Plan of the Mekong River dam sparks environmental battle

Opponents fear the project of dam on the River Mekong in Laos could open the way for another 10 dams. (Associated Press)

A plan for the first dam on the Mekong River anywhere on its meandering path across Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and the Viet Nam triggered a major environmental battle in Southeast Asia.

The dam of Xayaburi of $ 3.5 billion is planned for the wilds of Northern Laos and could generate electricity primarily for sale in Thailand. The project of the villagers, militants and the Vietnamese media pits against Thai interests and the Lao Government in hopes of earning foreign currency in one of the poorest countries of the world.

A decision that the dam gets fire green, is deleted or deferred to continue his studies is planned on 19 April, a meeting, in the Lao capital among the Lao Thailand, the Viet Nam and Cambodia.

Opponents warn that it could pave the way for dams plus 10 being considered as along the lower Mekong.

"Our lives and livelihoods depend on the health of the Mekong River," said Kamol Konpin, Mayor of the city of riverside Thai Chiang Khan.

"As local populations have already suffered dam built upstream in China and watched the ecosystem change, we are afraid that the dam of Xayaburi will bring more suffering".

China has placed three dams on the upper Mekong, but otherwise its traditional 4 900 kilometers flows free.

The Xayaburi would be cut across a stretch of the River flanked by hamlets, cliffs and wooded hills where resident minority ethnic groups, forcing the relocation of up to 2 100 villagers and affecting tens of thousands of others.

Environmentalists say such a dam would disrupt the migration of fish, block nutrients for agriculture downstream and even foul bowl of rice of the Viet Nam by slowing the speed of the river and allowing salt water to seep into the Mekong Delta.

A Thai company would build the hydroelectric project of 1,260 megawatts. However, Thai villagers along the River are staging protests and planning to deliver letters to the Prime Minister of Thailand Abhisit Vejjajiva and the Lao Embassy in Bangkok, where the Thai Government has maintained an official silence on the issue.

Pianporn Deetes, international rivers based on the United States, said environmentalists are ready to bring their case to court if Abhisit does not provide a positive response.

Last month, 263, 51 non-governmental organizations countries sent letters to the Governments of Laos and Thailand asking that the project be put on the sidelines.

In Laos, said in February that the Xayaburi would be "project hydroelectric ecological first on the Mekong" and which "has no significant impact on the current of the Mekong.".

"We are excited about this project," said the statement.

Official media of the Viet Nam, a rare disagreement with its Communist neighbour, dynamited dam, while scientists and environmental groups have called for its construction to be delayed for 10 years until that further research is conducted.

"It appears that lower Mekong have not yet learned the lessons of the impact of the Chinese dams", said Pianporn. "Xayaburi is so important, because it was triggered the destruction of the lower Mekong.".

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