Study Case 1:

Topic: The Narmada Valley Dam Projects

In India there are issues with flooding, irrigation for agricultural crops and issues with power. The government of India proposed building 3,200 dams in the Narmada Valley of India. They believe that these dams will provide the Narmada Valley with flood control, hydroelectricity and irrigation control for crops. With these potential benefits come large consequences for the Narmada Valley. The case study took the example of the largest proposed dam in the Narmada Valley, the Sardar Sarovar Dam, and analyzed the impacts it would have on the surrounding area. The Sardar Sarovar Dam would displace more than 500,000 people. The dam would also destroy valuable fertile land for agriculture. This land is some of India’s most fertile land. On top of that the dam would only produce around 50 megawatts of power, and this power would account for the power required to run the dam. This case is an example of the downsides of development. India is a low income country with a high population. India’s GDP is around $1,500 per capita. To compare the United State’s GDP is around $53,000 per capita. India’s money investment into these dams could turn losses for the people of India and for the government itself. The project isn’t sustainable because it displaces people, destroys fertile land and doesn’t provide enough power to justify its existence. The case study suggest that the first step for India to take to save the Narmada Valley Dam Project is to reassess the social and environmental impacts that these dams would have in the Narmada Valley. Furthermore, the case study also suggested that alternative energy sources tat are more effective be implemented instead of relying on hydroelectric dams alone.

Link for case study 1: http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/Jones/narmada.html

Topic: Zimbabwe National Water Project

Zimbabwe has water quality issues in many of their small towns and villages throughout the country. The country has an active proposal to the World Bank for financial support for a project that would improvement to small town water supplies. The proposal did introduce an analysis of the social and environmental impacts of the project as well. One positive social impact from this project is the production of jobs and availability of clean water for many of the smaller areas in Zimbabwe. The proposal claims that most of the environmental impacts are negative, but that these impacts are small. These impacts include soil disturbance, pollution of air quality, and minor deforestation. If these impacts are minor then the project should be able to keep the environmental impacts low enough to make it sustainable while providing clean water to small towns in Zimbabwe. However, this proposal comes from the government of Zimbabwe and doesn’t offer a third part view. It is hard to tell if the actual social and environmental impacts will be the way they are stated in this report. Zimbabwe is a low population and low income. Their GDP is around $950 per capita. This project would cost upwards of $14 million which is reasonable for a project that would result in clean water for the citizens of a low income country.

Link to case study 2: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/AFR/2015/10/25/090224b08316b20f/2_0/Rendered/PDF/Environment0an0er0supply0subproject.pdf

Topic: Tioga County, PA Deforestation

In the late 1800s Tioga County, PA was a booming area. I am from this county and have learned about the history through my schooling back home. Tioga County was known for its coal mining, lumber and tanneries back in the late 1800s to mid 1900s. Today there isn’t much left other than farms and small businesses. There was a point in our county’s history where lumber hit a high demand and high price point. As a part of expanding the counties development many of the counties residents started cutting lumber for sale. At one point there were almost no trees left in entire county. Some hills of trees were completely cut down. Another development impact for Tioga County was the coal mining boom. Furthermore, Towns like Blossburg were known for their lucrative coal mines. Many towns were built and prospered during the coal mining boom in the county. However, this development led to negative consequences no one knew about in that time period. The Tioga River was polluted with acid mine drainage which causes an orange coloration to in the water and has killed almost all aquatic life in certain parts of the River’s ecosystem. These two cases are similar to the case of India’s Narmada Valley. If the people of Tioga County had known the consequences of mining coal and cutting down trees aggressively without considering the impacts on the environment then they could have preserved the Tioga River and the forests in Tioga. This is why India needs to analyze the environmental impacts of the dams in the Narmada Valley before they build them so that they are prepared for the consequences and can make sure the impacts are small as possible. In comparison to the Zimbabwe case the Tioga County incidents were far different. Zimbabwe is taking the time to analyze all of the impacts of creating an efficient water supply in the small areas of Zimbabwe, whereas in Tioga County no one analyzed any of the risks or impacts until the damage was already inflicted. Today the coal mines are no longer functioning in Tioga County and the forests have rebounded to full strength in much of the county.