02

You have advised to move ahead with the feasibility study for the large dam, also implying to the public that the Regional Rice Hub plan appears to be a promising response to Riverbank City’s development goals. This has raised a mixture of support from some sectors, such as the rice millers, large-scale farmers, and some residents worried about electricity shortages, but concern from others including fishing communities and some residents concerned about the impact of large scale development on the town’s local environment and culture.

There are various options for the feasibility study. One approach to the study would focus primarily onto the technical design of the large dam including on the economic return on investment, which would mainly involve technical experts and could be completed rapidly. The second approach to the study also includes the social and environmental impacts and would require public consultations with the nearby communities risking that the project would be questioned by some affected communities.

Would you advise the feasibility study to focus mainly onto technical design, or include studies on the social and environmental impact studies including public consultations?