Joint panel discusses Pak Beng hydropower project

Joint panel discusses Pak Beng hydropower project

REPRESENTATIVES from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam gathered at the
Mekong River Commission Secretariat (MRCS) in Vientiane on Thursday to start
the first meeting of the Joint Committee Working Group (JCWG) on the
procedures for notification, prior consultation and agreement (PNPCA) for
the Pak Beng hydropower project.

The project is proposed for the Mekong mainstream in the northern territory
of Laos. The run-of-river project, with capacity of 912 megawatts and an
average annual generation of 4,775 gigawatts, is expected to produce power
for domestic supply and export.

The dam is located between the Jinghong hydropower project in China and the
Xayaburi hydropower project in Laos.

At the first meeting of the PNPCA, the JCWG discussed several key issues
that require advance attention and a common understanding and agreement to
ensure the successful implementation of a six-month prior-consultation
process of the project, with the aim of increasing the joint benefits and
cooperation.

Dr Inthavy Akkharath, chairman of the meeting and acting secretary-general
of the Lao National Mekong Committee and representative on the JCWG for
Laos, said: "The prior consultation will allow us, as the MRC member
countries, and other relevant stakeholders to discuss and provide views on
the Pak Beng hydropower project.

"We will review [whether] the Pak Beng project reflects a reasonable and
equitable use of the Mekong River system and how it could be done to avoid,
minimise and mitigate negative impacts, especially those of a trans-boundary
nature."

At the end of the meeting, the participants agreed that a regional
stakeholder meeting in February and a field visit to Pak Beng in April would
be organised to exchange and share information, investigate the site, and
discuss and document legitimate concerns.

"We are pleased with the discussion and agreement on a range of issues today
which set a clear milestone and time frame of the six-month
prior-consultation process of the Pak Beng hydropower project," said Pham
Tuan Phan, chief executive of the MRCS.

"We hope that with the MRCS support, at the end of the six-month process the
joint committee can come up with a clear decision and recommendations for
the Pak Beng hydropower project."

The Mekong River Commission is the intergovernmental body responsible for
cooperation on the sustainable management of the Mekong basin, whose members
include Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. It serves as a regional
platform for water diplomacy as well as a knowledge hub of water-resource
management for the sustainable development of the region.

It is not a supra-national or regulatory body. The commission looks across
all sectors including sustaining fisheries, identifying opportunities for
agriculture, maintaining the freedom of navigation, flood management and
preserving important ecosystems. Superimposed on these are the future
effects of more extreme floods, prolonged drought and sea-level rise
associated with climate change.

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com