WWF Says Work on Dam in Laos Mocks Mekong Accord
The Lao government’s refusal to halt the construction of a controversial mainstream Mekong dam is “making a mockery” of an agreement between the four Mekong countries, international conservation group World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said yesterday. Though Laos had agreed in December to suspend construction of the 1,285-megawatt dam pending further environmental studies at the behest of its neighboring countries, it appears that dam work is moving ahead, WWF said in a statement. Under the 1995 Mekong Agreement, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand must jointly agree to any dams built on the mainstream Mekong. …
