*[Enwl-eng] It's a completely disastrous project
ENWLine
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A huge dam is about to drown a beautiful valley in Georgia, threatening biodiversity and the livelihoods of villagers only to produce energy that's too expensive for them to use. To build it, two European banks have to sign off loan contracts. Next week we'll meet them in Luxembourg -- add your name to this call before we deliver it. |
Hi,
Hydropower can be a great renewable energy solution under the right circumstances. In Georgia however, they are about to use European money to bankroll a completely disastrous project. But the final contracts haven’t been signed yet so there’s still time to stop it in its tracks.
The Nenskra hydro plant is to be built in a precious valley, destroying the pristine environment, threatening the livelihoods of local villagers, and in the end, the energy it will create will be too expensive for locals! [1]
Two European banks approved loans for one-third of the one billion dollars needed, but before they sign the contracts they'll meet in Luxemburg next week. [2] They will hold a big public meeting where together with partners we will show up and raise our concerns. [3] Add your voice now so we can deliver calls from across Europe into the meeting next week. Sign now to stop the Nenskra Hydropower plant.
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This precious valley is located in Svaneti, the Northwestern part of Georgia. The locals have been protesting the plan -- the forests and rivers in the area will be destroyed if the dam is built -- so it’s easy to understand the anger and sense of hopelessness they feel. The dam will force the Nakra river down to 10% of its average annual flow and the Nenskra to 5%. [4]
And the villagers have unexpected allies: The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund concluded independently the project doesn’t even make economic sense! [5] Still, the government of Georgia is pushing hard to get the dam built, and aren’t considering potentially better alternatives. But the Achilles heel of the plan: they need the money from Europe’s banks, and we can stop them from getting it.
The European Investment Bank, one of the banks considering the loan, is accountable to member states of the EU, and by extension, to their citizens. So together let’s create a huge call from across Europe that’s too big to ignore and it will be delivered straight to the banks next week at their meeting in Luxembourg. Add your voice and sign the petition:
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Together we have fought to preserve pristine habitats in Eastern Europe before: the primaeval forests in Poland and Romania, the river valley of Kresna in Bulgaria and now Nenskra in Georgia. [6] Eastern Europe still has huge natural reserves and too often they are destroyed to make a profit and too often it’s our money used to harm them. Because we pay, we have a say. Together we can use it to protect European nature.
With determination,
Olga (Bologna), Jörg (Lübeck), Alex (Marseille), and the WeMove Europe team
PS: Endangered species like the Eurasian lynx and Persian leopard live in North-Western Georgia. [8] Badly planned and implemented hydropower plants threaten their refuge. Let’s save it - sign our petition.
References
[1] On costs:
http://greenalt.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Assessment_of_HPP_Cost_2018.pdf,
https://bankwatch.org/press_release/in-georgia-leaked-contract-shows-nenskra-hydropower-project-to-cost-country-usd-60-million-a-year
[2]
EBRD has approved a loan of US $214 million
https://www.ebrd.com/work-with-us/projects/psd/nenskra-hpp.html,
EIB has approved a loan of US $150
https://www.eib.org/en/projects/pipelines/all/20150670
[3]
https://www.aiib.org/en/news-events/events/annual-meeting/overview/index.html
[4]
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/hydropower-project-georgia/
[5]
http://greenalt.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Assessment_of_HPP_Cost_2018.pdf,
https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/CR/Issues/2017/09/27/Georgia-Fiscal-Transparency-Evaluation-45274
in combination with the assessment of Green Alternative:
http://greenalt.org/leaked-world-bank-report-depicts-georgias-nenskra-hydropower-project-as-major-liability/
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