Luang Prabang is facing risks, including of more severe earthquakes, as the Lao government plans to build a large dam just 25km upstream. Pongpet Mekloy The Lao government is intent on building a dam on the Mekong just upstream of the country's old royal capital. Despite the project having undergone design work, environmental impact assessment and a prior consultation process managed by the Mekong River Commission (MRC), no impact assessment on heritage site has been carried out to date -- despite requests by Unesco's World Heritage Centre dating back as far as 2012 that the Lao government should do so. Ahead of next month's World Heritage Committee meeting in China, Unesco has asked that the no construction work go ahead on the dam until a full heritage assessment has been completed.