Biodiversity conservation in the context of hydropower projects requires an approach whereby “conservation forest” is balanced with “production forest” as a source of income for affected people. To date, ADB, the World Bank, and international organizations consider many of the village forest activities as failures (e.g., trees are being cut down to the roots) with government advisors having little understanding of forestry practices in relation to biodiversity conservation and sustainable practice. In general, the focus on preserving the biodiversity of forest has perhaps come at the expense of adopting a more inclusive approach whereby “conservation forest” is balanced with “production forest” as a source of income for affected people. Admittedly, this is difficult to implement, but the benefits might have produced more food sources and helped offset the inclination to hunt or log in conservation areas thereby protecting them for the longer-term.
Greater Mekong Subregion - Nam Theun 2 Hydroelectric Project