Continue postponing dam construction in Laos

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) agreed not to make a decision on the Xayaburi dam project in Laos to further study the environmental impact of the project.

Xayaburi is one of 12 hydropower projects of many countries expected to be located on the mainstream of the Mekong River. The project is entirely within the territory of Laos, 1,930km from the Mekong Delta. Most electricity will be sold to Laos by Laos.

During the MRC ministerial meeting on December 8, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam reached a consensus. Ministers agreed to approach the Japanese government and international development partners to conduct further studies on sustainable management of the Mekong River, including the impacts of mainstream hydropower projects. .

A section of the Mekong River

'The countries downstream of the Mekong River have taken a positive step, demonstrating a strong management role in one of the region's most important and valuable resources , ' said Dr Jian-hua Meng. Sustainable hydropower expert International Nature Conservation Fund (WWF), commented.

According to Mr. Meng, relevant countries should take advantage of this opportunity to fully and properly assess the impact of the Xayaburi dam project, using the best scientific methods and consultation processes. He argued that international consulting organizations need to use optimal international methods rather than the shortest and easiest processes when studying the impact of dams.

The MRC has not yet determined the time for a final decision on the Xayaburi dam project on the main stream.

The Xayaburi Dam project has been criticized by the scientific community and public opinion in the past year due to insufficient information on the impact of the dam on biodiversity, fisheries and sediment flows.

In April, the Joint Commission of the MRC failed to reach an agreement on the Xayaburi dam project and transferred the final decision to the ministerial level.

With a length of 4,800km and flowing along the South China Sea, the Mekong is the longest river in Southeast Asia. It is also one of the last in the world that has not yet been transformed. The Lower Mekong River creates livelihoods for more than 60 million people with rich seafood resources. More than 700 species of freshwater fish live in this area, including catfish - the largest freshwater fish in the world.