July 24, 2002
Usumacinta Dam

usumboatsm.jpgChris Shaw (see entry about his book) has passed along some correspondence regarding a revived proposal to build large dams which would flood the Lacandon forest and the Peten, with drastic economic and cutural impacts. I've edited it down a bit, but here's a start to a continuing discussion on how to oppose this project:

"The following is from my friend Ron Canter, a cartographer at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, and an amateur Mayanist, who has been documenting and tracing trade routes in the Maya region for years. I wrote about him in my book...

Some sort of technical and economic specifics are necessary to compare with previous proposals. Also need to find out what if any environmental/archaeological impact studies/statements have been made or planned--their lack provided major ammo against the '92 proposal. One thing I will again insist on is the need to think big, to get the possibility of the big dam scenario squashed for good through some kind of international corridor protection, with money attached, and by making a proposal for alternative regional power production through small hydro, solar, etc."

(Letter from Ron follows)

chris,
this is deja vu all over again. from the 'land drowned' figures, this has to be the big dam scenario resurrected. big dams have been discredited as effective development tools around the world. even the world bank came out against the three gorges dam in china. but, the dam building industry is still eager to milk third world countries via big dam projects. canadians seem to be even more eager to help build the big ones than us firms.
simon winchester described such dams as "little more than pomposity writ in concrete, as a way of impressing the peasantry with the ruler's energy, acumen, and skill". daniel beard, of the us bureau of reclamation, made a speech in 1994 that signalled the days of big dams were over in the usa. he said "large dams are tremendously expensive. they always cost more than you thought and tie up huge sums of capital for many years...there is no more visible symbol in the world of what we are trying to move away from than the three gorges dam." big dams, whether in china or mexico or belize, are all linked. the same firms are pushing to get them built, and angling for the contracts.
all this is courtesy of my having just read "the river at the center of the world", by winchester. he goes into great detail on the biggest dam project in the world, and what is very wrong with it. he sat at the bar and chatted with the vultures pouring into china looking for contracts. alonso should get the book. it will furnish references and ammo'.
buenos suerte,
ron

Posted by Dave at July 24, 2002 03:15 PM