WCD Thematic Review Social Issues I.1: The Social Impact of Large Dams--Equity and Distributional Issues

The ’social impacts’ of dams may be defined as 'impacts on the lives of individual people or groups or categories of people, or forms of social organisation'. Social impacts are distinct from environmental or economic impacts, though all of these are closely linked. This review paper has focussed on the area of agreement among protagonists of dams, that is some groups of people tend to be net losers from dam projects as they are disproportionately affected by negative effects of dams while almost excluded from access to benefits generated. The paper makes the point that equity is more concerned about protecting the poor and the vulnerable, and that there are principles and good practices that could help strive for a no-loser goal, and where losses are inevitable, turn some or most of the losers into winners.