世界水壩委員會 (WCD) 成立於1998年2月，其總部位於南非的開普敦。它是一個獨立的研究團體，它被授權在兩年時間內，審查世界各地大壩發展的有效性。WCD還負責制訂各類標準、準則以及指導方針，以便將來就水壩事宜作出決策時提出有關建議，並研究各種替代水壩的方案的可行性。該委員會的主席是Kader Asmal教授，他曾經擔任南非水務及森林部部長。WCD起初是應非政府組織的要求成立的，其目的是以一個公正公開的團體來對世界各地水壩的有效性進行評估。該組織將對9條河流流域（包括南非的橘河）進行研究，開展3個國家全國性的研究， 並編寫150座其他水壩的基本資訊資料。WCD的最終報告預期在2000年6月完成。
由於WCD的總部位於開普敦，當地的一個非政府組織?環境監管組織（EMG）開始著手監管WCD，並推動WCD秘書處與全球性的和地方的非政府組織、社區團體之間的資訊流通過程，EMG參與的核心目的在於確保WCD所發現的結果和建議能準確地反映出水壩對環境的影響，反映出受到水壩影響的社區的目前的遭遇和前景，尤其是南非的情況，並確保被影響的人民團體和其他非政府組織能暢所欲言的參與WCD的決策過程。EMG已與WCD秘書處共同合作，確保多方聲音都能被頃聽，能充分參與該過程，而且還特意聘請了一位專職人員監管WCD的工作。
版權歸屬 國際河網 環境信託基金會（陶俊 譯，吳國玢 陳維立 審校）
The World Commission on Dams (WCD), founded in February 1998 and based in Cape Town, South Africa, is an independent research body with a two-year mandate to review the development effectiveness of large dams around the world. The WCD is also charged with developing standards, criteria and guidelines to advise future decision-making on dams, and to study the viability of alternatives to dams. The commission is chaired by Professor Kader Asmal, former Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry of South Africa. The WCD was formed primarily at the request of NCOs for an impartial body to assess the effectiveness of darns worldwide. The group will undertake nine river basin studies (including South Africa's Orange River), three countrywide studies, and compile basic information on 150 other dams. The WCD's final report is expected to be complete in June 2000.
As a result of the WCD being based in Cape Town, one of the local NC&, the Environmental Monitoring Group (EMC), has embarked on a process of monitoring the WCD and facilitating the flow Of information between the WCD Secretariat and global and regional NGOs and community groups. The overarching aim of EMG's involvement is to ensure that the findings and recommendations of the WCD accurately reflect the impact of darns on the environment and the experience and perspective of dam-affected communities, particularly in Southern Africa, and to ensure that affected people's groups and other NGOs are brought into the WCD decision-making process. EMC has worked with the WCD secretariat to ensure that affected people are fully brought into the process, and has a full-time staff member monitoring the WCD's work.
