Development cooperation: the human dimension.

• Author: Mizuta, Kayoko
• Position: Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific

I have spent my entire working life in the area of development cooperation. However, my appointment at the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) brought me for the first time into the United Nations working environment.

It is too early, after only two months, to attempt to comment on ESCAP as a whole. The Commissions work is so broad that it is sometimes difficult to reply succinctly when asked, "What does ESCAP do?" There are so many gatherings, ranging from the ministerial-level meeting to the "humble" workshop that human dimension sometimes seems remote. However, when I attended the various sessions and workshops, I found the human dimension to be very evident. Even the sophisticated discussions on space technology have their human dimension.

ESCAP is unique in that it covers a vast area, populations of great diversity, and countries representing almost every stage of development, which means there is a vast reservoir of experience and know-how. It can thus provide an invaluable forum for the exchange of information and experience among member countries and for working together on new ideas.

One such example was a recent workshop implemented by ESCAP in Bangkok on the subject of "Environmental/Social Impact Assessment and Public Participation for Electricity Generation Projects" for participants from the lower Mekong River basin countries. The workshop was complemented by a visit to the Thai countryside to see a project, being implemented by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT). This was a "pumped storage project" whereby water was to be pumped up to an artificial reservoir at night and used to generate electric power at peak times. As the water is reused every day, a large reservoir is not required and the environmental impact is slight. Also, some farmers were using the land up the mountain to produce cashew nuts. EGAT bought their land at a good price after tough negotiation...