as should have been done in a proper environmental impact assessment (EIA).
However,today, the hydropower industry is in quest for improved project
performance. In order to make hydropower a sound and sustainable energy
alternative, increased attention need be paid to the environmental and social
issues when dams are to be built or retrofitted.
In this particular thesis, the author examines/assesses the
environmental and social impacts that are likely to arise from the development
of Kiri dam to generate hydropower in Nigeria.
The research study was conceived for the purpose of regional planning.
This is because it will reveal the potential adverse impacts from the
implementation of the project, despite its potential benefits to be derived.
However, the result of this research would also assist government and other
concerned bodies/agencies to work out possible strategies to combat these ill
effects of the hydropower project upon the people of Guyuk and make reasonable
environmental consideration in the development of future hydropower projects.
1.5 Aim and Objectives of the Study
The general aim of the research is to assess the potential
environmental and socio-economic impacts of the proposed Kirihydroelectric power
project.
The specific objectives designed to address the research
objective are as follows:
i.To examine the hydrology, power potential and most feasible
installation option of the Kiri hydropower project.
ii. To assess the actual land areas which have been lost or
gained by the principal features in the lake basin, that is, the lake
reservoir, flood plains and the
iii. agriculture/settlement within
the study period of 1976-2014.
iv. To identify the potential physical, ecological,
socio-cultural, economic impacts of the conversion of the Kiri dam to a
hydroelectric dam in its construction and operation phases of the project.
v. Produce an Environmental Impact Assessment Report of the
project.
The scope of this study covers the entire community of Kiri and
its neighbouring environment, and the hydropower project will be assessed. The
main limitation of the study will be the time at the disposal of the researcher
and the fact that only the hydropower project will be assessed, excluding the
dam structure(s). In addition, it was very difficult to obtain the relevant
data from government, as well as other agencies due to their prevalent
bureaucratic procedure.
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Item Type: Project Material | Size: 160 pages | Chapters: 1-5
Format: MS Word | Delivery: Within 30Mins.
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