“Development or Destruction: The human rights impacts of hydropower development on villagers in Southeast Myanmar”, a new report by Karen Human Rights Group and Karen Rivers Watch, details the social, economic, cultural, and livelihood impacts of hydropower development projects on local ethnic communities in Southeast Myanmar.
The report aims to encourage reforms in the hydropower sector by building comprehensive recommendations for policymakers and hydropower developers, using the results of new research highlighting how hydropower projects have impacted ethnic communities in Southeast Myanmar. It assesses the degree to which Myanmar’s legal and regulatory frameworks measure up against international best standards and practices for hydropower governance, and concludes with comprehensive recommendations on how to strengthen these national frameworks in order to provide greater social and environmental safeguards for rural ethnic communities impacted by hydropower dams.