Mekong Mainstream Dams

Article from The National Geographic In the swift currents of the Mekong River in northern Cambodia, fishers expertly navigate their longboats past rock outcroppings and fallen logs.But soon these wild waters may be tamed. Plans for the construction of a large hydroelectric dam just across the border, at Khone Falls in Laos, would permanently alter one of the most pristine areas in Southeast Asia.(See photos of the giant catfish at the falls.)The dam is one of several being planned on the mostly untouched Mekong River, which meanders through six countries-China, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos

Article from The Cambodia Daily On the eve of an official visit by Prime Minister Hun Sen to Laos to discuss the implications of the planned Don Sahong dam on the Mekong River mainstream there, a group of NGOs accused the Mekong River Commission of failing in its duties. In a letter to Jeremy Bird, the newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer of the MRC Secretariat, 51 NGOs and individuals from the six Mekong countries challenged him to solve what they called the organization's crisis of legitimacy and relevancy. This has been exemplified, they wrote, by the MRC's failure to respond t

Article from Bangkok Post Citizen groups and individuals from the six Mekong countries yesterday sent a letter to the new CEO of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat, expressing concern over the threats posed by proposed dams on the Mekong river. They urged new MRC chief Jeremy Bird to solve the agency's ''crisis of legitimacy and relevancy'' which they said was recently exemplified by its failure to respond to society's concerns over plans to dam the lower Mekong mainstream.''We believe that you join the MRC at a most challenging time. The need for a credible and effective river basi

PHNOM PENH, Mar 28 (IPS Asia-Pacific) - The Lao government's decision earlier this year to press ahead with plans to build the Don Sahong dam on the mainstream of the Mekong River in southern Laos is causing major concern in Cambodia and internationally. The most advanced of eight hydropower projects mooted for the lower Mekong mainstream, the Don Sahong dam is also ramping up pressure on the Mekong River Commission (MRC), the inter-governmental body charged with managing development on the river. The Cambodian government appears to be taking the issue seriously. The Foreign Ministry said on T

AFP [27.3.08] The Mekong River in southern Vietnam, the world's 12th largest waterway crossing six countries, may soon be tamed by a cascade of mega dams, but critics say the plan will harm the fish stocks millions of people rely on. Plans for a series of Mekong mainstream dams have been made and scrapped several times since the 1960s, but now, with oil above 100 dollars a barrel, the projects look more appealing than ever to their proponents. The river's future will be a key issue when prime ministers of the Mekong countries meet Sunday and Monday in the Lao capital Vientiane for a summit of

Today, 51 citizens groups and individuals from the six Mekong countries sent a letter to Jeremy Bird, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat, challenging him to solve the MRC's crisis of legitimacy and relevancy, recently exemplified by its failure to respond to civil society concerns over plans to dam the lower Mekong mainstream. View the letter, the accompanying press release, and the MRC's response. 27 March 2008 To Mr. Jeremy Bird,Chief Executive Officer of the Mekong River Commission Secretariat, Vientiane, Lao PDR We write th

HANOI (AFP) - Energy-hungry Vietnam is planning to build a two-billion-dollar mega-dam on the Mekong river of Laos and to construct several other large hydropower projects in the neighbouring country. Vietnam's main energy company expects to wrap up a feasibility study by April for a dam near Luang Prabang, the former Lao royal capital, that would dwarf existing dams in the landlocked country, state media has reported. Mountainous Laos, one of Asia's poorest nations, is seeking to exploit its hydropower potential to become the "battery of Southeast Asia" and sell electricity to its more indust

Article from The Cambodia Daily It's a critical source of livelihood for hundreds of thousands of people in Cambodia, but the future health of the entire lower section of the Mekong River will be in serious danger, according to international experts, if a series of planned hydropower dams in Laos, Thailand and Cambodia go ahead. As private companies scramble to exploit the energy potential of the river, analysts warn that national interests are trumping transboundary cooperation, and the regional Mekong River Commission, which was set up to safeguard the river, is showing itself toot

Public Statement: With six proposed dams threatening the sustainability of the Lower Mekong River, Cambodian civil society calls for the MRC to address its shortcomings In light of the recent reports that feasibility studies for six hydropower dams are underway on the Lower Mekong River, the Rivers Coalition in Cambodia (RCC) would like to respectfully call on the Mekong River Commission (MRC) and its international donors to address the shortcomings of the MRC in failing to prevent these potentially devastating projects from moving ahead and by failing to adhere to its regional responsibilitie

BANGKOK (AFP) - The construction of six dams along the Mekong River could displace tens of thousands of people and endanger over a thousand aquatic species, environmental groups warned Tuesday, calling for international intervention. The planned hydropower dams on the Mekong in Laos, Thailand and Cambodia could displace tens of thousands of people and endanger up to 1,300 aquatic species including the rare Mekong giant catfish and the Irrawaddy dolphin, activists said. Environmental groups want international donors, who fund Southeast Asia's Mekong River Commission, to pressure the commission