Hydropower dams

Rescuers are racing to find survivors after a dam in Laos collapsed late on Monday (July 23), flooding several villages and killing at least 20 people.At least 100 people are still missing, and thousands have lost their homes.The authorities in Attapeu province have been using ...

When I tell people I went to my first meeting on the Nam Theun 2 (NT2) hydropower project in Laos way back in 1991, I sometimes don’t know whether to be embarrassed or proud. At times it seems it has become an unhealthy obsession. But ...

Chinese experts who insist that hydropower projects on the Mekong River will benefit all stakeholders met opposition yesterday when a Thai academic argued that locals lose more than they gain since dams impact heavily on every aspect of their lives.Keep reading ...

The mighty Mekong river is a vital lifeline for Southeast Asia, a major source of trade, transport and sustenance for millions. However, the world’s twelfth longest river is emerging as an ecological and geopolitical flashpoint.Keep reading ...

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) announced yesterday (June 16) that Laos has formally notified the Commission of its intention to construct the Pak Lay dam on the mainstem of the Mekong River. The notification triggers commencement of the Prior Consultation procedure under the MRC’s Procedures ...

A major energy review by Thailand has delayed the launch of a controversial dam on the Mekong. This could lead to further questions about future hydropower projects along the river.The Chinese-backed Pak Beng dam in Laos was supposed to be the third dam under construction ...

Beijing’s islands-building in the South China Sea and their militarisation, replete with surface-to-air missiles, is near complete. With guile, threat, and coercion, China can now seize control of one of the main transport arteries of Southeast Asia, making a mockery of international laws and norms.Keep ...

A Chinese-backed plan for Cambodia to build the Mekong River’s biggest dam would destroy fisheries that feed millions and worsen tensions with Vietnam, the downstream country with most to lose from dams on the waterway, according to a three-year study commissioned by the Cambodian government.Keep ...

As resistance mounts to hydroelectric dam projects along the Mekong River, local leaders have tried to engage civic movements in the Mekong sub-region in the battle. The latest group to emerge is the Transborder News Network, which held a forum on dam project investments and ...

The future of the Mekong River Basin was in the spotlight again at the third summit of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), held on 5 April 2018 in Siem Reap, Cambodia.The Mekong flows from China (where it is known as the Lancang), through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia ...