Mekong Panel Wants 10-Year Freeze On Dam Building

[webfact]

ENVIRONMENT

Mekong panel wants 10-year freeze on dam building

By Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

The Mekong River Commission, in its Strategic Environmental Assessment, has urged Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam to delay megahydropower dams for 10 years due to massive risk concerns associated with the projects.

According to Carl Middleton, programme director of the conservation group International Rivers, the report was released in October.

He said it has studied the environmental impact and ecological systems in 12 dams planned for the mekong River.

It has also consulted government agencies, nongovernmental organisations and the private sector.

The report found that if built, the dams would cause irreversible and permanent ecological change to a mighty river that feeds millions of people.

It said 50 per cent of the length of the mekong River would become reservoir and the rapid change in river levels would destroy the natural flow of water.

The proposed dams would block a vital fish migration route and damage the habitat and ecosystem of the Mekong, placing at risk its rich diversity of species. Fishery activities would reduce by 26 per cent to 42 per cent of present levels, at a cost of Bt 15 billion.

The report said at least 100 of the river's aquatic animal species - such as the Irrawaddy dolphin and iconic mekong giant catfish- would be at risk of extinction due to severe change in their habitat.

The 12 dams would inundate half the river's bank gardens with damage estimated at Bt630 million a year, affecting over 3 million people along the Mekong.

The report said such mainstream projects were likely to result in serious and irreversible environmental damage, losses in longterm health and productivity of natural systems and losses to biological diversity and ecological integrity.

The largest impact on the riverine terrestrial system would be to the wetlands. Almost 40 per cent lie within reaches of rivers where projects are located - 17 per cent would be permanently inundated by the Lower mekong Basin mainstream projects.

The report established that 96 per cent of power demand, up to 2025, stems from Thailand and Vietnam. These two countries are expected to purchase close to 90 per cent of the power generated by the mainstream projects.

If Thailand and Vietnam decided not to buy mainstream power, the projects - all designed for export - would likely not go ahead.

According to the report, 10 proposed mainstream projects would involve constructing dams across the entire river channel - eight in Laos, two of which are on the LaoThailand reaches of the mainstream, and two in Cambodia.

Two other projects near the Khone Falls in Laos involve either partial damming (Don Sahong) or a diversion (Thakho). In China's Yunnan province, eight dams spanning the Lancang River already exist, or are under construction.

China's decision to develop the mekong River in Yunnan - and the resulting changes in seasonal flows - has eased previous reluctance to dambuilding in the Lower mekong Basin (LMB) and made mainstream projects more economically viable. Other international factors, such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuel generation options, and efforts to reduce reliance on imported energy and increase supply diversity, make hydropower an increasingly attractive renewable energy resource for LMB countries.

Xayaburi hydropower dam is the most advanced of the large dams planned for the lower Mekong, Middleton said.

Thailand's Ministry of Energy and electricity utility Egat will play a role in determining whether the Xayaburi dam is built or not.

Middleton said the mekong River Commission and regional decisionmakers should halt the Xayaburi dam, while adhering to recommendations of the Strategic Environmental Assessment to defer a decision over the mekong for at least 10 years.

Significant knowledge gaps about the mekong River, and the regional decisionmaking process, have failed to meet international standards of transparency, public participation and accountability, Middleton said.

Consequently, an informed decision over the fate of the river cannot be made and the region risks jeopardising the very resource that brings benefit to millions of people, he added.

-- The Nation 2010-12-10

[bushwacker]

Hmmm .... good report ... so when do we start to build?

[asiawatcher]

All I see here is an essence for necessary control of a huge water course that continually floods the country and the possibility of being able to harness not only electricity but allow irrigation to enhance, not destroy but yes, the 'ecosystems' may be affected unless during construction they are monitored.

What I find hard to fathom (no pun intended) is statements like " ... Fishery activities would reduce by 26 per cent to 42 per cent of present levels, at a cost of Bt 15 billion."

Where do these sorts of numbers arise from and how are they determined? If there is no credibility to the stated 'estimates' it flies in the face of sensibility and common sense as being sensationalistic for purposes of notoriety. Maybe there are grants attached to this organisation or private backers thus this type of press.

[LaoPo]

All I see here is an essence for necessary control of a huge water course that continually floods the country and the possibility of being able to harness not only electricity but allow irrigation to enhance, not destroy but yes, the 'ecosystems' may be affected unless during construction they are monitored.

What I find hard to fathom (no pun intended) is statements like " ... Fishery activities would reduce by 26 per cent to 42 per cent of present levels, at a cost of Bt 15 billion."

