Laos
The most updated public list of planned and operational hydropower projects is compiled by the Government of Laos' Ministry of Energy and Mines Department of Business in the "Project" section of their website. Although this list is not complete and does not represent the entire scope of projects proceeding in the country, it provides some indication of the scale of expansion being undertaken.
Lao rivers and lands are also threatened by mining, rampant logging and land-grabbing for the development of large plantations. These destructive developments are often linked: forests are cleared for plantations, mines and hydro reservoirs; and hydropower is generated to fuel mining operations. Most of Lao hydropower, gold, copper, timber and rubber is shipped to Thailand, Vietnam and China. Alternative development paths do exist: researchers and development agencies have pointed to solutions that would improve the security, resillience and sustainability of rural livelihoods, and the management of the Lao economy as a whole, but these solutions have not been adopted by the Lao government or big donor agencies.
In 2005,
As of late 2015, Laos' legal framework governing resettlement of communities displaced by development projects, access to water resources, environmental impact assessment requirements, along with the standards hydropower companies will need to meet are all under revision. Guidance is provided by the World Bank Group and the Asian Development Bank, working with the intention to facilitate a friendly investment climate for hydropower, extractives and agribusiness. Rather than strengthening Lao rural communities vis-a-vis asserting their rights as upheld in international human rights conventions, these top-level policy changes could have the effect of positioning local people in an even weaker position in relation to companies seeking more opportunities to turn the country's remaining natural resources into short-term private profits.
International Rivers' Southeast Asia program works to stop destructive hydropower projects in Laos and advocates for the rights of communities affected by existing dams, such as Nam Theun 2, Theun-Hinboun, and the Theun-Hinboun Expansion Project.
- Read International Rivers' report Power Surge: The Impacts of Rapid Dam Development in Laos.