New hydro standards. Critics fear watering down

Norway is the lead donor, along with Germany, in an effort by the London-based dams industry lobby group, International Hydropower Association (IHA), to establish new standards for assessing projects.

Norway and IHA rejected the recommendations of the World Commission on Dams (WCD), which set high standards for dealing with the environmental and social impacts of projects. Critics say the current process is “flawed" and will end up weakening gains achieved by WCD a decade ago.