Laos to embark on 1,400MW Third Mekong Dam project
The Laos government has given way for the construction of the Third Mekong Dam project that will have a capacity of 1400MW; the largest dam along the river. Construction of the third Mekong Dam project will officially begin this year. The news on the construction comes after various neighbouring countries including; Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam […]
New Homes Built For Lao Flood Survivors Two Years After Dam Collapse
Construction has begun on permanent homes for displaced victims of the worst dam collapse in Laos in decades just weeks after thousands of survivors were reported fleeing from unsanitary conditions in the temporary relocation camps to which they had first been sent after the 2018 disaster, Lao sources say.
Development dilemma: How did coal sneak into Laos’ energy plans?
The plan to turn Laos into a hub of Southeast Asia’s rising cross-border power trade was never without controversy. But amid the nation’s recent approval of yet another coal power plant, a question looms large: In its thirst for foreign capital, has Laos fallen prey to rogue firms doing more harm than good?
Gov’t Statistics Show Mekong Water Levels Are Precariously Low
PHNOM PENH — Government data released on July 17 showed water levels in the Mekong River are lower than at this time last year, on account of poor rainfall along the mainstream in Cambodia, with others pointing to hydropower dams in China and Laos.
Fishermen without fish as Cambodia’s river reversal runs late
KAMPONG KHLEANG, Cambodia (Reuters) – Crucial water flows to the Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia’s largest lake, have been delayed for a second consecutive year according to river experts, severely disrupting fishing and threatening the food supply of more than a million people.
Lao government considers tax to protect environment
PHNOM PENH (Vientiane Times/ANN): Industries that produce pollution may have to pay more taxes now that the Lao government has embraced the National Green Growth Strategy. Under the strategy, which Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith endorsed on Jan 30, the Ministry of Finance will impose taxes to discourage industries from producing pollution and harmful waste.
New Dam Planned in Same District as Xe Pian Xe Namnoi Collapse in Southern Laos
A new dam is set to go up in southern Laos, in the district where two years ago a major dam collapse caused a flood that was described as the country’s worst in decades. On July 23, 2018, water poured over a saddle dam in Attapeu province’s Sanamxay district at the Xe Pian Xe Namnoy (PNPC) […]
Thai Activists Protest New Xayaburi Dam on the Mekong
NONG KHAI, THAILAND – It’s been more than 40 years since Bula Tawan first cast his fishing net out across the Mekong River when the waterway was rich in marine life. But the days of big catches have disappeared for most fishermen like Tawan, who once relied on the big hauls to earn a living and […]
Cambodia Announces Ten Year Moratorium On New Mekong Dams
The government of Cambodia has announced that the country will not develop new hydropower dams on the Mekong River for the next 10 years, putting two planned dams at Sambor and Stung Treng on pause. The decision means that Laos, which has opened two new dams in the past six months, is now the only country on the Lower Mekong Basin […]
Laos pushes ahead with sixth Mekong River dam project
BANGKOK, May 11 (Reuters) – Laos has submitted plans to build a new hydropower dam on the Mekong River, with construction expected to start later this year, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) said on Monday. The Sanakham hydropower plant, with an estimated cost of $2.073 billion, will be developed by Datang Sanakham Hydropower company, a subsidiary […]