Hi Folks, Here is an URL to a report "Saline intrusion in Gambia River after dam construction" as a followup to the mail Dr. Malanding Jaiteh sent to the L last May. http://home.student.utwente.nl/c.p.m.vanrens/Saline%20intrusion%20in% 20Gambia%20River%20after%20dam%20construction.pdf Momodou Camara On Tue, 17 May 2005 16:03:47 -0400, Malanding Jaiteh <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >Folks, >This is an article from Gambia Daily News. Since I do not have access >to the quoted report I cannot but ask more questions. > It said that > >" creating a 181 km2 reservoir upstream of the River Gambia will reduce >the water level downstream, and the resulting low flows "will keep the >saline wedge of the Gambian estuary some 100 km downstream of its usual >mean location. It will thus make more than 7,000 ha of arable land (in >The Gambia) free from salty water."" > >What proportion of total flow that enters the Gambia through Koina would >remain in the 181km2 reservoir? > >How much will water levels drop? > >What does lowering of water level mean for the salt concentration levels >in those areas that will remain salty (mangroves)? > ><>Given that mangroves and other wetlands are the spawning and nursery >grounds for many of our deep sea fish, shellfish, bird species how would >lowering the water level affect their ability to support those functions? > >Would freeing from salty water mean effectively becoming drylands? If so >how arable will the salt free areas become? > >I am sure few would doubt some of the benefits of hydropower but we who >live downstream must not be lose sight of some of the negative and often >irreversible effects. What is frightening is that onces the dams are >built we would have no choice to but to live the consequences even if >that means, no fish or no drinking water for western Gambia! Perhaps >then, and only then will we go for another loan to bring down the dams! >Some wise guy once said: "the road to hell is paved with good >intentions". I just hope and pray that this is not one of those. > >Malanding Jaiteh > > >OMVG Hydropower Project Could Be Commissioned By 2010 > > > >Gambia Daily News ><http://allafrica.com/publishers.html?passed_name=Gambia%20Daily% 20News&passed_location=Banjul> >(Banjul) > >May 16, 2005 >Posted to the web May 17, 2005 > >THE 10th ordinary session of the OMVG conference of heads of state and >government, meeting in Guinea Bissau on May 9, in their final >communique, noted results obtained in the implementation of the >organisation's development programme, such as "the effective start up of >the natural resources development and management project". > >Also "the completion of the detailed design studies and the tenders for >the hydro-electric development of Sambangalou and the interconnection of >the electrical networks of member countries". > > >Groupement Coyne et Bellier - Tecsult - Coba (COTECO) a consortium of >consulting engineers contracted by OMVG the Gambia river basin >development organisation had in 2003 confirmed the technical, economic >and environmental feasibility of its projects. > >The consortium was contracted, in the context of the implementation of >its electric power development programme, to perform the feasibility >studies of the Sambagalou hydropower project on the River Gambia, and of >the interconnection line between the power grids of the four OMVG member >states. > >"The results of the studies are quite positive", the consultants >announced in 2003, on the studies carried out from February 2002 to July >2003, with funding from the African Development Bank. > >"The objective of the study of these projects is to provide OMVG member >states with a programme of development of power production and transport >(transmission?) means, based on the principle of an increased regional >integration of investments in hydropower, to reach the least cost means >of meeting the power and energy demand". > >The feasibility study report mentioned "the environmental and >socio-economic impacts of the Sambangalou hydropower project and >possible mitigation measures", and revealed that creating a 181 km2 >reservoir upstream of the River Gambia will reduce the water level >downstream, and the resulting low flows "will keep the saline wedge of >the Gambian estuary some 100 km downstream of its usual mean location. >It will thus make more than 7,000 ha of arable land (in The Gambia) free >from salty water." > >"Among the benefits of the project, the average yearly production of 400 >GWh is the first one. The long life duration of the dam, and the >renewable aspect of the hydroelectric energy, can be considered as a >long-term development factor of the beneficiary countries. > >"Choosing this kind of energy, rather than the thermal one, will enable >them to avoid emission of about 250,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide >equivalent each yearî, according to the