Ceyhan-Aslantaş Dam Scoping and Case Studies

Ceyhan – Aslantaş is a US$400 million project financed by the  World Bank and implemented between 1974 – 1986. The main objective of the project was the construction of Aslantaş Dam on Ceyhan River, for the purpose of flood protection, irrigation and power generation.
WCD, within the framework of its mandate, has selected ten countries to assess the impacts  of large dams on development. Turkey and Aslantaş Dam were also selected for the purpose of this study. AGRIN was awarded two separate contracts by WCD for i) the initial scoping study and ii) the final case study.
Under the first contract, through a rapid survey with the relevant stakeholders, AGRIN has assessed and identified the key issues to be considered for the second phase of the study. Basing on the findings of the first study (Scoping Study), AGRIN carried out a detailed Case Study on the impacts of Aslantas Dam, taking into consideration the upper Ceyhan River Basin, Focal Dam and Lower Ceyhan Basin, including mouth of the river which reaches to Mediterranean Sea with a delta.
The studies were carried out by a team of 20 experts from different disciplines and lasted for 11 months.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the impacts of dam on regional and national development, taking into consideration the projected objectives (1974) and actual achievements (between 1986 – 2000), mainly on following:
•    Time schedule for implementation; design characteristics; financial costs/expenditures and cost recovery; water resources; irrigation and agriculture / agro-industry; hydropower; flood control; municipal and industrial water supply; fisheries; recreation and tourism / cultural heritage; social effects; environmental effects.
The final case study was one of the ten studies carried out in ten different countries to assess the overall impacts of large dams on development. The study provided an input for the final report of WCD on “Dams and Development – A new Framework for Decision Making”

In 1999, World Commission on Dams (WCD) has requested AGRIN to assess the impacts of Aslantas Dam on Ceyhan River Basin. This study was carried out with a very special, detailed and interesting methodology designed by WCD. The impacts of the dam on the regional and national development were assessed with a participatory approach with the involvement of selected stakeholders affected by the dam. For the purpose of the study, AGRIN has arranged several workshops with the participation of about 70 stakeholders. During these workshops the WCD methodology was explained to the stakeholders and their contribution was provided inline with this methodology.
At the end of the final case study, the finding were discussed and finalised following a series of the workshops with the participation of stakeholders.
These two phases study was finalised in about one year, with major input from a wide range of interest groups.