Mekong Communities Tell of Hardship From Hydropower Dams

About 200 people from Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia affected by hydropower dam projects on the Mekong River and its tributaries gathered in Phnom Penh yesterday to share their experiences of how their lives have been adversely affected since the dams were constructed. … Speaking at the event organized by NGO Forum, representatives from the three countries spoke out about their experiences with hydropower development throughout the Mekong Region. The information was of particular interest to those Cambodians in attendance, as villagers living in Stung Treng province are currently preparing to be evicted to make way for the reservoir of a massive 400MW [Lower Sesan 2] dam to be built by Cambodian conglomerate Royal Group in partnership with China’s Hydrolangcang International Energy Company. Somsak Tiyata, a coordinator of the Mekong-Lanna network, an environmental group, based in Thailand’s northern Chaing Rai province, said that the Chinese dams upstream of the Mekong have severely reduced the amount of vegetation and fish that Thais rely on for food. … [Somsak Tiyata] added that letters and petitions sent by the group over the years to the Chinese Embassy in Thailand have gone unanswered. Traing Tham, from the Brou ethic minority living in Ratanakkiri province, said the Yali Falls dam, the second largest dam in Vietnam and located upstream of Sesan river, has contributed to sever and unexpected floods in the area. …

http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/mekong-communities-tell-of-hardship-from-hydropower-dams-28793/