"New hydropower dam in Laos could lead to 'economic losses'" 15 July 2024

Conservationists and people of the Mekong Basin are petitioning the government not to sign a contract to buy electricity from the Pak Beng Hydropower Dam in Laos, fearing economic and territorial losses.

The signatures were contained in an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and Energy Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga... The letter was submitted to the government during the prime minister's tour of Chiang Rai yesterday...

The dam, able to produce 920 megawatts of electricity, hopes to sell 95% of its supply to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat). Cross-border impacts of the proposed dam are being studied, the result of which will be presented to the Egat before finances are secured...

Their main concerns had to do with water backing up from the dam, which could inundate homes and farmland in the riverside communities in Wiang Kaen, Chiang Khong and Chiang Saen districts. The letter added the dam could hinder the migration of fish in the Mekong River and harm the local fishery industry...the manipulation of water levels by the dam could endanger the farming and cultivation of freshwater seaweed, a prized cash crop for farmers in the three districts...water released by the dam could overflow some islets on Thai territory in the river. This could amount to a territorial loss...

It said an environmental study cited as favouring the project was based on old information and had led to substandard assessment of the dam's impacts. Residents were also not informed about the water overflow, which stands to affect them...