MICI-BID-CO-2018-0133
Support for Structuring the Ituango Hydroelectric Project
Country: Colombia
Reception date: June, 5 2018
Current Status: Closed
Requesters:
The complainants are 477 residents of 9 municipalities in the department of Antioquia, Colombia, represented by by Mrs. Isabel Zulueta López, of the organization Movimiento Ríos Vivos Antioquia. Additionally, they have the support of three organizations: The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), the Inter-American Association for the Defense of the Environment (AIDA) and the International Accountability Project (IAP).
Summary of the Request
The request describes the situation faced by communities located in the municipalities of Briceño, Ituango, Toledo, Peque, Sabanalarga, Valdivia, Caucasia, San Andrés de Cuerquia, and Sopetrán. The Ituango Hydroelectric Project, currently under construction, is located in this area.
The request alleges current and potential impacts in the construction and operation stages of the project related to the identification of the project’s area of influence and the affected population; the identification and management of social and environmental impacts; the increase in conflict, insecurity, and violence in the project area and gender-differentiated impacts; the absence of adequate public consultation and participation; and the lack of adequate resettlement or compensation plans for physical and economic displacement resulting from the project’s construction. The requesters also maintain that the emergency that began in April 2018 has worsened and led to additional impacts both upstream and downstream of the dam, and that the project's handling of its consequences and related information has been inadequate.
The Request describes the situation faced by 480 people in various communities along the Cauca river canyon in the municipalities of Briceño, Ituango, Toledo, Peque, Sabanalarga, Buriticá, Liborina, Olaya and Santa Fe de Antioquia. The Ituango Hydroelectric Project, currently under construction, is located in this area.
They underline the situation of violence and reprisals against those who have shown opposition to the project, claiming death threats and homicides.
Regarding the MICI process, the Requesters have stated that they wish to resort to both the Consultation Phase and the Compliance Review Phase, in case their Request be declared eligible.
Recent actions
On July 26, 2019 the MICI distributed the Recommendation for Compliance Review to the Board of Executive Directors of IDB for consideration by Short Procedure. The Board authorized the Recommendation to not investigate without objection on August 2, 2019. This decision was notified to the Parties on August 9, 2019, whereby the MICI process ends and this case is closed.
Past actions
On July 3, 2018, the MICI notified the Requesters and Management of the registration of the Request.
On August 30th, 2018, MICI determined that the Request was eligible as it met the criteria established in the MICI Policy.
The Request was transferred to the Consultation Phase (conflict resolution process) to start the assessment stage.
On November 16, 2018, MICI issued the Assessment Report of the Consultation Phase, which concluded that there were no conditions to initiate a dialogue process.
On December 7, 2018, the case was transferred to the Compliance Review Phase, which was notified to the parties on December 18, 2018.
On December 7, 2018, the MICI Director asked the IDB Board of Executive Directors for an extension to prepare the “Recommendation for a Compliance Review and Terms of Reference” (paragraph 59 of the Policy). The Board of Executive Directors approved the extension via Short Procedure. Therefore, the new deadline to issue the Recommendation was February 28, 2019.
On February 28, 2019, MICI sent the Parties the draft of the Recommendation and Terms of Reference for a Compliance Review of the present case. As of this date, the Parties had 15 business days to comment on the document, which expired on March 21, 2019
A
Support for Structuring the Ituango Hydroelectric Project
ENERGY
Technical Cooperation
USD 1,500,000
| Registration Registered | Eligibility Eligible | Assessment | Consultation Process | Monitoring | Recommendation for a CR and ToRs | Investigation | CR Report | Monitoring |
| Registration | Consultation Phase (CP) | Compliance Review Phase (CRP) | ||||||
Chronology and documents
| Steps and milestones | Date | Remarks | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registry | |||
| 24489 Request Receipt | 2018-06-05 | The annexes of the Request are classified as confidential | |
| 24490 Notice of Registration | 2018-07-03 | 5 business days from the date of receipt of the Request or 15 business days when further information is required from the Requesters. | |
| Elegibility | |||
| 24492 Management Response | 2018-07-20 | 21 business days from the date of notice of registration. The response will be published as an annex to the Eligibility Memorandum. | |
| 24496 Eligibility due date | 2018-08-31 | 21 business days from the date of receipt of Management Response or 45 business days after the Suspension is granted. | |
| 24498 Eligibility Memorandum Public Disclosure | 2018-09-26 | This determination is not an assessment of the merits of the Request or the issues presented in it. | |
| Consultation phase | |||
| Assessment | |||
| 24500 Deadline for Assessment | 2018-11-16 | 40 business days from the date of issuance of the eligibility memorandum. | |
| 24501 Assessment Report Public Disclosure | 2018-12-07 | As per the Access to Information Policy (OP-102) the disclosure of this document is done simultaneous to its distribution to the Board of Executive Directors. | |
| Consultation Phase Closure | |||
| 25742 Notification to Parties | 2018-12-07 | ||
| Compliance review phase | |||
| Recommendation for a Compliance Review and Terms of Reference (ToRs) | |||
| 24503 Preparation of Draft Recommendation and ToRs due date | 2019-02-28 | 21 business days from the start date of the Compliance Review Phase. An extension was requested and approved. | |
| 25157 Due date for receiving comments on Draft | 2019-03-21 | Management and Requesters have 15 business days to submit their comments to the Draft. | |
| 26368 Consideration by the Board of Executive Directors of the Recommendation and ToRs | 2019-07-26 | In accordance with MICI Policy, the document will be distributed to the public once approved by the Board of Directors. Start date for consideration under Short Procedure. | |
| 26369 Decision by the Board of Executive Directors regarding the Recommendation | 2019-08-02 | The Recommendation to not investigate was approved. The case is closed. | |