US Senators Express Concern Over Mekong Dam Plans

[webfact]

US senators express concern over Mekong dam plans

By Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation

The US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has voiced concerns over the plans to build 12 dams on the Mekong River, saying the dams would impact the environment and food security in the region.

The committee, chaired by Senator Jim Webb, held a hearing on Thursday consider concerns about the extensive impact on the river and livelihoods if the projects go ahead.

As the United States is a donor to the mekong River Commission (MRC), the committee was urged to do everything in its capacity to ensure that mainstream dams would not proceed until the findings of the MRCcommissioned Strategic Environmental Assessment were considered and adopted by regional governments.

Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam are members of the MRC, which is a regulatory body to oversee the lower mekong basin.

The United States has paid more attention to the mekong River since Washington formed closer links with the four countries in the basin under the framework of MekongMississippi Rivers cooperation last year.

The hearing took place a day after the MRC said it had received official notification from Laos that the country would proceed with the Xayaburi project, as the first dam in the mekong mainstream, according to conservationist International Rivers.

Aviva Imhof, campaigns director for International Rivers, testified before the committee.

Imhof relayed to the committee the Strategic Environmental Assessment's findings and its recommendation that any decision on mainstream dams be deferred for at least 10 years.

"To allow the Xayaburi consultation process to go forward without considering the findings would be like getting a diagnosis of cancer and then ignoring it," she said in a statement.

Webb said the mekong fisheries were important for food security in the region, and expressed concern about the dramatic impact that could occur to livelihoods and the river ecosystem if the dams were built. The dam plans were "profoundly disturbing" on the political, economic and social levels, he said.

The Xayaburi Dam would be the first to be built on the lower Mekong. It would displace thousands of people in Laos, disrupt an important fish migration route and cause the extinction of the critically endangered mekong giant catfish by destroying one of its last natural spawning habitats.

The dam is being proposed by Thai company Ch Karnchang and more than 95 per cent of the power generated would be sold to Thailand.

This month, Thai community groups representing about 24,000 people in five provinces along the mekong River submitted an appeal to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva asking him to cancel the plan to buy electricity from the Xayaburi Dam.

-- The Nation 2010-09-25

[BSJ]

The big worry is not seeing China as a full partner in the MRC. Sure, they are a dialogue partner.....but isn't a dialogue partner a talking partner.....and as we all know talk can be nothing more than a lot of hot air!

[asiawatcher]

It is a problem and one that needs careful consideration. I concur regarding the Mekong giant catfish and have worked with them and they are fabulous but I don't think it will lead to absolute extinction as there are now (and have been) farms in Chiang Mai set up to propagate and protect the species. However, on the human side, the control of flooding and possible introduction of irrigation to the eastern provinces of Thailand will impact positively on their livelihood. It is a case of damned if you do or dammed if you don't LOL.

[geriatrickid]

12 dams? Wouldn't that disrupt fish life cycles and water sheds? Basically, wipe out fishing in many places, and create stangnant polluted pools in others? I'm think of the Aswan dam in Egypt and how it screwed up the Nile.

[tomyummer]

Don't forget that China has already built dams altering the natural flow of the Mekong threatening the fisheries of the lower countries. Laos is totally screwed without any oceanic coastline.

There was opposition years ago while they were being built, but none of the nations did squat until the low levels were noticed a couple years ago.

I vaguely remember an Aussie named Mick O'shea who was trying to bring attention to the matter by being the first to navigate the Mekong from source to ocean via kayak (through 6 countries). Although successful in his quest, it barely brought awareness to the surface.

It's dam_n shame. And it leaves everyone at the hands of the Chinese with controls on the faucet. Thailand wants a piece of it. My worry is the destruction and pollution of the Mekong while building the dams.

I guess it's all in the name of population growth...

[tonybuak]

I suppose It comes down to the fact that neither China or Thailand Have any National health or social security ie No responsibillity for there people, The ones who farm these lands around the Mekong, So they are easily forgoten

[TAWP]

I suppose It comes down to the fact that neither China or Thailand Have any National health or social security ie No responsibillity for there people, The ones who farm these lands around the Mekong, So they are easily forgoten

Both China and Thailand has national health-care plans that are paid via tax-money, one for communist reasons and the other for populist reasons...