Study on Feasibility of the WCD Guidelines as an Operational Instrument

The feasibility and applicability of the 26 guidelines proposed by the Dams and Development report of the World Commission on Dams are examined. There is much room to enhance these guidelines in order to make them an operational blueprint, in particular for the following major issues: (1) clarification of the background; (2) clarification of the role; (3) examination of the maturity of methodologies; (4) provision of technical standards; (5) clarifications of relations between guidelines; (6) consideration of enforcement; and (7) consideration of the independence of the impact assessments. Only six of the guidelines are considered to be ready (or ready in certain countries) for implementation as they stand.