Laos' premier on Wednesday said the Communist country will press on with its ambitious hydropower strategy after a dam collapse killed dozens, but vowed to intenisfy scrutiny on the lucrative mega projects. The rare public comments from prime minister Thongloun Sisoulith came during a World Economic Forum panel in Hanoi, weeks after July's dam disaster in Attapeu province. An official tally given by Laos' secretive government said 35 people died in the collapse of the Xe Pian Xe Namnoy saddle dam, a Korean-built structure which had not yet been completed. But testimony from locals suggests the toll may be much higher with several villages swept away and buried under thick mud. Since the disaster Laos has suspended all new dam projects, while ongoing hydropower projects will be inspected, premier Thongloun Sisoulith said. "Building hydropower projects is a good way to generate income," he said. "The impact of the incident in July is something we will continue to take into account when … [Read more...] about Laos to press on with dam-building after deadly collapse: PM
Dam building
‘Tsunami’ of hydropower dam building threatens Europe’s last wild rivers: campaigners
Plans to build about 3,000 hydropower plants in the Balkans in the next few years endanger Europe's last wild rivers and some of the most important biodiversity hotspots on the continent, campaigers said on Saturday. Stretching from Slovenia to Albania, critics say the hydropower boom threatens animal life, including endemic species of fish, and people's access to water used for drinking, fishing and farming. "There is a tsunami of hydropower dam constructions happening here and nobody really knows about it," said Britton Caillouette, director of "Blue Heart", a documentary that focuses on efforts to halt the hydropower plans. "Blue Heart", which had its world premiere on Saturday in a screening at the Idbar dam near Konjik, focuses on local people's and campaigners' efforts to halt the plans. Investment in renewable energy projects is growing around the world as countries rush to meet clean energy goals under the Paris Agreement on climate change. The EU aims to source at least 27 … [Read more...] about ‘Tsunami’ of hydropower dam building threatens Europe’s last wild rivers: campaigners
Mekong River at risk as Laos forges ahead with dam-building spree
Construction of a giant controversial dam in Laos has been well underway since it began in late 2012. Laos is also set to push ahead with a second hydropower dam on the Mekong River this year in the face of growing concerns among its neighbors. Opponents of these projects said their commencement would also kick off the construction of the 9 other dams planned by Laos on the lower reaches of the 4,900-kilometer (3,045-mile)-long Mekong, which is second only to the Amazon in terms of biodiversity. The river begins in the Tibetan plateau and flows through China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam before emptying into the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea. Regional leaders have continued to beat the drum of safeguarding the mighty river, but in reality, the rhetoric has been more prominent than action, environmental activists say. They say that although it is still not too late to put a brake on the damming frenzy and devise a plan to promote the … [Read more...] about Mekong River at risk as Laos forges ahead with dam-building spree
World joins Mekong citizens in battle to stop dam building
In a bold outpouring of public concern for Southeast Asia's Mekong River, people from the six-country Mekong region and around the world have urged governments to abandon plans for hydropower development along the river's mainstream. In the face of strong government backing for dam building on the river, which feeds 6 million people, over 11,000 citizens in the region have signed the "Save the Mekong" petition addressed to the Prime Ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Viet Nam urging them to keep the river flowing freely and to pursue less damaging electricity options. The petition was signed by fishers and farmers along the river's mainstream and tributaries, as well as by monks, students, city folk and even some of the region's celebrities. Another 5,000 people around the world signed postcards and an online petition with personal notes. The petition written in seven languages was hand-delivered to Thai Prime Minister Abhisit yesterday in Bangkok, and sent to other government … [Read more...] about World joins Mekong citizens in battle to stop dam building
Activists argue that “dams will kill the mighty Mekong”
Landslides are increasing along the banks of the Tien Giang, the upper branch of the Mekong Losses in aquaculture and farm production could easily outstrip any profit from power generation if planned MekongRiver dams are built in China, Laos and Cambodia, says a Can Tho University professor. A forum organized by the Can Tho City government and a number of NGOs active in Vietnam and nearby countries on 3 February addressed the topic "The environment and livelihoods along the MekongRiver." The discussion aimed at finding ways to preserve the river's rich bounty in the face of a rush to build dams in the river's upper reaches. Reporters from the HCM City-based newspaper Tuoi Tre were present. Dao Trong Tu, former vice secretary general of the Vietnam Committee for Mekong River, said that China is already building three of 16 planned hydropower dams while Laos wants to build an additional nine, and Cambodia two, dams on the river. Electricity is not food "We want to eat fish; we … [Read more...] about Activists argue that “dams will kill the mighty Mekong”