"Local NGOs, Lower Mekong Countries Raise Concerns Over Planned Dam in Luang Prabang", 7 February 2020

Five Cambodian NGOs have raised concerns over a planned hydropower dam in Luang Prabang, Laos, pointing to the potential effects on water flow, fish population and sediment transfer in the lower Mekong.

The 1,460 MW Luang Prabang dam is expected to begin construction …, making it the fifth of nine dams in Laos on the Mekong basin. The new dam has compounded concerns already expressed by civil society over the Xayaburi and Don Sahong dams because of the economic and environmental impact on the critical Mekong River.

The Cambodian civil society groups – 3S River Protection Network, FACT, The NGO Forum on Cambodia, My Village, Center and Environment Preservation Association –… expressed alarm in a press release at the potential impact on fish migration, hydrology and sediment transfer that would occur from the hydropower projects on the Mekong mainstream…

“We are concerned by the timeframe proposed by the Laos Government to commence construction at the end of 2020 as it will not provide sufficient time for developers to conduct more rigorous studies upon the comments and recommendations put forth by relevant stakeholders,” the statement reads…

Gary Lee, Southeast Asia program director for International Rivers, said the Luang Prabang dam should not be built, given that it would displace hundreds of households and have major social and environmental impacts…

Brian Eyler, Southeast Asia program director at the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C., said all the upstream dams, including the Luang Prabang dam, will significantly impact the Tonle Sap, affecting a major source of food for the Cambodian people…