REMEMBERING THE RIVER DAUGAVA: THE ECONOMICS AND ETHICS OF HYDROELECTRIC DAMS

Hydroelectric dams built on the largest river of Latvia - the Daugava, are essential for energy supply of Latvia. The largest of them - Plavinas hydroelectric plant, was built during the period of the Soviet rule and is still one of the largest in Europe. As a result, the valley of the river Daugava with its unique landscapes and cultural values was flooded, despite the objections by a significant part of Latvian people. Two decades later the construction of another - Daugavpils hydroelectric dam -, was suspended because of similar protests. The debates about the effects of hydroelectric dams are continuing since Latvia regained independence in 1991. The aim of this paper is to assess these debates in the context of environmental ethics. According to approach of environmental economics, the main method for the assessment of environmental projects is the cost/benefit analysis. Likewise, the critics of construction of dams apply predictable economic costs as an argument against the construction, for instance, pointing to damages to fishery. However, economic costs were not the main reason for the protests. The main reason was the expected irreversible losses of natural and cultural values that were assessed as "priceless". Such attitude of a large part of society suggests that "non-economic" values have to be taken into account in comprehensive assessment of these projects. The significance of these values has to be recognized, and the results of cost/benefit analysis should not be a single criterion used in the assessment of the projects of hydroelectric dams.