Laos: More than 62,000 people at risk of displacement due to new Mekong dam
"New Mekong dam project sparks concern in Laos and Thailand", 30 December 2024
Plans to proceed with a benefits-and-risks review of a proposed hydropower dam on the Mekong River has sparked concern in both Laos and Thailand about the impact on communities and the ecosystem.
....
More than 62,500 people in Thailand and Laos will be forced to relocate due to rising waters, according to submitted documents.
Lao residents say they have hardly had a chance to give feedback on the project.
...
Electricity generated by the dam, to be built by China-owned Datang (Lao) Sanakham Hydropower Co. Ltd. and Thailand’s Gulf Energy Development Public Co. Ltd., will mainly be exported to Thailand.
Thailand’s Office of National Water Resources said on Dec. 17 that it would begin the consultation process during which Mekong River Commission member countries and other stakeholders review proposed projects to try to reach a consensus on whether or not they should proceed.
...
International Rivers, a group acting to protect rivers and the communities that depend on them, said there there has been little up-to-date information publicly available about the project.
...