Mekong : Dams disrupt lives

**StrontiumDog** · 01-05-2011, 09:55 AM

Bangkok Post : A new geopolitics of mekong dams?

A new geopolitics of mekong dams?

The dispute over the Xayaburi dam has caused a shift in relations between countries on the river and made unilateral moves unlikely

Published: 1/05/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Spectrum

On April 19, the four country members of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) met to consult on Thai company Ch Karnchang's proposal to build a 1,260MW dam in Xayaburi province on the mainstream of the Mekong River in Laos. The dam would be financed by Thai banks and sell most of its power to consumers in Thailand. At the meeting, members of the MRC Joint Committee, made up of senior officials from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, agreed to disagree and to elevate the decision to the Ministerial Council level.

Messy and inconclusive though the interim outcome on the Xayaburi dam may seem, it nevertheless carries considerable significance for the way in which river policy decisions are conducted in the Mekong. It reflects a maturing of the relationship between the four riparian countries, and it represents a tentative step toward a much more inclusive and informed process of decision-making and influence around the all-important question of the Mekong's future as a flowing river or a stepped series of lakes.

To date, two main constraints have limited rational, balanced and open decision making around dams with potential transboundary impacts in the Mekong River basin. The first is that transboundary discussions have been restricted to governments, which have wanted to maintain good political relations with one another and hence avoid any impression that they are imposing on their neighbours' sovereign rights to develop resources within their own countries. Moreover, within governments the decisions have been devolved mainly to ministries with an in-built predisposition to support hydropower.

The second main constraint is that decisions have been made behind closed doors, with little opportunity for public scrutiny. Proposals for dams have been assessed by interested parties, and environmental assessments have been limited in scope and well below international quality standards. As a consequence, environmental and social impacts and costs have been dismissed and ultimately passed on to relatively powerless rural communities whose livelihood dependence on the river makes them vulnerable to impacts on fisheries, fluctuating water levels, and so on. Where affected communities have had a voice, it has mainly been articulated through post-construction grievances, as in the case of the Pak Moon Dam's decimation of fishing livelihoods or Vietnam's Yali Falls project and its downstream impact in Cambodia _ in other words, after the fact.

The case of Xayaburi has seen a shift in both these limitations. While consultations within the country concerned, Laos, have been very limited, a series of meetings facilitated by the MRC through its prior consultation procedures has provided for a wider degree of public input into the decision-making process. Similarly, by commissioning a set of technical reviews of the documentation submitted by the country nominating Xayaburi, the MRC provided a more reasoned basis on which the Joint Committee could make a recommendation. At one level, therefore, the interim outcome represents a success of MRC's procedures for notification, prior consultation and agreement under which the consultation was mandated.

But all this would not and could not have happened without prior building of awareness and knowledge about the implications of mainstream dams on the Mekong. For some years, NGOs have mobilised under the Save the Mekong Coalition, bringing together a wide range of civil society groups including riverside communities, livelihood- and environment-oriented NGOs, environmental scientists and other university-based academics. A petition with 23,000 signatures was presented to four heads of government who met in April 2010 at the MRC summit in Hua Hin, expressing concern over mainstream dams and demanding that they not go ahead.
The MRC commissioned a strategic environmental assessment, which pulled together the best available knowledge on the Mekong to give an objective picture of what mainstream dams would mean for the river, its fisheries and the people who depend on them. The picture that emerged was not a pretty one, and the MRC's team recommended putting the dams on hold for at least 10 years while further studies were carried out and alternatives sought. Yet even here, it was not the MRC report itself that carried the day, so much as the championing of its findings and recommendations by civil society groups, MRC donors and others. Probably the most significant development has been the emergence of a courageous, articulate and strategically organised group of scientists within Vietnam, who helped convince the Vietnamese National Mekong Committee, and more senior political leaders, of the threat posed by mainstream dams to the livelihoods and well-being of 20 million people in the Mekong Delta.

There are other political factors that have brought the four countries to this point. It seems that downstream countries have called the bluff of the upstream dam proponents. Prior to the meeting, the Lao government gave the impression that the dam was a fait accompli. It brought up the valid legal point that MRC rules and prior consultation ultimately have no regulatory bearing on what Laos may do within its own national territory, whatever the opinion of its neighbours may be. The bluff in this, it seems, was that by taking such a strong stand the Lao authorities believed that other countries would follow past practice and put consensus and the political culture of non-interference above concerns over downstream impacts. With the benefit of hindsight, it seems that this was a misreading of neighbouring countries' resolve over such a key issue. The strong statement issued last week by prime ministers Nguyen Tan Dung of Vietnam and Hun Sen of Cambodia sent an unequivocal message to the Lao authorities and the Thai developer that to proceed with the dam would be unacceptable.

Of course, the process is far from over. In the less than two weeks since the Joint Committee consultation, events have moved fast and continue to do so. Initially, both the Lao government and the project developer indicated an intention to proceed regardless. At its annual general meeting just a few days after the Joint Committee meeting, Ch Karnchang's CEO indicated to shareholders that the project would proceed, implying that their expectations of dividends were well founded. A few days later, the Lao government quite properly responded to its partner countries' concerns by stating that it would commission a review of the critiques of the environmental impact assessment, even though this may take months or years. At least one of the Thai banks lending money to the project has since stated that loans will not be forthcoming in this climate of uncertainty, which could foreshadow an unravelling of the commercial arrangements necessary for the project to proceed.

Formally, the consultation process over Xayaburi has been elevated to the council, which meets once a year in October. It is conceivable that a special meeting could be convened prior to this. In principle, Laos could even go it alone, but just as decisions to date over dams have been bound in a wider regional geopolitics geared at respecting national sovereignty, the Xayaburi decision is now caught up in a regional geopolitics in which a decision to proceed would represent a snub to downstream countries and also poison the normally close relationship between Laos and its larger political ally to the East.

Philip Hirsch is a professor of human geography at the University of Sydney and director of the Australian Mekong Resource Centre.

**StrontiumDog** · 06-05-2011, 12:28 PM

Laos asks for trust on controversial Mekong dam

May 6, 2011

Laos asks for trust on controversial Mekong dam

HANOI - LAOS called on Thursday for trust on a controversial dam across the lower Mekong river that has sparked strong opposition from its neighbours and environmental groups.

In a rare direct comment from the country, Khempheng Pholsena, chairwoman of the Laos National Mekong Committee and a government minister, said the Xayaburi Dam would be 'socially and environmentally sustainable'.

'Trust Laos,' she told reporters in Hanoi on the sidelines of an annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank. 'We take the concern seriously. Please give us time,' she added.

Plans for the dam have put Laos on a collision course with its neighbours and environmentalists who fear livelihoods, fish species and farmland could be destroyed, potentially sparking a food crisis.

In April, the four countries that share the lower stretches of the 4,900 km Mekong - Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam - failed at a meeting to reach agreement on construction of the 1.285-megawatt (MW) dam, the first of 11 planned in the lower Mekong that are expected to generate 8 per cent of South-east Asia's power by 2025.