Where do these sorts of numbers arise from and how are they determined? If there is no credibility to the stated 'estimates' it flies in the face of sensibility and common sense as being sensationalistic for purposes of notoriety. Maybe there are grants attached to this organisation or private backers thus this type of press.

Good point and it's alwasy puzzling how scientists (I suppose they are) come to these numbers as the inflow of water supply into the Mekong various so enormously because of seasons, rain, droughts and floodings and, on top of that a few dams.

The economical damages for especially Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam (but Thailand also because of the generated electricity in the to-be-build dams in Laos) are enormous if they would stop building the dams but at the same time ALL nations, involved in the Mekong/Lancang stream should sit on the table (as they do but with little success) and discuss all dams and that includes China, where the Lancang starts, Myanmar (for a very small part) Thailand, Laos (has the largest % of water supply into the Mekong), Cambidia and Vietnam.

LaoPo

Edited December 10, 2010 by LaoPo

[oldsailor35]

All I see here is an essence for necessary control of a huge water course that continually floods the country and the possibility of being able to harness not only electricity but allow irrigation to enhance, not destroy but yes, the 'ecosystems' may be affected unless during construction they are monitored.

What I find hard to fathom (no pun intended) is statements like " ... Fishery activities would reduce by 26 per cent to 42 per cent of present levels, at a cost of Bt 15 billion."

Where do these sorts of numbers arise from and how are they determined? If there is no credibility to the stated 'estimates' it flies in the face of sensibility and common sense as being sensationalistic for purposes of notoriety. Maybe there are grants attached to this organisation or private backers thus this type of press.

Good point and it's alwasy puzzling how scientists (I suppose they are) come to these numbers as the inflow of water supply into the Mekong various so enormously because of seasons, rain, droughts and floodings and, on top of that a few dams.

The economical damages for especially Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam (but Thailand also because of the generated electricity in the to-be-build dams in Laos) are enormous if they would stop building the dams but at the same time ALL nations, involved in the Mekong/Lancang stream should sit on the table (as they do but with little success) and discuss all dams and that includes China, where the Lancang starts, Myanmar (for a very small part) Thailand, Laos (has the largest % of water supply into the Mekong), Cambidia and Vietnam.

LaoPo

I find this extremely interesting, are there any sites where i can find more information with maps etc., as i do not know the location of dams mentioned.

[LaoPo]

All I see here is an essence for necessary control of a huge water course that continually floods the country and the possibility of being able to harness not only electricity but allow irrigation to enhance, not destroy but yes, the 'ecosystems' may be affected unless during construction they are monitored.

What I find hard to fathom (no pun intended) is statements like " ... Fishery activities would reduce by 26 per cent to 42 per cent of present levels, at a cost of Bt 15 billion."

Where do these sorts of numbers arise from and how are they determined? If there is no credibility to the stated 'estimates' it flies in the face of sensibility and common sense as being sensationalistic for purposes of notoriety. Maybe there are grants attached to this organisation or private backers thus this type of press.

Good point and it's alwasy puzzling how scientists (I suppose they are) come to these numbers as the inflow of water supply into the Mekong various so enormously because of seasons, rain, droughts and floodings and, on top of that a few dams.

The economical damages for especially Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam (but Thailand also because of the generated electricity in the to-be-build dams in Laos) are enormous if they would stop building the dams but at the same time ALL nations, involved in the Mekong/Lancang stream should sit on the table (as they do but with little success) and discuss all dams and that includes China, where the Lancang starts, Myanmar (for a very small part) Thailand, Laos (has the largest % of water supply into the Mekong), Cambidia and Vietnam.

LaoPo

I find this extremely interesting, are there any sites where i can find more information with maps etc., as i do not know the location of dams mentioned.

You ask, we serve :jap:

http://www.mrcmekong.org/

The most detailed website about the Mekong, it's Region and countries.

I haven't studied it for some months so you might not be able to find everything (you need) but there's a lot of info on this site.

You might want to search and study also about the Lancang River, as the Mekong river is called in China and where the Mekong/Lancang has it's origin:

LaoPo

Edited December 10, 2010 by LaoPo

[RickBradford]

Vietnam's Mekong Delta (which they call The River of Nine Dragons) was created by silt pouring down from the Mekong, and is maintained by that silt, as the sea constantly tries to erode the coastline. It's a fine balance.

Now, Vietnam desperately needs a lot more electricity for its rapid industrialization, and so is an active supporter of the dams. It will gain from the electricity, but lose out, perhaps, in the health of the Delta, its most important agricultural area.

It looks like someone in Hanoi has made a very cold calculation that industry is better than agriculture, and factory workers more important than farmers.