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DAM-L Senagalese dam & increase in disease reported: RtW <fwd>
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Right to Water (right-to-water@iatp.org) Posted: 05/16/2001 By vanyaluc@waldonet.net.mt
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from UN News, 15 May
13 SENEGAL RIVER: Controversial Dam Blamed For Increase In Disease
Despite warnings in 1994 of huge environmental and health impacts of a dam on a tributary of the Senegal River in Mali, Canada has supported electricity-generation projects at the site over the last seven years, the Montreal Gazette reported yesterday.
A Canadian-led consortium predicted in 1994 that the Manantali dam could reduce arable lands and agricultural production, reduce the local fish population, erode the soil, disrupt forest habitats and spur water-borne disease outbreaks, according to a confidential report by the African Development Fund, which helped pay for the dam.
Canada has spent nearly $80 million to help build the dam, though the World Bank refused to finance the project. According to an environmental impact study for the World Bank by tropical disease consulting group Blue Nile Associates, the dam has caused severe malnutrition and an outbreak of waterborne diseases in the Senegal River basin. The dam was completed in 1987.
Blue Nile Associates estimated the damming of the Senegal River has caused 8,500 deaths annually. "This is the worst (dam in Africa) I've ever seen," said William Jobin, Blue Nile director. "It's a disaster."
Jobin said the dam's interruption of steady water flows has ruined traditional agriculture and fisheries, while expensive irrigation systems have forced farmers into debt. Meanwhile, the loss of silt cover on the region's soil has led to salinization and desertification.
The irrigation canals are also home to flatworms that carry bilharzia, and the entire Senegal River valley is infested with diarrheal diseases and malaria (Levon Sevunts, Montreal Gazette, 14 May).
The damming has also reduced the fish population in the river, the Gazette reports. "Everybody knows that there is no more fish in the river," said Golmy Adama Diarra, a local farmer. "Everybody knows that the river is ruined" (Sevunts, Montreal Gazette II, 14 May).
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>from UN News, 15 May</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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<TD vAlign=top align=left><A name=13></A><FONT
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size=+4><B>13</B></FONT></TD>
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<TD><FONT face="Book Antiqua,Times New Roman" color=#000099
size=+1><B>SENEGAL RIVER: Controversial Dam Blamed For Increase In Disease
<!--NMP--><!--END-story-hed--></FONT></B><BR></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> Despite
warnings in 1994 of huge environmental and health impacts of a dam on a
tributary of the Senegal River in Mali, Canada has supported
electricity-generation projects at the site over the last seven years, the
Montreal <CITE>Gazette</CITE> reported yesterday.
<BR> A Canadian-led consortium predicted in 1994
that the Manantali dam could reduce arable lands and agricultural production,
reduce the local fish population, erode the soil, disrupt forest habitats and
spur water-borne disease outbreaks, according to a confidential report by the <A
href="http://www.afdb.org/home.htm">African Development Fund</A>, which helped
pay for the dam. <BR> Canada has spent nearly $80
million to help build the dam, though the <B>World Bank</B> refused to finance
the project. According to an environmental impact study for the World Bank by
tropical disease consulting group <B>Blue Nile Associates</B>, the dam has
caused severe malnutrition and an outbreak of waterborne diseases in the Senegal
River basin. The dam was completed in 1987.
<BR> Blue Nile Associates estimated the damming of
the Senegal River has caused 8,500 deaths annually. "This is the worst (dam in
Africa) I've ever seen," said <B>William Jobin</B>, Blue Nile director. "It's a
disaster." <BR> Jobin said the dam's interruption
of steady water flows has ruined traditional agriculture and fisheries, while
expensive irrigation systems have forced farmers into debt. Meanwhile, the loss
of silt cover on the region's soil has led to salinization and desertification.
<BR> The irrigation canals are also home to
flatworms that carry bilharzia, and the entire Senegal River valley is infested
with diarrheal diseases and malaria (Levon Sevunts, Montreal
<CITE>Gazette</CITE>, 14 May). <BR> The damming has
also reduced the fish population in the river, the <CITE>Gazette</CITE> reports.
"Everybody knows that there is no more fish in the river," said <B>Golmy Adama
Diarra</B>, a local farmer. "Everybody knows that the river is ruined" (Sevunts,
Montreal <CITE>Gazette</CITE> II, 14
May). <BR><!--END-story--> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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