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Nestled amid the mountains of northern Laos, the picturesque ancient capital of Luang Prabang is under siege from a dam-building fever along the Mekong River, with a Thai developer now pushing to construct a hydroelectric dam just 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) from one of Asia’s best-loved world heritage sites. Inside the UNESCO-protected historical zone, Luang […]
‘Not Sufficient’: Thailand Rejects Report on Lao Hydropower Dam The Sanakham dam is one of seven mega-dams that the landlocked country is planning, in defiance of environmental and economic sense. January 26, 2021 The Mekong River at Chiang Khan, where it forms the border between Thailand and Laos. Credit: Flickr/Frédéric Gloor Advertisement Thailand has reportedly rejected a new technical report on Laos’ Sanakham hydropower project – the latest sign of the growing consternation about the impact of mega-dams on the ecology of the Mekong River basin. On Janu...
But costs and competition could leave the putative “battery of Southeast Asia” running on empty. January 14, 2021 Thai villagers protest the construction of the Xayaburi Dam during the Asia Europe Summit in Vientiane on November 5, 2012. Credit: Flickr/International Rivers Advertisement As a struggling least developed country, Laos stands alone when it comes to ignoring common sense and pushing ahead with infrastructure development that it can ill-afford and is unlikely to deliver its much hoped-for rags to riches outcome. Energy and Mines Minister Sinavav Souphanouvong made that clear wh...
English By Radio Free Asia Share on Facebook Print this page Laos is preparing to build what will be its seventh of nine planned large-scale Mekong river mainstream dams, the latest project in its controversial economic strategy to become the “battery of Southeast Asia,” sources in the country told RFA. The 728-megawatt Phou Ngoy Dam, with a projected completion date of 2029, would join the currently operational Xayaburi and Don Sahong dams as well as the Pak Beng, Pak Lay, Luang Prabang and Sanakham dams, in various stages of planning. ...
RFA Laos is preparing to build the seventh of nine planned large-scale Mekong River mainstream dams, the latest project in its controversial economic strategy to become the “battery of Southeast Asia,” sources in the country told Radio Free Asia. The 728-megawatt Phou Ngoy Dam, whose projected completion date is 2029, would join the now operational Xayaburi and Don Sahong Dams, as well as the Pak Beng, Pak Lay, Luang Prabang and Sanakham Dams, which are in various stages of planning. Two others, Pak Chom and Ban Koum, are on the horizon after that. “The initial environment...