Vietnam, which has long been the closest ally Laos has, in April asked it to delay the $3.5 million ($4.3m) project by 10 years. The Lao government has hailed Xayaburi as a model for clean, green energy that will stimulate its tiny $6 billion economy and improve the lives of its 5.9 million people, over a quarter of whom live below the poverty line, many without electricity. Its energy-hungry neighbour, Thailand, will buy about 95 per cent of the power generated by the dam. -- REUTERS

**StrontiumDog** · 08-05-2011, 09:48 AM

Bangkok Post : Early work on dam 'normal practice'

Early work on dam 'normal practice'

LAOS DEFENDS JUMPING GUN ON XAYABURI CONSTRUCTION WORK

Published: 8/05/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

The Laos government has defended early road construction work near the controversial Xayaburi dam project, saying it is ''fairly common practice'' in the country.

The Bangkok Post Sunday reported last month that extensive road work for the US$3.5 billion (105 billion baht) Xayaburi dam had been under way for five months although the project had not yet received formal approval from member states of the Mekong River Commission (MRC).

The roadwork was being conducted by the Thai joint venture partner, Ch Karnchang, over a 30km area from Ban Nara village to Ban Houay Souy near the proposed dam site.

Viraphonh Viravong, director-general of Laos' Department of Electricity, under the Ministry of Energy and Mines, said the road upgrading projects were requested by both the Xayaburi and Luang Prabang provincial authorities. He said the roads would be used by the public if the project does not get approval. He said the developer's consultants spent a lot of time in the area conducting a two-year feasibility study and found infrastructure development was needed.

''This is a fairly common practice for developments in Laos since the early completion of access roads helps to reduce the mobilisation time and reduce the overall construction [time] of the project,'' Mr Viraphonh wrote in an email.

''While there of course is a risk that the project will not proceed, the road upgrading was a significant benefit to the residents of the area and that is in line with the local authorities' policy to improve the livelihood of their people.''

The project, which expects to generate 1,260MW electricity and sell 95% of capacity to Thailand, has split the MRC, with Vietnam and Cambodia opposing it.

On April 19 at the MRC's final consultation meeting, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand asked for the project to be deferred and the issue was moved to the ministerial council meeting.

The Xayaburi dam is the most advanced project of 11 proposed dams on the Lower Mekong. Environment groups and NGOs have criticised the project for the potential damage they say it could do to ecosystems and river communities.

Mr Viraphonh, who also heads Laos' MRC delegation, said his government and international consultants and experts are in the process of addressing all issues related to the project.

All available information and data will be reviewed before commencement of any major works.

''The Lao government is committed to ensuring that the concerns of each member country and the international community are reasonably and logically addressed,'' said Mr Viraphonh.

''Laos expects and hopes that, by virtue of its having proceeded with the full course of procedures under the 1995 Mekong Agreement, it has set a good example for other MRC members to follow and that those countries, acting together, can continue to work on matters of mutual importance.''

The Save the Mekong coalition called on the Laos government to immediately halt construction at the dam site and for the Thai government to cancel its plans to purchase the dam's electricity. ''The Save the Mekong coalition fears the pro ject is in fact continuing to move forward, given a recent investigative report by the Bangkok Post on April 17, which revealed that preliminary construction work had already started at the dam site and the process for further regional discussion remains unclear,'' the group said.

They also asked Asean's Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights to investigate the Xayaburi dam.

''We urge Asean's leaders to demonstrate their commitment to regional cooperation by calling for the cancellation of the Xayaburi dam,'' said Trinh Le Nguyen, of Vietnam's People and Nature Reconciliation.

''Regional cooperation within Asean and the Mekong River Commission will not be realised if member nations do not follow the agreed decision-making process and respect the need for mutual benefits.''

**StrontiumDog** · 09-05-2011, 11:45 PM

Vietnam says Laos suspends Mekong dam project

May 9, 2011

Vietnam says Laos suspends Mekong dam project

Laos has told Vietnam it will suspend work on a controversial dam planned for the Mekong River, official media reported, after Hanoi sought a 10-year deferment of the scheme. -- PHOTO: AP

HANOI - LAOS has told Vietnam it will suspend work on a controversial dam planned for the Mekong River, official media reported, after Hanoi sought a 10-year deferment of the scheme.

Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong informed his counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung 'of Laos' decision to temporarily suspend the Xayaburi hydropower project,' Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported at the weekend from Jakarta.

It said the two communist leaders met in the Indonesian capital on the sidelines of the Asean regional summit.

'PM Dung thanked the Laos Party and government for this important decision,' which reflected 'deep consideration' of Vietnam's position, the VNA report said.

At a regional meeting last month Vietnam, which has close political ties with tiny, landlocked Laos, voiced 'deep' concerns about inadequate assessments and the risk of damage to its fishing and farm industries.

It called for hydropower projects on the mainstream Mekong to be deferred for at least a decade. -- AFP

**The Bold Rodney** · 09-05-2011, 11:50 PM

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

It called for hydropower projects on the mainstream Mekong to be deferred for at least a decade.

That's a "dammed" nuisance (excuse the pun)

, green light for nuclear power I assume?

**StrontiumDog** · 12-05-2011, 11:19 AM

Bangkok Post : Activists call to scrap Lao dam project

Activists call to scrap Lao dam project

Ecosystem 'under threat' if hydro plan goes ahead

Published: 12/05/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

Activists are unhappy with Laos' pledge to study the environmental effects of the controversial Xayaburi hydro dam.

They say Laos' commitment to study further the environmental impact assessment report on the dam, in the face of stiff regional opposition to the project, is no guarantee that environmental impacts on the trans-boundary Mekong River can be minimised.

Laos should scrap the project instead, they said.

Laos has offered to further study the EIA after the three Mekong countries which stand to be affected by the Xayaburi dam's construction - Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam - raised objections to the conclusions.

Laos has also decided to postpone work on the dam, pending the outcome of the study.

Hanarong Yaowaloes, chairman of Thai-Water Partnerships, an environmental group, said the EIA study done by Ch Karnchang Public Company Limited, a construction giant which is undertaking the joint venture project, was unable to answer environmentalists' concerns.

The study failed to say how the dam would affect the livelihoods of millions of people living along the river, Mr Hanarong said.

"The project should be scrapped. Laos wants to study the EIA further just to draw out the process," he said.

Meanwhile, Birgit Vogel, chief technical adviser of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), said many concerns have been raised about the EIA report on the Xayaburi dam, especially the impact on fish migration and sediment transport.

The MRC suggested more work was needed to mitigate the environmental impacts on fish, and management of sediment flow, Ms Vogel said.

Ms Vogel was speaking at a public lecture yesterday on Mekong River dams at Chulalongkorn University.

She said the MRC's fisheries experts found that the dam could affect 23 to 100 threatened fish species, as some 39% of migrant fish would be blocked by the dam.

That could lead to a 6% drop in the 2.5 tonnes of fish caught from the river each year.

The MRC's sediment expert group expected the reservoir would lose about 60% of its capacity due to poor sediment management within 30 years.

She believed the issue will be raised again at the Mekong region's ministerial meeting in October or November this year.

Richard Cronin, senior associate of the Henry L Stimson Center in Washington DC, closely monitors the Mekong region.

He said Laos has the right to build the Xayaburi dam but it should not disregard the concerns of neighbouring countries.

Mr Cronin said the project's suspension would give Laos the chance to carefully scrutinise the impact on the environment and livelihood of people along the river.

