2.1 IHA commit ment to sustainable develop ment
The International Hydropower Association(I HA)regar ds sustainable develop ment as a f undamental component of social responsibility,sound business practice and natural resource management.
Sustainable devel op ment is develop ment t hat meets t he needs of t he present wit hout co mpromising the ability of f uture generations to meet their own needs(Report of the Worl d Co mmission on Envir on ment and Develop ment,1987).Sustainable devel op ment requires t he integration of t hree co mponents—econo mic devel op ment,social devel op ment and environ mental protection—as interdependent,mutually reinf orcing pillars.Eradicating poverty,changing unsustainable patterns of production and consu mption,and protecting and managing t he natural resource base under pinning econo mic and social develop ment are overarching objectives of,and essential requirements f or sustainable develop ment.
The Worl d Co mmission on Da ms report,Da ms and Devel op ment,a new f r amewor k f or decision-making,was published in 2000.While there is disagreement on some aspects relating to its detailed reco mmendations,t here is clear acceptance of t he Core Val ues listed in t he Report:
Equity,
Efficiency,(https://www.daowen.com)
Participator y decision-making,
Sustainability,and
Accountability.
In addition,t here is br oad agreement on t he objectives of the Report’s Strategic Priorities.The I HA Sustainability Guidelines pr ovide a fra mewor k f or good practice which is in accordance with these values.
I HA recognises that sustainable develop ment is the collective responsibility of gover n ment,business,civil society,consu mers and individuals.It is co mmitted to wor king cooperatively with these sectors in achieving sustainable outcomes.