Energy
Surge in coal use scuttling climate change efforts
A worldwide rebound in coal trading is disrupting efforts to mitigate global warming and prevent climate change.Energy analysts expect coal consumption in Southeast Asia and India to grow, as demand for the cheapest fuel is driving rapid economic expansion and offering big profits to investors ...
Pratch Rujivanarom
Don’t make dam business solely about profits, say advocates
Last month’s dam collapse at the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower project in Laos’ Attapeu province has so far claimed 35 lives, with 99 missing and thousands displaced.This tragedy has prompted the Lao government to set up panels to find the cause of the incident and exactly ...
Piyaporn Wongruang
Rethink plans to dam Mekong after Laos disaster
The collapse of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy dam after heavy rains last month that killed more than 30 in Laos and left thousands of Lao and Cambodian people homeless is reigniting an urgent debate about preventing similar tragedies in future.Keep reading ...
Brian Eyler
Laos urged to abandon ‘Battery of Asia’ plan
Laos has to wake up from its dream to be the major power supplier of the region, say critics. The recent tragedy at the Xe-Pien Xe-Namnoy hydropower dam has clearly demonstrated that the benefits from selling electricity are small compared to the loss of human ...
Pratch Rujivanarom
Brimming dams pose severe threat
People in western provinces urged to move to higher ground as more water to be released from reservoirs.Many dams in the western region are rapidly filling up due to heavy downpours, with the situation at Kaeng Krachan Dam being of the greatest concern. The reservoir ...
Pratch Rujivanarom
A River of dams
The Mekong River is 4,350 kilometres long and runs through or borders southern China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. To date, 241 dams have been built along the mighty transboundary river or its tributaries. Over a hundred more are planned or under construction.Keep reading ...
Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy dam collapse will not affect Thailand’s power security: Energy minister
Energy Minister Siri Jiraphongphan said the partial collapse of a dam under Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy hydropower project in Laos’s Attapeu province will not affect Thailand’s power security. Keep reading ...
Supawadee Wangsri
EGAT: Ubol Ratana Dam’s structure still sound
According to the Director of Ubon Ratana Dam, the reservoir’s structure remains intact, dismissing the public’s concerns over the possibility that it could collapse in a similar manner to Xepian-Xe Namnoy dam in Laos. Dam Director Worawit Raweenipapong made the comment, following the recent collapse ...
Nuppol Suvansombut
Thailand ramps up relief efforts to devastated Lao communities
The Thailand government has rushed rescue teams and medical personnel to devastated communities downstream of an under-construction dam in Lao PDR that reportedly partially collapsed on Monday (July 23) obliterating communities, leaving hundreds of people missing and displacing more than 6,600.Keep reading ...
John Le Fevre
Thailand joins international aid effort for flooded Laos
International support from both the private and government sectors is pouring into Laos after the country’s southeastern Attapeu province was hit by a severe flash flood following the collapse of a hydropower saddle dam.Keep reading ...
The Nation Reporter