"Laos has nothing to export except natural resources," Mr Cronin said.

"It can earn big money from the sale of electricity from the hydro dam to Thailand, Vietnam and China."

**StrontiumDog** · 23-06-2011, 11:49 PM

Laos defies neighbours on dam project - environmentalists - Yahoo! News

Laos defies neighbours on dam project - environmentalists

By Martin Petty Reuters –
Thu, Jun 23, 2011

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Laos is forging ahead with construction of a controversial $3.5 billion hydropower dam in breach of an agreement to suspend the project pending approval by ministers of neighbouring countries, an environmental group said on Thursday.

The Lao government has already given Thai developer Ch Karnchang the go-ahead to resume work on the Xayaburi Dam, informing the company that the Mekong River Commission's (MRC) decision-making process was complete, according to International Rivers, an environmental and human rights group.

"The government of Laos has committed an egregious breach of trust and has joined the ranks of rogue nations," Ame Trandem, a campaigner with International Rivers, said in a statement, citing leaked correspondence.

With its big ambitions to export hydropower, impoverished Laos is dubbed the "battery of Southeast Asia", but experts warn that the Xayaburi project -- one of 11 new dams planned by Laos -- could cause untold environmental damage and spark a food security crisis downstream in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.

Mekong basin countries are bound by treaty to hold inter-governmental consultations before building dams.

After months of pressure from environmentalists and neighbouring countries, Laos agreed on April 19 to defer the project until a meeting of ministers of the four countries involved, slated for the end of the year.

However, International Rivers distributed a leaked letter to the media on Thursday, dated June 8 and sent by Laos' energy ministry to the Xayaburi Power Company, stating the consultation process was complete.

Shares in Ch Karnchang Pcl, which has a 57 percent stake in the Xayaburi Dam, had jumped 4 percent on Monday after state-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, which has a 12.5 percent stake in the dam, said Laos might not delay construction of the project.

Ch Karnchang declined to comment on Thursday while authorities in Laos were not immediately available for comment.

Ecologists and river experts have criticised an environmental impact assessment conducted last year by the Lao government and warn that the livelihoods of 60 million people in the lower Mekong region are at risk if the dam goes ahead without proper risk assessment.

Scores of fish species face extinction, fish stocks will dwindle as migratory routes get blocked and swathes of rice-rich land could be deprived of fertile silt carried downstream by Southeast Asia's longest waterway, experts say.

Laos is committed to supplying 7,000 MW of power to Thailand, 5,000 MW to Vietnam and 1,500 MW to Cambodia by 2015. Its energy ministry says it has the potential to generate 28,000 MW from the Mekong.

Watt Botkosal, deputy secretary general of Cambodia's National Mekong Committee, reacted with dismay and said Laos had promised to conduct a cross-border study during a regional meeting in Jakarta last month.

"The impact study is incomplete, so why has this decision been made?" Watt Botkosal told Reuters. "We have not even received any such study."

According to the leaked letter, Laos said a one-month study had been conducted by an international consultancy group. No details were provided.

**Mid** · 23-07-2011, 07:59 PM

US praises Laos for pause in Mekong dam project
ROBIN McDOWELL
Friday, July 22, 2011

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton praised Laos as taking a "forward-leaning position" after the tiny, landlocked nation said it had no immediate plans to resume work on a dam across the Mekong River, a senior U.S. official said.

The dam - a multibillion-dollar, 1,260-megawatt hydroelectric project - would be the first across the river as it meanders through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. China has dammed its upper reaches, but the 3,000-mile (4,900-kilometer) river otherwise runs free.

Opponents say construction in Laos could open the way for 10 more dams downstream. That could affect the lives of hundreds of millions of people.

"This is a serious issue for all the countries that share the Mekong River," Clinton said at a meeting of ministers from affected nations Friday.

"Because if any of you build a dam, all of you will feel the consequences in environmental degradation, challenges to food security and impacts on communities."

Laos announced in May that it would defer building the $3.5 billion Xayaburi dam until an expert review was done. Hydropower is one of Laos' few major resources, and the country had hoped revenue from the dam would spur economic and social development.

It said Friday the suspension would continue, said Kurt Campbell, the top U.S. diplomat for Asia, quoting Clinton and others as welcoming the "forward-leaning" decision.

Laos has said the dam would not significantly impact the Mekong mainstream, but activists, scientists and officials in other countries say it would cause irreversible damage.

They say it would disrupt fish migrations, block nutrients for downstream farming and even foul Vietnam's rice bowl by slowing the river's speed and allowing saltwater to creep into the Mekong River Delta.

"I want to urge all parties to pause on any considerations to build new dams until we are able to do a better assessment of the likely consequences," Clinton said.

tuscaloosanews.com

**terry57** · 23-07-2011, 08:22 PM

How's this going to affect the "Giant Mekong Catfish" ?

Suppose no one gives a fok Eh.

**billy the kid** · 24-07-2011, 01:08 AM

certainly not the Chinese.
i give a fok tho.
mighty Mekong, blew my mind every time.

**StrontiumDog** · 18-09-2011, 09:34 AM

Bangkok Post : No stopping flow of construction at 'suspended' dam

SPECIAL REPORT

No stopping flow of construction at 'suspended' dam

Published: 18/09/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

Five months after Mekong countries agreed to reconsider the controversial US$3.8 billion (115.25 billion baht) Xayaburi dam project, construction work around the site has continued despite Laos' undertaking to suspend the work.

DIGGING IN: A backhoe bulldozes trees at the dam construction site in Xayaburi.

Bangkok Post Sunday revisited the site and found construction of a major road leading to the dam site is 90% finished. Senior engineers, who asked to remain anonymous, said the road construction was nearly done.

The road is planned to run 30km from Ban Nara village, which is about 17km from Tha Dua pier, where access to Xayaburi province can be gained. The first 10km mountain section from Ban Nara village involves road upgrading. Heavy machinery, including backhoes, are working on the second section clearing earth and paving roads to the planned dam site.

Both sections of the road have been widened to four lanes to allow heavy construction vehicles to pass. The earth has been compacted and is waiting to be surfaced. Only one kilometre of road to the dam site needs to be completed, plus a section to Ban Houay Souy village.

But Viraphonh Viravong, the director-general of the Laos Electricity Department, defended the early work, saying that claims construction had begun were ''not totally correct''.

He said when the site was being surveyed, authorities of Xayaburi and Laung Prabang provinces asked the developers if they could link the ''temporary construction'' of the road to the site.

''Of course, if the project starts, the road will be used,'' said Mr Viraphonh. ''But if not, all the benefits will go to the local authorities, as they will have access roads for a lot of villages.

''As the Lao government has stated at many international conferences and meetings, we will start the project until we reach a happy conclusion with other riparian countries.''

The Mekong River Commission _ comprising Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia _ asked Laos to suspend work on the Xayaburi dam after concerns were raised about potential harm to rice production and fishing communities along the river.

Laos subsequently commissioned a report by Switzerland-based firm Poyry which recommended the dam project _ which stands to generate 1,280 megawatts of electricity _ could go ahead.

The dam is being jointly constructed by the Laos government and Thai construction firm Ch Karnchang with 95% of the electricity generated to be sold back to the Kingdom through the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand.

Mr Viraphonh said the Lao government is waiting for the final report from Poyry, which will be taken to other MRC members and explained in detail.

''We believe the dam can be constructed,'' said Mr Viraphonh. ''I don't see any reason why it would be rejected any more. At the MRC council meeting, we will also report these findings.''

One engineer at the construction site said preparatory work at the site included construction of worker accommodations and the movement of heavy machinery from the Nam Ngum hydropower project, which Ch Karnchang's Lao division was involved with.

There are already 1,000 workers on the Xayaburi site, he said.

Dozens of cement silos can also be seen being transported across the river at Tha Dua. The engineer said they would be installed near the dam site near to help with construction.

The engineers have not started on the actual dam construction, but the foundation area is being examined with soil and rock samples collected for lab tests, the engineer said.

''Dam construction is limited by time following the signing of a contract,'' he said. ''If we don't start doing the work, the overall project might be delayed. After the preparation work, once we receive approval to begin construction of the dam, we will immediately begin work on the dam structure construction.

''We have not worked on it that much. We are waiting for the bell to ring. Hopefully we can hear it at the end of this year,'' said the engineer, adding that they were employed by Ch Karnchang Lao, which was given permission by Xayaburi Power to start work at the site.

Mekong campaigner Pianporn Deetes of International Rivers said Laos should not allow any construction to go ahead as they had made a commitment in April to discuss the project with MRC members.

Mrs Pianporn said the situation showed regulations and mechanisms under the MRC failed to function effectively when put into practice. The MRC only has a vague undertaking that mem ber states should come to a consensus on projects after consultation but there is nothing legally binding.

''The rules and regulations sound great, but it's clear that they cannot help in the Xayaburi case,'' Ms Pianporn said. ''Leaving matters to the governments to deal with alone under the MRC might not be enough for issues that affect a lot of people.

''It may be the time to think about strengthening the public participation process, which includes inviting the voices of those who would be really affected by a development project''.

A source at the MRC said the Lao government notified the organisation that it was hiring a consultancy firm, but it had not forwarded the final report.

He said the new report could accompany the overall consultation process, but it would be reviewed by the MRC.

AWAITING FATE: A shop owner in a village in Xayaburi is among those who will be affected by the dam project.

XAYABURI DAM BILLED AS PASSPORT TO PROSPERITY, BUT DETAILS ARE VAGUE

Villagers who stand to be affected by the Xayaburi dam project on the lower Mekong River have been told little about the project, including where they will live when they are forced to move.

Developer Ch Karnchang Lao hopes to start work by the end of the year on the dam. Roadwork leading to the site has already begun.

But villagers we contacted have been told little more than they knew back in April, when the Mekong River Commission, representing the four Mekong countries of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, asked the Lao government to put the work on hold until more research was done.

Even engineers involved in building a road to the dam site cannot tell us where the thousands of homes which would have to be relocated to make way for the dam will be moved.

One senior engineer supervising construction pointed to the mountainous areas surrounding the river. ''They will probably be moved up there, as the water will not be able to reach that high,'' he said.

If a resettlement plan has been drawn up, few villagers or engineers know the details.

The Xayaburi dam project is expected to affect directly 1,300 households in Xayaburi and Luang Prabang provinces, and thousands of households downstream when the valley is flooded.

Some villagers have been told about the project by their village heads.

Somboon Phanthaporn, a 57-year-old shop owner and fisherman of Ban Houay Souy, says he knows little.

''I was told only that I would have to move out, away from the river.

''They tell us to leave, so we have to leave,'' said Mr Somboon, who owns a two storey wooden house and a grocery shop in the village.

Officers have visited affected villages to survey properties, but their owners have heard nothing more.

At Ban Talan nearby, which will probably be flooded to make way for the dam, Vanthong Chanthavong, a 51-year-old former village head, has no idea when he and the other villagers will have to move out. ''We were told they will build the dam on the Mekong River and that we will be compensated, with new jobs, electricity, new homes, and new roads,'' he said.

As a villager living in remote area, he said the offers are tempting.

''The people are just happy to hear things like electricity. We don't have it. We just don't know what's really going on, or what will happen next,'' said Mr Vanthong.

Viraphonh Viravong, the director-general of the Laos Electricity Department which is responsible for the Xayaburi dam, said the project would have to be sustainable, and bring benefits to residents. ''Local benefits are very clear _ access to roads, health, education, sanitation, water supplies,'' said Mr Viraphonh.

Staff have visited affected villages to conduct a survey. He rejected speculation the villagers would receive as little as US$15 (454 baht) for their homes, saying the government would offer reasonable compensation, including payment for their trees.

''We have many good resettlement laws and regulations which have been applied to previous projects,'' he said.

The same standards would be applied here.

Our request to visit the resettlement site was turned down.

**StrontiumDog** · 18-09-2011, 09:37 AM

Bangkok Post : Giving the dam its due

Giving the dam its due

Viraphonh Viravong, the director-general of the Laos Electricity Department which is responsible for the Xayaburi dam, talks about the controversial project

Published: 18/09/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Spectrum

Laos is eager to start construction of the US$3.8 billion (115 billion baht) Thai-financed Xayaburi hydropower plant this year after changing the design to placate the concerns of neighbouring member countries of the Mekong River Commission (MRC).

IN THE HOT SEAT: Viraphonh Viravong, director-general of the Laos Electricity Department.

Thailand has agreed to take 95% of electricity from the 1,285-megawatt capacity plant, which is being jointly built by the Lao government and Thai construction firm CH Karnchang. The greatest opposition has come from Vietnam and Cambodia which have expressed concerns over potential damage to the ecosystem and the livelihoods of Mekong River communities.

In an exclusive report in April, the Bangkok Post Sunday reported that extensive road works for the Xayaburi dam had been under way for five months, although the project had not yet received formal approval from member states of the MRC, which has no punitive or veto powers against member states.

An impact assessment review of the dam commissioned by the Lao government to ease concerns over rice production and fish catches downstream has since been released by Viraphonh Viravong, the director-general of the Laos Electricity Department. The review _ conducted by Switzerland-based Poyry Energy AG _ has been presented to Vietnam and Mr Viraphonh will meet separately with Thai and Cambodian officials to discuss its recommendations.

After the MRC meeting on the dam project in April, what has Laos done to address the concerns raised by its neighbours?

April 22 was the last day, when the prior consultation process under the Mekong Agreement was supposed to end. But since there have been a lot of concerns from other riparian countries, the Lao government decided to hire the independent international consultant, Poyry of Switzerland to conduct a review _ which we call a compliance review _ regarding the overall design of the project. This was to check whether the developers and the Lao government have complied with the preliminary design guidelines from the MRCs. More importantly, it looked at whether it was safe to proceed with the project, or whether there are any risks associated with the project.

IT’S ON: A ‘Bangkok Post Sunday’ report in April revealed construction of access roads for the dam had begun.
What were the results of the review?

The work of the independent consultant ... ran from May to August, and we had a workshop with the Lao government. The findings are summarised as follows, on the five areas of concerns.

For dam safety, it was found that it complied with international practice on design, especially with regards to flooding and earthquakes over a 10,000-year period. It found that it's quite safe.

Regarding the water quality ... this should not change at all.

With regard to river navigation, it was designed in accordance with the MRC's preliminary design guidelines. I think, in addition, we will make a provision concerning a ship lock. There is a place to put a second ship lock which is not required by the agreement, but we will make a provision for that.

With regard to fish stocks, they have suggested improvement to the original design, which will include a fish lift and also the use of 'fish-friendly' turbines. Most importantly, we will have fish-breeding stations to restock wherever needed.

The most important issue is sediment transport, which of course, Vietnam is very concerned about as it could directly affect the Mekong Delta.

In the original design, the concept is that after 10 years of operation, a small reservoir capacity, or small trapping capacity, the sediment equilibrium will start to return. This is like any other run-off river scheme. But ... it was suggested that the project add a flushing facility, like the bottom outlets. They have suggested the project build at least five outlets or gates so that during the rainy season there will not be any sediment left. These will be expensive, but they will help resolve the concerns of countries downstream.

The conclusion of the engineers is that the project can start with the modifications to the design.

Of course, additional studies and collection of data during the construction phase would help to make the operation of the project even better.

What does Laos plan to do with these findings?

We will forward them to the other three riparian countries, and we will request to make a presentation to them, just to explain that their concerns are now planned to be addressed. We believe that with the experience and responsibility of the consultant, there will be a guarantee that there will be no significant trans-boundary impact to the downstream region.

This is supposed to be a consultation process, not a specific agreement. We don't need a specific agreement, but as long as we get a good understanding from the three countries and we guarantee that this is a consultation, I believe that we will be able to convince them, and then we will be able to proceed with the development of the Xayaburi dam.

CHANGING COURSE: Lao officials claim the dam will be of tremendous benefit to those living in affected communities.
So why has work already started on the ground?

In any development of hydropower in Laos _ in the past 15 years with the private sector _ it's always in a remote area. So, we have to build roads. We have to ask for approval for construction of temporary roads from the authorities. And that's what happened. And in this case, during the survey and all these difficulties, the authorities of Xayaburi and Luang Prabang provinces requested that the developers help with the construction of the temporary road to the site.

Of course, when the project starts, the road will be used. But if not, all the benefits will go to the local authorities as they will have access roads for a lot of villages. As the Lao government has stated at many international conferences and meetings, we will not start the project until we complete prior consultation, with a happy conclusion, with other riparian countries.

For the resettlement of people affected by the dam, there are many categories; such as those who are affected by flooding, and those affected by loss of agricultural land. There are many good resettlement laws and regulations in Laos which have been applied to previous projects, which have been implemented successfully ...

In any case, the number of people who would be relocated is small compared to other projects, say Nam Theun 2. This is because it's a run-off river scheme, which has no submerged or flooded area. The flooded area will be the same as the seasonally flooded area.

Why has Laos, the so-called 'Battery of Asia', adopted hydropower to boost development?

By 2015, Asean will be [an] open [market] and we will have to work together. You will see that to be competitive is not that easy, and such competition may not be the best way to develop the country. We have hydropower potential ... which we see as a complementary power resource. Besides, hydropower is the only method to generate electricity while creating an opportunity for water supplies, navigation, tourism or whatever. Hydropower creates those opportunities.

Combining the idea of cooperation instead of competition and having natural resources that are clean and inexpensive such as water, hydropower, that's why we promote the GMS (Greater Mekong Subregion) grid. The more complete the grid, the easier to optimise hydropower in Laos.

What do the people of Laos get from this kind of development?

Local benefits are very clear _ access to roads, health, education, sanitation, water supplies. There is a very long list of local benefits. But one important thing we guaranteed with our previous projects, like Nam Theun 2, before the project started, average incomes for local people were less than $200, but after years with our livelihood programmes, we guaranteed that they would increase to $1,200. That's not money we gave to locals, it's people's livelihoods. We teach them how to make a living, a sustainable livelihood. That's very clear.

Besides the local benefits, there are also national benefits and regional benefits.

What does Laos think about the current river governance and the challenges it presents to the country's development ambitions, such as hydropower?

The establishment of the MRC, and the MRC is not an authority that approves projects, that's not the purpose of the establishment of the organisation ... the objective of the 1995 agreement was that the MRC is supposed to be a coordinating body ... so, the MRC is supposed to be a coordinating agency, providing suggestions to the countries that are guidelines or the principles to be used. Don't try to develop it into a big organisation _ having everything, spending a lot of money and instead of helping development, becoming a hindrance to development. This is what is happening. We really have to review the situation and make it a more supportive body, not a hindrance. Make it a catalyst of development, not a hindrance.

What Laos would like to see is the ... balance between the development or the use of the Mekong river and conservation. We fell that there is too much inclination toward conservation. However we want to make use of the Mekong, people are against it in different ways. That is not supporting sustainable or responsible use of water.

Will Laos proceed with the Xayaburi project?

Yes.

**StrontiumDog** · 01-12-2011, 10:48 AM

Bangkok Post : Thailand won't veto construction of dam

Thailand won't veto construction of dam

Published: 1/12/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

Thailand will not oppose construction of the Xayaburi dam in Laos but Vientiane must take responsibility if the project causes any environmental damage, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Preecha Rengsomboonsuk says.

Mr Preecha yesterday said Thailand was treating the project as an internal affair of Laos which Bangkok had no right to interfere in.

"Laos has the right to construct the dam as it is located inside Lao territory. We will not oppose the project. But if there are any environmental impacts, the Lao government must take responsibility," he said.

"We will forward all concerns of local groups about the project to the Lao government," he added.

The Thai position was made clear at a meeting of the Thai National Mekong Committee chaired by the minister on Tuesday. It will be conveyed to all members of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) at a meeting on Dec 7-9 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The project is the main item on the agenda for the MRC talks.

The MRC says projects that might have environmental trans-boundary impacts must have the consultation process with other members completed before they start.

This process was concluded for the Xayaburi dam on April 22 with different points of view from Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. Cambodia wants to see more studies so the Lao government can implement mitigation measures against environmental impacts.

Vietnam has said the project should be suspended for 10 years. Thailand has said the project should be developed with "strong caution" about environmental impacts.

Laos earlier said Vientiane had taken into consideration all the concerns and recently said it would continue the project by the end of this year, citing the completion of the consultation process.

The 1,260-megawatt hydropower plant project is expected to generate electricity to Thailand in 2019, and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand will be the sole buyer.

Ch Karnchang Co is the project developer with financial support from Thai banks.

Pianporn Deetes, a Thailand campaign coordinator of International Rivers, said she was disappointed with the Thai government's position toward the Xayaburi project as it was not in the interest of the public.

"I don't think Thailand will deny responsibility as it is investing in the project and purchasing the electricity. We will continue our campaign against the project.

"If it is constructed, more and more [dams] will follow and eventually the fertility along the river will disappear," she said.

**StrontiumDog** · 01-12-2011, 02:19 PM

International Petition Calls for Thailand, Laos to Cancel Xayaburi Dam | Asia | English

International Petition Calls for Thailand, Laos to Cancel Xayaburi Dam

Ron Corben
Bangkok

An international petition from more than 100 countries is calling for the Laos and Thai governments to cancel a massive hydropower dam project on the Lower Mekong River.

