Stakeholder comments regarding ongoing human rights concerns associated with the Barro Blanco Hydroelectric Power Plant Project (CDM Project #3237)

Stakeholder organizations are urging the CDM Executive Board to intervene in the Barro Blanco Hydroelectric Power Plant Project in Panama due to ongoing human rights concerns, including threats of forced eviction of Ngäbe indigenous communities and failure to obtain free, prior and informed consent. The authors highlight that the project developer, GENISA, was fined $775,200 by Panama's Environment Ministry for non-compliance with its environmental impact assessment, including failures to relocate and compensate affected people. The stakeholders request that the Board notify UN human rights bodies, inquire with Panamanian authorities, and consider withdrawing the project's registration if it violates CDM procedures.

• The Barro Blanco project developer, GENISA, was fined $775,200 by Panama's Environment Ministry in August 2015 for failing to comply with its environmental impact assessment (EIA), specifically regarding the failure to "negotiate with, relocate and compensate those affected by the hydroelectric project" and violating the social and cultural rights of the Ngäbe people.
• The Government of Panama is alleged to be in violation of national and international law for failing to adequately consult or obtain the free, prior and informed consent of the affected Ngäbe communities.
• There are urgent concerns regarding the personal safety of local communities as the dam's completion in April 2016 may lead to the forced eviction of Ngäbe indigenous people and the flooding of six hectares of Ngäbe-Bugle territory, including homes, schools, and cultural sites.
• The Independent Complaints Mechanism (ICM) of the Dutch and German development banks (FMO and DEG) found that the lenders should have sought more clarity on whether indigenous authorities had consented to the project before it was approved.

APA

Carbon Market Watch (2016). Stakeholder comments regarding ongoing human rights concerns associated with the Barro Blanco Hydroelectric Power Plant Project (CDM Project #3237). https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Barro-Blanco-26-April-2016-CDM-Board-Submission.pdf

Chicago

Carbon Market Watch. Stakeholder comments regarding ongoing human rights concerns associated with the Barro Blanco Hydroelectric Power Plant Project (CDM Project #3237). 2016. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Barro-Blanco-26-April-2016-CDM-Board-Submission.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Carbon Market Watch |title=Stakeholder comments regarding ongoing human rights concerns associated with the Barro Blanco Hydroelectric Power Plant Project (CDM Project #3237) |date=24 April 2016 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Barro-Blanco-26-April-2016-CDM-Board-Submission.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{carbonmarketwatch2016stakeholder, author = {{Carbon Market Watch}}, title = {{Stakeholder comments regarding ongoing human rights concerns associated with the Barro Blanco Hydroelectric Power Plant Project (CDM Project \#3237)}}, publisher = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2016}, month = apr, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Barro-Blanco-26-April-2016-CDM-Board-Submission.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }