Laos dam projects put entire region at risk (Opinion)

Laos dam projects put entire region at risk (Opinion)

Almost two weeks ago, Laos notified the Mekong River Commission (MRC)
Secretariat of its intention to develop the Pak Beng dam on the mainstream
Mekong River, following its previous notifications on the controversial
Xayaburi and Don Sahong dams. There are indications that Laos' fourth
mainstream project, the Xanakham dam, will be next.

This means the Pak Peng dam has been submitted for the MRC's six-month
"Prior Consultation" process to provide information and consult with the
governments of neighbouring Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, enabling them to
raise concerns over impacts on their uses of the river. The process can be
extended, if agreed by all four countries, while further studies are
undertaken, or negotiations continue.

During the same process carried out for both the Xayaburi and Don Sahong
dams, major concerns raised about project impacts were not transparently
addressed. Yet the projects forged ahead. Concerns are mounting as the third
project is undergoing the consultation process.

Located 7km upstream of Pak Beng in Oudomxay province, the 912 megawatt Pak
Beng project is the northernmost of a proposed 11 dams on the lower Mekong,
and 90% of the electricity generated will be sold to Thailand. The remaining
10% will go to Laos' state-owned utility company, Electricite du Laos.

During the Xayaburi consultation, initiated in 2010, Cambodia noted a lack
of sufficient information about the project's transboundary impacts and
called for an extension of the consultation process. Vietnam requested a
10-year moratorium on all dam-building on the Mekong mainstream to enable
further studies on the basin-wide impacts of the Xayaburi and other proposed
projects. In response, Laos announced additional investment of US$400
million (14.18 billion baht) in environmental mitigation measures, but the
full design details and studies have not yet been publicly released. The dam
is over 70% complete.

The four countries again failed to reach an agreement over Don Sahong. All
three neighbouring governments expressed serious concerns over the project
during the consultation process, which commenced in 2014, and called for a
postponement, requesting further baseline information and a transboundary
impact assessment. These calls went unheeded and construction of the dam
proceeded. The disagreement between the governments was formally elevated
within the MRC and remains unresolved.

Prior Consultation aims to promote regional cooperation over the use of a
vital shared river. It seems unthinkable that no transboundary impact
assessment was produced for either project. The Mekong sustains hundreds of
fish and animal species and critical ecosystems along its course. The food
and agricultural systems of 60 million people residing in the Mekong basin
hinge on the river's seasonal flood pulse and ecosystem services.

Study after study, including the MRC-commissioned 2010 Strategic
Environmental Assessment, warn that dam-building on the Mekong mainstream
will have tremendous implications, fundamentally altering the river's
ecology and destroying much of its biodiversity.

The impacts of a growing cascade of dams are cumulative. The news that Pak
Beng is progressing under the same procedure is therefore extremely
concerning. The perceived weakness of the Prior Consultation process factors
in challenges now facing the MRC, including loss of donor confidence and
funding cuts. Donor reviews of the process have identified significant
weaknesses and need for reform. In response, the MRC launched a review of
the procedures earlier this year, but the outcomes and timeline are unclear.

Despite its inadequacies, Prior Consultation remains one of the only
processes through which to raise questions about the rush of dam-building on
the Mekong River. Yet it lacks the means to ensure that broad public input
and the interests of communities who will lose critical food sources and
livelihoods are represented in decision-making.

Communities have instead pursued litigation and other remedial mechanisms,
collectively highlighting the dearth of options available to seek
accountability for transboundary threats. A landmark lawsuit in the Thai
Administrative Court filed by 37 Thai villagers challenging Thailand's
approval of the Power Purchase Agreement for the Xayaburi dam remains
ongoing.

Complaints to the Malaysian Human Rights Commission and the United Nations
Human Rights Council over the Don Sahong dam have produced recommendations
urging developers to consider the serious human rights implications of the
project. Pak Beng threatens further actions.

Globally, the tide is turning against large dams. In 2013-2015 new
hydropower capacity dwindled from 38 to 22 gigawatts, with increased
recognition of extensive impacts and questions over economic viability,
major cost overruns and a declining performance of existing hydro sites.

Critical to the Mekong region, which faces grave threats from climate
change, research points to the fundamental importance of maintaining healthy
river basins and freshwater ecosystems for climate adaptation and
resilience.

In an era of unprecedented environmental change, decisions over the
development of important shared water resources loom large. The implications
of dams on the Mekong mainstream reach far beyond any one country. According
to international principles, environmental decisions must be based on
comprehensive information including transboundary assessment of cross-border
impacts, together with broad public input and the meaningful participation
of those who stand to be affected. These elements must be met in relation to
the Pak Beng dam -- the future of the Mekong and her people demand it.

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Link to Original Article:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1137161/laos-dam-projects-put-ent
ire-region-at-risk

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com