The $3.5 billion Xayaburi Dam in Laos is one of 11 proposed dams for the Lower Mekong River that also flows through Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

But environmentalists say the 1,280 megawatt dam will have far-reaching implications, especially in areas such as Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region, prime rice growing country.

International Rivers, a U.S.-based environmental group, says 22,580 people from more than 100 countries signed a petition calling for canceling the project due to grave concerns about the future of the Lower Mekong basin.

The petition comes just a week before ministers of Mekong River Commission member states, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, are to meet to make a final decision on the project.

The petition highlights concerns about the dam’s impact, says Thailand campaign coordinator for International Rivers Pianporn Deetes.

“We would like the Mekong governments particularly the main players which are the Thai and Lao governments to be aware that the world is watching that there is a large number of people [who] would like to protect the Mekong River and livelihood of millions who depend on the Mekong River and would like them top make a good decision - not a decision that is based on politics.”

Proposals for the 11 mainstream dams date back to 2006. Under an agreement Thailand will purchase 95 percent of the electricity generated by the Xayaburi Dam.

Thailand’s Energy Ministry says it has found no proof to back environmentalist claims of long-term damage on the river. But Vietnam and Cambodian officials have backed environmentalists, saying it will severely harm fish stocks.

In April, the Lower Mekong river countries agreed to a suspend the dam’s development pending further studies. But recent reports point to ongoing construction at the site to the dam by Thai contractors.

Carl Thayer, an academic at the University of New South Wales in Australia, says a decision by Laos to press ahead with the project will lead to diplomatic tensions.

“Both Vietnam and Cambodia even consulted, made statements they were quite concerned, both were very pleased to postpone it," says Thayer. "The first thing we have not said is the very strong remarks that would be made diplomatically to the Laos. And I think you might see some high level visits from Hanoi to Vientiane to please explain because [the dam] worked up a lot of concern.”

Thayer says Vietnam would also look to countries which financially support the Mekong River Commission, including the United States, Australia and Japan, to apply diplomatic pressure on the Laos and Thai governments to further delay the project.

Analysts have called for a decade-long halt to the project to further assess the ecological and environmental impact from both the Xayaburi Dam development as well as further construction of dams along the Lower Mekong River system.

The Mekong River Commission ministerial meeting is scheduled to take place in Siem Reap, Cambodia on December 7.

**StrontiumDog** · 01-12-2011, 02:30 PM

US Senate pushes for Xayaburi funds freeze

Kristin Lynch
Thursday, 01 December 2011
Phnom Penh Post

Photo by: Piyaporn Wongruang/Bangkok Post A road leading to the proposed dam site in Xayaburi province, Laos, was constructed earlier this year.

The United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday approved a resolution calling on US representatives at multinational banks to suspend financial support to environmentally questionable projects on the Mekong River, including the planned Xayaburi dam in Laos.

The unanimously approved non-binding resolution cites the country’s “significant economic and strategic interests” that may be “jeopardised if the construction of mainstream dams places the region’s stability at risk”.

The resolution goes on to ask that banking representatives “use the voice and vote of the US to support strict adherence to international environmental standards for any financial assistance to hydropower dam projects on the mainstream of the Mekong River”.

The resolution, sponsored by Senator Jim Webb, Chair of the Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, mentions the controversial Laos project by name.

“The Senate. . . applauds the decision of the Mekong River Commission to delay its endorsement of the Xayaburi dam; [and] supports further delay of the construction of mainstream hydropower dams along the Mekong River until the studies by the Government of Laos have been completed and adequate planning and multilateral coordination can be guaranteed,” it states.

The Xayaburi dam has been the source of much consternation since Laos unveiled plans for it late last year. Laos’ downstream neighbours have expressed concern about the dam’s effects on water levels and fish stocks, with experts saying that Cambodians are particularly susceptible to the dam’s impacts because their diets are so reliant on fish.

In April, the joint committee of the intergovernmental Mekong River Commission met to discuss the dam, but failed to reach an agreement. A decision was pushed to the ministerial-level meeting that will take place next week in Siem Reap between the four states that comprise the commission: Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

The decision that emerges from that meeting will set an “important precedent”, environmental groups say.

“As the first dam project to enter the MRC’s formal consultation process, the Xayaburi project will test the effectiveness of the MRC,” the World Wildlife Fund said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Yesterday, a petition coordinated by conservation group International Rivers and signed by more than 22,000 concerned parties was delivered to the prime ministers of Laos and Thailand, urging them, before next week’s MRC meeting, to “cancel the Xayaburi dam and defer all decisions on whether to proceed with Mekong Mainstream dams for a period of at least 10 years, until further studies can be conducted”.

While the projected dam will be in Laos, the majority of the electricity generated by the project will go to Thailand.

**Pol the Pot** · 01-12-2011, 04:13 PM

The only ones who can force Laos to stop construction of the dam are the Vietnamese. They basically control the Lao government.

If they were serious about preventing the dam they'd already have stopped it.

**Mid** · 01-12-2011, 04:44 PM

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

responsibility

SE Asia

**StrontiumDog** · 07-12-2011, 01:41 AM

Mekong nations to meet on Laos dam - The Nation

Mekong nations to meet on Laos dam

The Nation, AFP December 7, 2011 1:00 am

Thailand not opposed to plan, but Vietnam, Cambodia want further studies

Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam will hold high-level talks tomorrow to decide whether to approve a controversial proposed dam on the Mekong River fiercely opposed by environmentalists.

The US$3.8 billion (Bt117.4 billion) Xayaburi project in Laos is the first of 11 dams planned for the mainstream lower Mekong, and activists warn that a green light could spell disaster for the roughly 60 million people who depend on the waterway.

Thailand, which has agreed to purchase some 95 per cent of the electricity generated by the dam, has already indicated it will not oppose the project at this week's environment ministers' meeting in the Cambodian city of Siem Reap.

But Vietnam and Cambodia, wary of the dam's impact on their farm and fishing industries, have expressed strong concern and are calling for more studies on the impact of the vast 1,260 megawatt dam before it is allowed to go ahead.

Vietnam, voicing "deep" concerns about fish stocks and crucial sediment flows to the rice-growing Mekong River delta, has called for a 10-year moratorium on all hydroelectric projects on the lower Mekong.

The four member states of the intergovernmental Mekong River Commission have an agreement to cooperate on the sustainable development of the waterway and have been in consultations over the Xayaburi project.

In response to its neighbours' criticism of the project, Laos - one of the poorest countries in the world, which sees hydropower as vital to its future - in May said it had suspended work on Xayaburi and commissioned a new review.

Last week, Laos indicated it should be allowed to go ahead, as "This dam will not impact countries in the lower Mekong River basin," Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines Viraphon Viravong told the official Vientiane Times.

Cambodia said this was not enough and called for more examination of cross-border impacts of the multibillion-dollar project before a final decision is made.

"We will request Laos to carry out further studies," Te Navuth, secretary-general of the Cambodia National Mekong Committee, said on Monday. "We don't understand everything about the project yet."

Environmentalists have warned that damming the main stream of the river would trap vital nutrients, increase algae growth and prevent dozens of species of migratory fish from swimming upstream to spawning grounds.

"An immediate green light for Xayaburi equals taking an immense risk for the survival of several unique species," including the endangered giant Mekong catfish, said Marc Goichot, conservation group WWF's technical expert.

