An Environmental Justice Analysis of Hydroelectric Power Plant Development Projects in Turkey: Cases of Yuvarlakcay and Saklikent
Supervisor: Prof. Geoffrey D. Gooch Director, Dundee Centre for Water Law, Policy & Science University of Dundee, Scotland, UK.
Ramazan Caner Sayan Dundee Centre for Water Law, Policy & Science, University of Dundee, Scotland, UK. Supervisor: Prof. Geoffrey D. Gooch Director, Dundee Centre for Water Law, Policy & Science, University of Dundee, Scotland, UK.
Background
Conceptual Framework
• Hydropower projects constitute an important part of the economic development and energy generation policies in Turkey. In other words, Turkey traditionally prioritises its hydropower potential in energy generation since it does not have primary sources such as oil and gas. Accordingly, water policies in Turkey represent important part of political life in Turkey. • Hydroelectric Power Plant development projects have become an important part of domestic politics in Turkey in the recent years. Especially after the recent legislation changes in 2001 and 2003 which have enabled private companies to construct small-scale HPP projects on the brooks, creeks and rivers, the HPP construction process has been begun in all around the country. These legislation changes aim to decentralize water management in the form of small-scale HPP projects, and maximise Turkey`s hydropower development potential.
• The Commonwealth of Massachusetts (2002, p.2) defines environmental justice as a concept which “is based on the principle that all people have a right to be protected from environmental pollution and to live in and enjoy a clean and healthful environment. Environmental justice is the equal protection and meaningful involvement of all people with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies and the equitable distribution of environmental benefits.” • Yuvarlakcay and Saklikent cases are attempted to be associated with the concept of environmental justice, and implementation of the HPP constructions in those areas are explained in light of Schlosberg`s fourdimensional environmental justice understanding, which aims to demonstrate the social and environmental impacts of the HPP policies in these sites. This four-dimensional approach is distributional justice, recognitional justice, procedural justice and justice of capabilities.
Image 1: The HPP sites under construction in Turkey by 2012 (CounterCurrent Report, 2011).
• In this context, Turkish government plans to build 2,000 HPP projects and dams until 2023, 525 of which are under construction by January 2011 (see Image 1). When the construction processes has been initiated in rural parts, these projects have been mostly met with frustration by local people since they generally threaten their social, cultural and economic activities. Only two of these HPP constructions and subsequent public unrests in Yuvarlakcay and Saklikent, both of which are in the Mediterranean Region of Turkey, are utilised as the case studies.
Image 4: Conceptual Framework of the research.
(Likely) Results Image 2
Image 3
Image 2:“Yuvarlakcay is insurmountable” from one of the protests in Yuvarlakcay against the HPP (Yuvarlakcay.org, 2010). Image 3: Locations of Yuvarlakcay and Saklikent in Turkey
Research Question • How can the impacts of the hydroelectric power plant (HPP) policies on local people and the environment be analysed within an environmental justice framework in Turkey?
Methods
• Social and environmental inequalities occurring at local level can be fully understood through multi-scalar analysis, which enables us to consider global, national and local dynamics altogether. • The HPP constructions in Yuvarlakcay and Saklikent are opposed by the locals mainly due to their impacts on local environment. Fears of the locals to lose their access to water resources, change their land use and decrease in water availability constitute the main motivations of the locals to oppose these projects. • The HPP construction processes in those sites lack of public participation and social reality. Since these populations depend on the water resources to sustain their lives and pursue their economic activities, they demanded to have a voice in decision-making processes. • In the Turkish case of the HPP development projects, it can be seen that water policies prepared by neglecting the notion of environmental justice create social turmoil at the local level, which also affects the implementation of the projects.
• Desktop Study (both primary and secondary sources) • Structured and in-depth interviews • Semi-structured interviews • Focus Groups
References • • •
• Field Trip
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• Case study technique
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Akpinar, A., Komurcu, M. I. & Kankal, M. (2011) Development of hydropower energy in Turkey: The case of Coruh river basin. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 15, pp. 1201-1209 Commonwealth of Massachusetts:(2002) Environmental Justice Policy of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. Boston. Cumhuriyet. (2011) “BM‟den Türkiye‟ye HES Uyarısı” [UN Warns Turkey about HPPs]. URL: http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/?hn=249382 [accessed on March 15, 2013]. Gokdemir, M., Komurcu, M. I. & Evcimen, T. U. (2012) Turkiye`de Hidroelektrik Enerji ve HES Uygulamalarina Genel Bakis [General Review on Hydroelectric Enegy and HPP Implementations in Turkey]. TMH, 471, pp.18-26 Schlosberg, D. (2007) Defining Environmental Justice: Theories, Movements and Nature, New York, Oxford University Press.