The Lao federal government has actually moved on plans to build what would be the nation’s seventh big dam on the Mekong River, another project in the nation’s enthusiastic technique to end up being the “Battery of Southeast Asia” in the face of deepening social and ecological issues.

Locals of Laos and Thailand, along with international specialists and ecologists, state the project is unneeded and would add to pressure on the Mekong area, currently having a hard time to handle the effect of numerous Chinese dams.

The 684- megawatt Sanakham dam, with a predicted conclusion date of 2028, would sign up with the currently functional Xayaburi and Don Sahong dams. 3 dams– Pak Beng, Pak Lay, and Luang Prabang dams– are under building and construction, while the Phougnoi dam stays in the early preparation phases.

The Datang Sanakham Hydropower Business, a subsidiary of China’s Datang International Power Generation, is set to start building and construction later on this year.

The federal government sent a proposition for the Sanakham project to the Mekong River Commission (MRC), on September 9,2019 The MRC is an inter-governmental firm that deals with local federal governments to handle the river’s resources.

The proposition shows that the dam would be built in Vientiane province’s Sanakham district, about 155 kilometers (96 miles) north of the capital.

The proposition likewise consisted of the results of an expediency research study and an ecological effect evaluation (EIA) of the brand-new project, an official of the Lao Ministry of Energy and Mines informed RFA’s Lao Service in a composed declaration Tuesday.

“There are many things to do and many steps or processes to go through because this is the Mekong we’re talking about. The project has not yet been approved,” stated the official, who asked for privacy for legal factors.

The official added that the MRC would perform its previous assessment procedure concerning the project with other members of the commission within 6 months. The MRC includes Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Under MRC treatment, a nation proposing a dam on the mainstream of the river informs the other countries in the organizing prior to proceeding with the project.

Pre-notification starts a six-month assessment where member states can examine the possible effect of the dam on incomes and environments and recommend treatments, although activists question the efficiency of the procedure as the MRC does not have power to implement suggestions.

The Lao public nevertheless appears to have actually been left in the dark.

This May 11, 2020 image shows the Mekong River simply below the proposed Sanakham dam website.
Person Reporter

” We heard the news [about the dam proposal], however we do not’ understand all the information. We do not understand what the federal government is going to do,” a local of Sanakham district, who asked for privacy to speak easily, informed RFA Tuesday.

“Large dams are scary. We’re afraid of flooding above the dam area, and those living downstream are afraid too,” the homeowner stated.

Another Sanakham resident informed RFA, “Compared to previous years, the Mekong River is drier this year. It’s all due to the impact of the dams. Dams can hold and release water.”

” The Mekong River will be drier due to the fact that of the dams in China, the Xayaburi dam and in the near future the Sanakham dam. Water has to pass through lots of dams prior to it can reach [our area] which might be 50 percent less water [than usual],” she stated.

Due to the fact that it would make dry spells even worse,

A homeowner of the capital city stated he was opposed to the dam.

“The dam is not necessary. We don’t need it. Laos has too many dams already,” the guy, who asked for privacy, informed RFA Wednesday.

” The dams will trigger more dry spells. Take a look at the Mekong today. It’s never ever been this dry. We remain in a [climate] crisis,” he stated.

Another confidential homeowner of the capital informed RFA, “We’ve build countless numbers of dams so we can become the “Battery of Southeast Asia,” however the more dams we build, the more costly electrical energy gets.”

“The Sanakham dam will have a major impact,” stated a fisheries professional in Laos.

” The Chinese might adhere to the international requirements in regards to environmental management, however [when it comes to] displacing villagers, all they’ll do is simply provide money to the Lao federal government then the federal government will pay settlement. The Chinese do not care about the effect that much,” the fish professional stated.

Based Upon the project’s Environmental and Social Effect Evaluation, 1,127 homeowners of 3 towns in the location need to be completely transplanted while 1,808 people in 10 other towns need moving.

An Lao economic expert informed RFA, “Having a lot of dams is dangerous, however power is essential for financial advancement.

Opposition in Thailand

In surrounding Thailand opposition to the Sanakham dam is installing.

“I don’t want another dam,” an agent of the Love Chiang Khan Network, who asked for privacy in order to speak easily, informed RFA.