Some 22,600 people from 106 countries have submitted an international petition calling on the ministers to cancel the project, according to environmental group International Rivers.

"The whole world is watching. We do not want to remember December 8 as the day the Mekong died," said Pianporn Deetes, Thailand coordinator for the group, which argues the dam is not needed to meet Thailand's future energy needs.

International Rivers has accused Laos of pushing ahead with construction of access roads to the site and work camps despite a lack of regional agreement.

About 700 Thais yesterday gathered at the foot of the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge in Thailand's Nong Khai to protest against the construction of Xayaburi Dam.

Stretching across the Mekong River, the bridge links Nong Khai to Laos' Vientiane.

The protesters were residents of provinces along the Mekong River - Loei, Nong Khai, Beung Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen, Ubon Ratchathani and Chiang Rai. The construction will hurt more than 60 million people in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, they said.

Somnuk Kuangphan from Ubon Ratchathani said that if the meeting on Thursday approved the construction of Xayaburi Dam, his network would close down the bridge.

**OhOh** · 07-12-2011, 03:59 AM

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

roughly 60 million people

Any idea how the 60million number is derived?

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

fish stocks and crucial sediment flows

Local rivers for local fish.

The only time the river flow will be less than normal is during the "filling" of the lake behind the completed dam. After it is full the river will flow as normal, probably better in fact and cause less flooding

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

prevent dozens of species of migratory fish

All the more river space for local fish.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Some 22,600 people from 106 countries

Any numbers from local SE Asian countries or are we relying on a number created from an on-line petition completed by people from countries where they have more leisure time.

**StrontiumDog** · 09-12-2011, 11:57 AM

Laos' proposed dam delayed again - The Nation

Xayaburi Hydropower Project

Laos' proposed dam delayed again

Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation December 9, 2011 1:00 am

Ministers of countries in the lower Mekong sub-region were unable to come to a decision on Laos' controversial Xayaburi hydropower project yesterday, recommending further study of the likely impact of building a mainstream dam on the river.

At their annual meeting yesterday in Siem Reap, Cambodia, the Council Members of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), comprising water and environment ministers from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, agreed to approach Japan and other international development partners to support the study.

Laos has proposed building the Xayaburi Dam on the mainstream Mekong approximately 150km downstream of Luang Prabang. The project has an installed capacity of 1,260MW; an 810m-long, 32m-high dam; a 49-square-km reservoir; and live storage of 225 million cubic metres.

The primary objective of the project is to generate foreign-exchange earnings to finance socio-economic development in Laos. The developer is Thai construction firm Ch Karnchang, which negotiated a tariff agreement with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand in July 2010.

The project is widely opposed by people living along the Mekong River due to feared negative environmental and social impacts.

Vietnam and Cambodia apparently disagreed with the project, believing it would have a serious impact on the downstream ecosystem and food chain.

At a meeting in Vientiane in April, MRC officials agreed that the project would be delayed, and the final decision left to their ministers.

At a verbal discussion among the MRC member nations' four prime ministers at the 3rd Mekong-Japan Summit held on the sidelines of the Asean Summit in Bali in November, it was agreed that further studies should be conducted on the project.

"The outcome [yesterday] demonstrates the member countries' continued commitment to work together in the regional spirit of the Mekong Agreement to bring about economic development without compromising sustainability of livelihoods of their peoples and the ecology," said MRC Council chairman Lim Kean Hor, the Cambodian minister of water resources and meteorology.

"Further study will provide a more complete picture for the four countries to be able to further discuss the development and management of their shared resources, Lim Kean Hor said in a statement after the meeting.

**StrontiumDog** · 09-12-2011, 12:00 PM

Bangkok Post : US welcomes delay on Laos dam

US welcomes delay on Laos dam

Published: 9/12/2011 at 10:01 AM
Online news:

The United States welcomed on Thursday a delay by Southeast Asian nations on approving a controversial hydropower dam in Laos, voicing fear about the environmental effects for the Mekong River.

Laos failed at a meeting to win approval from Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam to go ahead with the $3.8 billion Xayaburi dam, which activists say could spell disaster for the roughly 60 million people who depend on the waterway.

During a meeting with Mekong nations in July, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ``that there's a very serious question about this new dam and possible environmental ramifications,'' her spokesman Mark Toner said.

``So we view it as a positive sign that they're delaying looking at it,'' Toner told reporters in Washington.

Senator Jim Webb, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on East Asia and has been an outspoken critic of the dam, called the delay ``an important step toward responsible policy.''

``The United States and the global community have a strategic and moral obligation to preserve the health and well-being of the people who depend on the Mekong River for their livelihoods and way of life,'' Webb said in a statement.

The Mekong nations, at their meeting Thursday in Cambodia, called for further study on sustainable development and the potential effects of the project, which would be the first of 11 dams on the mainstream lower Mekong.

Cambodia and Vietnam fear the effects of the 1,260 megawatt Xayaburi dam on their farming and fishing industries. Thailand, however, has been more enthusiastic and has agreed to buy 95 percent of the electricity from the dam.

President Barack Obama's administration launched the Lower Mekong Initiative in hopes of supporting the environment, health and education in the populous region, as part of a renewed effort to build relations with Southeast Asia.

**ENT** · 09-12-2011, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by who

"The dam will "reduce fresh water and silt downstream in Vietnam"
What rubbish bullshit. Just where will the water go? Silt of course, of course, forms above a dam not below. The Vietnamese are not stupid even though they are liars and thieves.
.

The dam will of course reduce fresh water as well as silt flowing down the Mekong.

The silt will back up unless dredged and the fresh water will be reduced every time that the dam needs to be filled to max storage levels for power and irrigation.

Worse than that, fish will not be able to migrate up and down the river normally as all these changes occur.

A series of dams will totally destroy the riverine life patterns.

The income from the dam will NOT reach the pockets of the poor, as it'll be released as a trickle down effect.
The poor of Laos are also far more than 30% of the nation, it's closer to 75%.

The Thai developer along with his Chinese backers will take 95% of the profits.

This kind of dirty dealing is going on right now in Laos, where, over the last 3 years Chinese occupation of the country has increased.
The Chinese even bring their own Chinese workers to do the top paying jobs.

It's all part of China's takeover bid of all Asia.

Remember, China controls the headwaters of all the Asian rivers flowing into the Indian ocean, Gulf of Thailand, the South China Sea and the Atlantic ocean. 70% of the world's fresh water supply.

Wake up.

**Mid** · 31-03-2012, 05:26 PM

Lao Expert Blames Chinese Dams
Reported by RFA's Lao service.
Translated by Somnet Inthapannha.
Written in English by Parameswaran Ponnudurai.
2012-03-30

Chinese dams on the upper Mekong river are blamed for causing water levels to decline in the downstream areas in Central Laos.

A Lao fisherman looks over the drought-hit Mekong river at Thatkhao village in the suburbs of Vientiane, March 27, 2010.
AFP

In a rare criticism, a Lao government expert has blamed dams in China for the latest drop in the Mekong River levels, saying it is impacting navigation along the key Southeast Asian artery and destroying fishing resources.

