Loss of livelihoods Before the construction of the dam started, communities relied on this area for fishing, sand excavation, restoration, agriculture, collection of non-timber forest products (e.g. arrowroot), and the practice of traditional rites on the Binadjengue sacred site. Their livelihoods depended upon these activities in the area and they have received unsatisfactory compensation (see below). Additionally, NHPC promised to recruit local workers for the construction of the dam as labourers, drivers or technicians, but to date, they have not done so. 

Inadequate and delayed compensation  Issues have been raised by community members regarding compensation following the Compensating Actions Program implemented by NHPC as part of the Resettlement Action Plan in 2015. Those affected believe that the compensation given and that which was promised by the company in the Environmental and Social Action Plan is at odds with what they have lost.

Fisherfolk are no longer able to access the river where the dam is being constructed. Those who decided to continue fishing have received less compensation than agreed during consultations, and considerably less than they would have earned with continued fishing in the area. Those who decided to stop fishing have not received any compensation, despite agreements made during consultations. A coalition of fisherfolk wrote letters to NHPC asking for this promised compensation but have still not received it.

Sanders, who collect and sell sand from the area where the dam is being constructed, face a similar predicament. Only a few sanders, located in what the NHPC call the 'red zone' (the dam's direct flooding zone), have received financial compensation, and this is less than they previously earned. The majority of sanders, those located in 'blue and green zones', are still waiting for compensation. 

Relocation of sacred site NHPC has given compensation to the community in order for them to move the Binadjengue sacred site, located in the dam construction area. The sacred site has been moved; however, the local community argues that this compensation is not enough to adequately carry on traditional rites, as they no longer have access to the water and fish that were used in these rites.

Stakeholder consultation The consultation meetings conducted by NHPC in 2015 were reported by community members to be threatening environments where individuals were unable to raise their concerns. Communities described them as an opportunity for the company to present the project and its financial partners, explain that impacted communities will suffer from the construction, and to present them with compensation. There is some evidence of a ‘company communities officer’ to whom locals can raise concerns, but community members report long waiting times for responses and a lack of resolution from the process. 

Ineffective grievance mechanism The affected communities, including sanders, fishermen and other community members, have filed petitions and written letters directly to the NHPC asking them to uphold their promises regarding compensation, which remain unanswered. The affected communities did not know that there was a project-level grievance mechanism and the company did not indicate to community members that this mechanism is in place which they could use to file their complaints formally. 

Gender impacts Women have been particularly affected by the unsatisfactory compensation scheme. Where compensation has been given, it has not taken into consideration the support of women. In nearly every case, the compensation has been given to men, and there is no specific mechanism in place for the consideration of women. In addition, many women made a living from preparing and selling food to the sand workers, which they can no longer do. They have not received any compensation for the last five years. These same women have asked to be able to continue to prepare and sell food to the workers who are constructing the dam in order to make a living, but they have been prohibited from doing so. 

For more information on the impacts the project has on the communities, see IFI Synergies report here. 

Impacts on forests The project area is located in the Guinea-Congolese rainforest, a transition zone between forest and savannah. Approximately 310 hectares of forest has been cleared during the construction of the required infrastructure for the dam, including the hydroelectric power station, the water retention area and the electricity transmission line. The communities rely on the forest for the collection of non-timber forest products that are used locally in traditional medicines and other traditional uses. 

Impacts on wildlife As a result of clearing the land, many animals and birds will lose their habitats. Several bird species that are protected under Cameroonian wildlife legislation are present in the project area, as well as one bird species that is endangered according to the IUCN Red List, the Golden Turaco. As a result of habitat loss and the arrival of workers in the area, there is an increased risk of poaching. The construction of the dam will also have a direct impact on fish. The noise caused by construction and the obstacle that will be created by the dam results in fish escaping the area.