The network is a group of ecologists in the Chiang Khan district of Thailand’s Loei Province, which is located close by the prepared dam website.

” Currently all the anglers have actually been impacted by the Xayaburi dam and the Chinese dams[further upstream] They are fretted about food, and now fish have actually ended up being limited. I question if there will be any fish left in the future,” the ecologist stated.

“The MRC must do a transboundary impact study, but up until now there have not been any serious studies of this kind for any of the dams,” stated Montri Chanthavong of the Mekong Butterfly civic group.

International Rivers stated that the need for energy in Thailand is insufficient to validate the building and construction of yet another dam on the pledges of offering the excess energy to Laos’ big next-door neighbor.

“We don’t need the Sanakham dam because energy reserves in Thailand are 40 percent greater than the demand. So this dam is not worth bulding,” Phairin Sohsai, the Thai organizer for International Rivers, informed RFA.

“It will further destroy the Mekong river. We are just now realizing that the impact from the Xayaburi dam is more obvious and serious,” she stated.

” Thailand should not purchase power from this project due to the fact that it will be a terrific problem on the [Thai] people. Thailand must try to find alternative energy sources that will be more affordable than power from dams,” Sohsai added.

Agents of the Thai federal government likewise strategy to voice issues over the project.

Somkiat Prajamwong, director of Thailand’s Office of Natural Water Resources, Wednesday informed BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, that he would raise issues revealed by residents about the Mekong River at a conference of the MRC next month.

“Laos’ dam proposal is in line with the MRC procedures. Next, Laos needs to prepare information and present it to the four members early next month,” he stated, referring to the Treatments for Notice, Previous Assessment and Arrangement (PNPCA), which are required prior to a dam project can be concurred upon.

” We at first acknowledge the proposition and have actually informed the [MRC] members to present viewpoints on the possible unfavorable effects of the dam so we can attempt to discover a method to reduce the issues we frequently experience,” Somkiat stated.

International Specialists

Numerous international specialists informed RFA that Laos’ steady intent to build yet another dam on the Mekong was ill-advised, provided its prospective effect.

” The truth that the designer has currently built gain access to roadways to the website is simply additional verification that that Lao federal government is devoted to case with this project despite any issues surrounding countries, the international neighborhood and possibly impacted regional neighborhoods might have,” Bruce Shoemaker, an independent scientist who has actually operated in Laos because 1990, informed RFA.

A homeowner of Sanakham district validated to RFA that roadway building and construction is continuous.

” Yes, they are going to pave a roadway all the method to the [Mekong] river bank, and this roadway will surround Sanakham District,” he stated.

However Chansaveng Boungnong, the director general for the energy and mines ministry’s Department of Energy and Policy and Preparation, rejected that the roadways were being built in advance of the project.

“We’ve not done anything yet. The project has not yet been approved,” he stated.

“It’s not going to be easy. It has to go through the process of the prior consultation (PNPCA) in compliance with 1995 Mekong Agreement. Relocation of the villagers has not even taken place yet,” he added.

Shoemaker stated the dam would trigger social and ecological damage.

” There is extensive clinical recognition and understanding of the unfavorable effects–to fisheries, the broader environment and the incomes of millions of people– of the mainstream Mekong dams,” he stated.

” It is regrettable to see the international neighborhood, through the Mekong River Commission, backing and supporting yet another worthless regional assessment workout. The Lao federal government is plainly currently devoted to continue with another devastating mainstream hydropower project, no matter what the results of these assessments may be,” he added.

Another professional stated Laos has yet to protect a market for all the electrical energy it plans to create.

“Most of the new projects to go through the MRC PNPCA process have yet to find markets for their power, so it’s puzzling that Pak Beng, Pak Lay, Luang Prabang, and now Sanakham are moving through these protocols,” stated Brian Eyler, director of the Stimson Center’s Southeast Asia Program in Washington.

” The past 12 months more so than any previous year in the history of damming the Mekong, need to send out a clear signal to policy makers that mainstream Mekong dams provide ravaging effects to the magnificent river’s natural deposit base,” Eyler added, referring to extreme dry spell conditions that damaged the area in 2019 and early 2020.

” Alternatives are commercially practical and need to be thought about,” stated Eyler

Reported by RFA’s Lao Service and BenarNews. Equated by Max Avary. Composed in English by Eugene Whong.

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