Aside from the current dry spell in mainland Southeast Asia, Chinese dams on the upper Mekong river are causing water levels to decline in the downstream areas in Central Laos, including the Vientiane provincial area, a water resources expert at the Lao Ministry of Natural Resources told RFA.

“Chinese dams are part of it [the problem] because they still cannot fill up their reservoirs as expected," the expert said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

He said that some parts of the river had dried up so much that one can cross the river by foot. Some sections of the Mekong River are believed to be drying up faster than at the same time last year.

China has dammed much of the upper Mekong, but few structures obstruct the rest of the 3,000-mile (4,900-kilometer) river as it continues its course through Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Studies by the Stimson Center, a U.S. based think tank, said four completed Chinese dams "are already altering the river’s hydrology and impeding the flow of nutrient-rich silt that sustains soil productivity, nurtures fisheries, and keeps the sea at bay in the Mekong Delta."

Mekong Delta

Two of the Chinese dams have some of the world’s largest reservoirs that can store or release enough water to affect the flow of the river as far as the Mekong Delta, more than 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) to the south, the center said.

The Lao government expert's criticism at China is unusual. China's influence on its small neighbor has been rising on the back of its growing economic clout, underscoring links between the dominant communist parties of the two countries.

"This year is unusual but still less than the previous year, let's wait until May,” the expert said, explaining the dropping water level problem in the Vientiane provincial area.

"[There have been] impacts on navigation from China to Vientiane, fish habitat [have been] destroyed and agriculture [has also been affected] along the [river] bank," he said.

"In some parts of the river, people can cross by foot."

The low Mekong water levels are not confined to the Vientiane's provincial area alone.

Shipping

The sagging levels on the river in Laos’s central Khammouane province are also hindering shipping trade.

Traders in Khammouane’s Hinboun district, which borders Thailand along the Mekong, normally rely on the river to transport their goods.

“Last year the Mekong River did not dry up as quickly as it has this year. It will dry more in April and May,” a Hinboun merchant said recently.

“It is difficult to navigate because there are many sandbars.”

He feared no boats would be able to run in April and May, as now only two routes remain navigable.

Last March, water levels fell in Laos's northern Bokeo province, with local authorities warning that boats of 100 tons and above could not navigate the Mekong between southern China, Laos, and Thailand.

Water in the Mekong River has also dried up in areas located in three districts in northeast Thailand, the Bangkok Post newspaper said last month, quoting local officials.

The areas where water has dried up are in the Muang, Tha Uthen and That Phanom districts.

rfa.org

**StrontiumDog** · 18-04-2012, 11:16 AM

Xayaburi Dam Building Pact Signed

Xayaburi Dam Building Pact Signed

2012-04-17

Plans move ahead for Laos's controversial hydropower project on the Mekong.

Photo appears courtesy of International Rivers
A caterpillar works on the access road to the Xayaburi dam in Laos in an undated photo.

In a controversial move, a Thai company has signed a nearly $2 billion-dollar contract for the construction of a dam on the Mekong River in Laos even though governments in the region have not cleared the project.

Ch. Karnchang informed the Thai stock exchange Tuesday it had signed a 52 billion baht (U.S. $1.7 billion) contract with Xayaburi Power Co. Ltd., a Lao-Thai joint venture, to build the project, Thai media reported.

The Xayaburi hydropower dam would be on the lower part of the Mekong River, and environmental groups say it would affect the lives of millions in the region.

The latest contract says construction on the dam will begin on March 15 next year and be completed in eight years.

In December, Laos had shelved plans for the dam pending further environmental assessments, following a meeting by the Mekong River Commission (MRC), a regional body of Southeast Asian countries that share the river.

Leaders from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam agreed further study was needed on the sustainable management and development of the river before the Xayaburi project could continue.

Despite the delay, Lao energy officials have remained committed to the project, which costs a total of U.S. $3.8 billion, Bounthuang Phengthavongsa, director-general of the Energy and Mining Ministry said in January.

“We want to build this dam and we will try hard to do so. Our intention and our hope is that in the end we will be able to build it despite all opposition,” he told RFA.

Laos has planned 70 hydropower projects on its rivers and officials have said it hopes to become “the battery of Asia.”

It is not immediately known whether the Lao government had been officially informed by the companies that signed the contract.

Preliminary construction on the project, including work access roads and a work camp, has picked up in recent months, according International Rivers, a U.S.-based environmental NGO.

"Laos has not clarified if construction on the Xayaburi Dam will stop while the study takes place. Legally, Laos may not proceed with construction until all four governments have agreed. Practically, allowing construction would undermine the study," the group said.

A large number of workers have been employed for a two-year period to construct access roads and facilities for the project, it said.

High stakes

Critics of the Xayaburi dam, which would provide 95 percent of its electricity to Thailand, say that damming the Mekong threatens to destroy the ecology of the river, disrupt the livelihood of riparian communities, and jeopardize the food security throughout the region.

“The government should take care of the environment too, at the same time as developing the economy,” a resident in the Lao capital Vientiane said.

Mekong dams have faced stiff opposition from environment activists, who say the fate of the Xayaburi project will affect future decisions on the 11 other dams planned on the mainstream part of the Lower Mekong.

"The ecosystem is already changing, and now the dam will be built on Mekong River. The Xayaburi dam will be the first; of course it will affect the ecosystem the most,” a Thai resident who lives near the Mekong said.

“If the Xayaburi dam can be built, so will 12 others. I think that is a big concern," he said.

The Stimson Center, a U.S.-based think tank, applauded Laos’s postponement of the Xayaburi project last year, saying it was the first time a Mekong country had made a decision about a mainstream dam based on the impact beyond its borders.

The Xayaburi project is the Mekong River Commission’s “biggest test” since its establishment in 1995, the think tank said in a report in March, and warned that dams on the river could have a harmful impact on the entire region.

“The negative impacts on food security, livelihoods, water availability, and water quality have the potential to jeopardize the region’s hard-won peace and stability,” it said.

Reported by RFA's Lao service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Rachel Vandenbrink.

**StrontiumDog** · 18-04-2012, 11:20 AM

From the above Thai companies own website..........

CH. Karnchang Public Company Limited

Notification of Contract Signing with Xayaburi Power Company Limited

Reference : No. CK-12-0000-PO-L-0026

April 17, 2012

Re: Notification of Contract Signing

Attn.: President
The Stock Exchange of Thailand

CH. Karnchang Public Company Limited hereby informs the Stock Exchange of Thailand that CH. Karnchang (Lao) Company Limited (Subsidiary) had signed for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction Contract for the Xayaburi Hydroelectric
Power Project in The Lao People's Democratic Republic, with Xayaburi Power Company Limited. As such agreement is a normal business in conformity with the ordinary business conditions whereby the Company had ever entered into an agreement with the other companies, of which its details are the followings:

Construction Commencing Date : March 15, 2012

Approximate Contract Value : Baht 51,824,640,000.-(Fifty One Thousand Eight Hundred Twenty Four Million Six Hundred Forty Thousand Baht Only) and US$ 711,040,000.-(Seven Hundred Eleven Million Forty Thousand US Dollars only)

Completion Period : 96 months (approx.)

Hence, kindly please be informed accordingly.

Sincerely yours,

=signature=
(Mr. Plew Trivisvavet)
Chief Executive Officer

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