consultants. > >As regards the economic and financial evaluation, the Sambangalou >hydropower project will cost a total of 228 million euros, and the OMVG >interconnection 229 million euros. > >The implementation programme proposes that the Sambangalou hydropower >project could be implemented from 2006 to 2009, and commissioned at the >beginning of 2010, "assuming no delay in the launching of the detail >design study, of the regulatory environmental impact assessment and of >the preparatory works (access roads and Kedogou bridge)." > >"The economic analysis has shown that the earlier the projects will be >commissioned, the larger the economic benefits will be for the OMVG >member states", they further reported. > >At the end of the OMVG leaders' meeting in Bissau this week, President >Henrique Pereira Rosa of Guinea Bissau was appointed chairperson of the >organisation for the two-year period 2005-2007, Bissau's minister of >energy and natural resources was appointed chairperson of the council of >ministers for the same period. > >The meeting also appointed Justino Vieira former director of studies, >planning and infrastructure of the OMVG to the post of executive >director of the organisation. > >President Yahya Jammeh in remarks delivered at the one-day meeting >pointed out that, at inception, the principal objective of the OMVG was >to promote economic integration with a view to improve the standard of >living of our people. > >Such a vision was commendable, and pertinent at a time when the all >regions in the world are forming economic blocs to face the challenges >of globalisation. "It is my strong belief that full socio-economic >integration cannot be achieved if we remain far apart in terms of our >policy objectives," he declared. > >The Gambia government, he said, has not lost sight of the significance >of regional and sub regional cooperation in the energy sector as a means >of bringing energy self-sufficiency close to its people. "The Gambia, >therefore, remains committed to the development of the hydropower >potentials of the river Gambia and the inter-connection of the electric >transmission systems in the four member countries, under the aegis of >the OMVG". > >President Jammeh noted that, compared to similar organisations, the >physical achievements of the OMVG since its creations in 1978 has been >"quite modest." > >The development scenario anticipated then included hydroelectric power >generation, increased agricultural production and other natural >resources management programmes. However, until recently, most of the >activities of the organisation were basically concentrated on the >conduct of studies and investigations in order to batter plan the >utilisation of the resources of the Gambia River basin. > >Such work is commendable, but time has come to translate such effort >into concrete and more tangible benefits for our people, to reward them >for the many years of waiting, he added. > >The president spoke of the millions of people who derive their >sustenance and livelihood from the resources of the Gambia, the >Kayanga/Geba and Koliba/Corubal river basins. > >He noted that the summit meeting was preceded by a meeting of the >council of ministers, which reviewed the work of the secretariat during >the past years. The summit received the report of the council. > >"From this report, and with the inception of the energy and the natural >resources development and management projects, we may perhaps be finally >seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. These projects have >invigorated the hopes of our peoples as they attempt to address their >basic needs." > >The Gambian leader reminded the summit that the Gambia River like many >other shared basins serves as a vital link between our nations. > >Integrated development of this basin, especially its energy potentials >and natural resources, is crucial to the socio-economic development of >our respective countries. > >"For our four countries, the Gambia River could be a source of our >development. Let us use it as a source and tool for sustainable >development of the sub region. Let us employ it as a vehicle that will >deliver us into a peaceful and stable sub region. "Collaboration and >cooperation between our countries in the development of the basin has >been and should continue to be high in our national development plans >and programmes". > >In his speech, President Jammeh noted that basic outstanding issues >before the organisation include regularising the integration of the >Kaleta into the OMVG framework, which should "be quickly settled." Also >the long delay in finalising the draft convention on the legal status of >the Kayanga/Geba and Koliba/Corubal river basins.At the conclusion of >their summit conference held in Bissau on Monday, OMVG leaders decided >to hold their 11th ordinary session in Banjul in 2007 > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