Neighbours wary of Laos dam plan

21 March 2014
The Phnom Penh Post
Energy / Environment and natural resources / Environment and natural resources policy and administration / Environmental and biodiversity protection / Environmental impact assessments / Generation and distribution facilities / Government / Hydropower dams / International relations / Ministries and other national bodies / Ministry of Environment / National parks and wildlife sanctuaries / Renewable energy production / Rivers and lakes / Water resources
Don Sahong Hydropower Project / International Rivers / IR / Laos / Lower Mekong River / Ministry of Environment / Southeast Asia / Tea Chhup

In its race to cash in on hydropower without first addressing its downstream implications, Laos could pitch the region into a water crisis and jeopardise millions of Cambodian’s food security, conservation groups and Cambodian government officials said yesterday. “Lao PDR is exploiting the Mekong River to develop its country though hydropower dams,” Tea Chhup, deputy secretary of state at the Ministry of Environment, said yesterday during a workshop on Laos’ Don Sahong Hydropower Project. Surrounded by rapidly growing, energy hungry neighbours, Laos has made no secret of intentions to become the “battery of Southeast Asia,” proposing nine of the 11 planned Lower Mekong mainstream dams. But environmental groups are claiming that Laos has been anything but transparent in responding to mounting concerns about its use of the shared waters. …

 Laignee Barron and Shane Worrell
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/neighbours-wary-laos-dam-plan