i8 | free, prior and informed Free, prior and informed By John Davey, Dar Al-Handasah Dar’s management of inclusive participation among those affected by Bisri Dam has set new standards for public participation in Lebanon. Despite the fundaments of good governance, individuals in many countries feel distanced from bureaucratic decision-making. Not so nowadays in Lebanon, where Dar Beirut’s environmental team recently achieved new standards for effective, transparent, inclusive, and coherent consultation in communities affected by the proposed construction of Bisri Dam for the Greater Beirut Water Supply Augmentation Project (GBWSAP). A dam in Damour was proposed in 1958 and studied in the 1970s and 1990s, while Jannah was previously studied in 1968 and 1974. After starting the Stage 1 study, Dar held a consultation session for ministries and other institutional stakeholders. The session was followed by public sessions within each of the affected areas: at Qartaba for Jannah Dam, Dmit for Damour and Mazraat ElDahr for Bisri. Two sessions were also held for Beirut residents, the major beneficiaries of the project. The outcome of the study was the recommendation that Bisri Dam be prioritized. Dar subsequently prepared the ESIA in accordance with World Bank safeguards and attendee views at the Stage 1 sessions. When Dar had completed the Draft ESIA and RAP reports, we held the second round of public sessions in the most affected communities: Aamatour, Mazraat El-Chouf, Mazraat El-Dahr, and Midane, and a further session in Beirut. Dar also held a second session for institutional stakeholders. As the original scope of works was coming to a close, the dam design and the extent of the area of inundation were changed by others. Consequently, Dar was given an extension of contract to update the ESIA and RAP. When the revised reports were reissued, Dar held additional consultations at Aamatour, Bisri, Mazraat El-Chouf, and Mazraat El-Dahr. The chosen venues were those to which those affected from adjacent villages would travel, and the days and times, those when most residents would be likely to attend. Project background The strategy for the future water supply of Greater Beirut hinges on three large dams -Jannah on Nahr Ibrahim, Damour on Nahr Damour and Bisri on Nahr Awali- to preserve winter rain and spring snowmelt being lost to the sea. Following competitive bidding in 2011, Dar was appointed to undertake a two-stage study: Stage 1 being a multi-disciplinary comparative study of the three dams to prioritize them on their ability to satisfy future demand, and Stage 2, an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for the priority proposal, all to be completed in accordance with the World Bank’s safeguarding policies 1. Public consultation sessions The task was made easier because concerned communities were already aware of the proposals. Dam sites on Nahr Awali were first studied in 1956 and the initial design for Bisri completed in the 1980s. Footnote 1 The World Bank’s safeguarding policies embrace a wide range of public concerns from environmental issues such as impact assessment, natural habitats and cultural heritage, to social issues such as involuntary resettlement, indigenous peoples and safety of dams. 34