Gabcikovo-Nagymaros River Dam System - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Gabcikovo-Nagymaros River Dam System

Created by

Tom Sauve

Hungary

Geography 308

• Starts near Germany and extends through Austria, along Slovakia, through Hungary, and along Croatia, Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria before emptying into the Black Sea

• The Danube has been known to cause many raging floods among bordering lands.
• Roman emperors Tiberius and Trajan were the first to try to contain the Danube they failed.

• Negotiations for the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros dam system began in 1951.
• The project’s original intent was to change the shallow reaches of the Danube between Bratislava, Czechoslovakia and Gyor, Hungary.
• Joint planning began in the mid to late 1950s with an emphasis on regional and environmental impacts.

Nagymaros

• The system diverted almost the entire flow of the river into an artificially constructed side channel.
• The canal was to be diverted near Bratislava and then flow and return to the Danube north of Gyor.
• The diverted channel drives 8 turbines at the Gabcikovo Dam which generates hundreds of megawatts of power.

• Dam officials recorded more than 100 days of shallow water per year.
• As a result, vegetation died and ships were left stranded on a long stretch of the Danube.
• These events prompted dam authorities to gain large support from both Hungary and Czechoslovakia to fix the problem by building a system of dams.

• In the 1970’s, the focus of the dam was turned to energy due to two main factors:

• Oil shocks caused petroleum prices to go on a steep increase making it the best interest of both countries to produce more efficient energy.
• In order to gain support from the Hungarian bureau of water management, the project needed to emphasize energy production.

• Hydropower is the cleanest large scale source of electricity available, being non-polluting and renewable.
• If properly engineered and managed, river dams can provide electricity for millions of people at a very low cost along with minimal ecological impact
• The building and maintenance of dams provides jobs, helping the economy.

• Both countries began work on the system in 1977 under an official treaty.
• Ecological concerns were beginning to arise among citizens.
• Once work began, professional protest of the dam was slienced by the Hungarian and Czechoslovak governments.

• It became obvious to both governments that the huge impacts of the dam on the local ecosystems hadn’t been fully considered.
• Both countries decided to halt work on the dams in 1981 while commissions from both sides of the border evaluated the effects of the dams.

• Scientists predicted drinking water from the aquifer would be polluted due to tar carcinogens in reservoirs throughout the system.
• They also predicted the water table would fall enough to cause farmers to lose irrigation water.

• Budapest immediately pushed for postponement or even cancellation of the system after the Hungarian Academy of Sciences predicted widespread ecological devastation.

• Scientists at the Laboratory of Fisher Research and Hydrobiology in Bratislava prepared a report predicted that the yearly fish harvest from the Danube would fall 75% within 2 years of completion, killing millions of fish.
• Other investigations highlighted effects of depression of the water table.
• Prague immediately dismissed the predictions.

• Due to Czechoslovakia’s industrialization, Prague ignored the warnings of its scientists and proceeded to benefit from the dam’s electricity.

• Hungary was angered by Czechoslovakia's decision to proceed.
• Hungarian studies confirmed that Hungary would bear the brunt of environmental damage.

• After looking into the economic costs already placed on the system, Hungary was “forced” back into the project.
• Failure to complete the project would have cost the Hungarian government 55 billion forints (Hungarian currency at the time)

• Unhappy with Hungary’s slow pace to build Nagymaros, the Czechoslovak government threatened to use the nearly completed Gabcikovo dam to cause massive floods in Hungary.

• 17 days later after making their threat to Hungary, the Prague communists were ousted from office.
• The new government of Vaclav Havel (1989) cancelled the project.
• Havel however did not retain power for long and resigned.

• Under pressure from the Slovak minority, the Czech government announced resumption of the project.
• The Slovak flag was to be flown from the engineering office and shipping tolls were to be payable to the Slovak Treasury.

• The Gabcikovo dam was a symbol of pride, sovereignty and will and the Slovak people were willing to do anything to ensure its completion.

• They modified the plan by creating more canals inside Slovakia making the entire project an internal affair.

• Their plan was to attain ecological concern in trying to attract help in demolishing the Nagymaros dam and their section of the project.

• The ICJ ruled both countries at fault for acting unilaterally:Hungary for pulling out of the projectSlovakia for continuing with construction.

A mutual agreement was set forth by both countries:

Slovakia was to operate the dam at 25% capacity with a continuous water flow

However, it diverted 80% of the river, drying up wetlands and wells in Hungary

• Hungary consequently pulled out of the agreement.
• Mass demonstrations were organized all throughout Hungary.

• Hungary has been spending millions of dollars to take down its half-completed dam.
• It could very well be forced to spend much more to Slovakia for compensation for pulling out of the deal.
• Talk of a return to the International Court of Justice is a sure sign that neither country is very committed to resolving the solution.

• If you take a stroll down both sides of the Danube:
• You will see the Gabcikovo region in Slovakia well off and thriving.
• You will also see the “water storing” Hungarian side overrun by weeds and dry.