A. ARABI - Economic Expert of Mahab Ghods Consultant Engineering Co

Implementation of water resources projects has its own social impacts and consequences during and after their completion. Such consequences may arise directly or indirectly being either positive or negative. They may either be affected by the implementation of the project or its effects. The scope of their occurrence spreads over an area from upstream to downstream of the dam. If the project aims at inter-basin transition, the scope of study of consequences will cover the water recipient basin as well. Study of the projects social impacts along with technical and economic consideration, provides the possibility of a more illuminated judgment toward the project. Looking at the issue with such a universal vision, will enable us, in addition to benefiting from the project’s social privileges normally faced with public approval, to identify and study the social issues and problems of water resources development project that could play a hindering role in implementing the project. This paper does not claim to analyze all the social consequences, but by taking into consideration the experiences of the author in the studies related to water resources projects in Iran, it endeavors to identify some important social consequences resulting from the projects.

Positive impacts, Negative impacts, Water resources projects