It is essential to carefully study and consider less socially and environmentally disruptive options in investment decision making in hydropower. Possible alternatives in future cases, for example, could include river offtake, run of the river, small decentralized hydro systems, and backup from solar and wind power. The choice should be made through a participatory assessment that gives the same weight to social and environmental dimensions as to technical and economic aspects. The findings of this evaluation reconfirm how difficult it is to achieve all the social and environmental objectives in a large trans-basin diversion project like NT2 HP, even when the team has the highest level of competence and puts the most comprehensive efforts into safeguards management.
Greater Mekong Subregion - Nam Theun 2 Hydroelectric Project