Illegal Construction on the Xayaburi Dam Forges Ahead

Project is single greatest threat facing the Mekong River

Illegal Consturction at Xayaburi Dam Site

A field visit to the site of the proposed Xayaburi Dam on the Mekong River has revealed that construction on the dam's access road and work-camp is rapidly forging ahead, in spite of commitments made by the government of Laos at the April 19 meeting of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to temporarily suspend the project. This commitment was reportedly reiterated by the Lao Government just two weeks ago to a top U.S. diplomat.

The trip to the Xayaburi Dam site on July 23rd revealed that a substantial construction camp has been established near Ban Talan village with at least a few hundred workers. An access road leading down to the dam site was also under construction and some land was already being cleared without compensation being provided to its owners. Representatives from the four lower Mekong governments had been expected to meet in Phnom Penh on Friday, August 5, to discuss next steps in the regional decision-making process over the dam. However, the meeting was postponed indefinitely on Tuesday.  In advance of the meeting, International Rivers has submitted a legal opinion by US law firm Perkins Coie to the MRC and regional governments, which states that Lao PDR's unilateral action to prematurely terminate the regional decision-making process violates the 1995 Mekong Agreement and therefore international Law.

Trucks Line Dam Access Road

The Xayaburi Dam is currently the single greatest threat facing the Mekong River and its people. The project would forcibly resettle over 2,100 people and directly affect over 202,000 people. It threatens the extinction of approximately 41 fish species, including the critically endangered Mekong Giant Catfish and an additional 23 to 100 migratory fish species would be threatened through a blocked fish migration route. These impacts in turn will affect the livelihoods and food security of millions of people in the region.

Vietnamese experts have stated that all 12 projects planned for the Mekong Mainstream could result in one billion dollars in annual losses to Vietnam, due to impacts on the rich and productive Mekong Delta.

Since plans for the Xayaburi Dam were revived in May 2007, civil society groups and the wider public in the Mekong Region and around the world have called for the project's cancellation. 

View Construction Photos from Xayaburi Dam Site