News

Mekong activists present case against Laos dam

Environmental activists have submitted more evidence to the Supreme Administrative Court that the Xayaburi dam is cutting Mekong River levels, threatening fish ecology and reducing catch sizes downstream in Thailand.“Today we can clearly see the impacts we’ve been worrying about,” said Ombun Thipsuna, a member ...

Bangkok Post Reporter

Mekong 'cash machine' needs an overhaul

Just over a week ago, many people in Thailand, particularly those in highrises, were thrown into panic when their buildings were swaying. They didn’t know at the time that a strong earthquake had just hit inside Lao borders near Nan’s district of Chaloem Phrakiat.The shallow ...

Wasant Techawongtham

New Mekong dam in Laos opens to protests, dried-out downstream

The first hydropower dam on the lower Mekong River began commercial operations in Laos on Tuesday amid protests from Thai villagers who say the Xayaburi Dam and several others in the works will destroy their livelihoods.The 1,285-megawatt Xayaburi Dam’s debut coincides with parts of the ...

Dams a threat to Mekong

Almost a decade ago, Vietnam was the most vocal neighbour in opposing Laos’ first dam on the Mekong River. Now, it has become a partner in the Lao government’s Luang Prabang dam project — its fifth on the mighty river. This new partnership is worrying, ...

Editorial

Xayaburi Dam in clear, says operator

The unseasonal drought currently affecting the lower Mekong Region has alerted both the public and the authorities to the activities of a series of dams further upstream on the international river.Jinghong Dam in China and Xayaburi Dam in Laos are both being blamed for the ...

Apinya Wipatayotin

Laos and Xayaburi dam deny responsibility for dry Mekong River

Representatives of the Lao government and the builder of the Xayaburi dam have dismissed allegations that water retention at the dam, for the trial run of electricity generators, is one of the reasons for the sharp lowering of the water level in the downstream stretches ...

Dam tests spark crisis

Thailand has asked the Lao government to suspend the test run of the Xayaburi dam, in order to curb the worsening drought that has hit provinces along the Mekong River.The Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) yesterday revealed that it submitted an official letter ...

Apinya Wipatayotin

‘Nearly 1,100 Lao families to be displaced’ by Thai-Vietnam dam project

A Thailand-Vietnam joint venture is going ahead with the construction of what will be Laos’ fifth hydropower dam on the mainstream Mekong River in Luang Phrabang province, with hundreds of families likely to be affected.Keep reading ...

The Nation Reporter

Mekong River Commission (MRC) Announces Laos Intentions to Build “Fourth Dam” on Mekong River

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 ...

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