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U.S. Senator Webb: construction of Laos dam could have "devastating consequences"

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Mon, 2011-04-18 23:06 — JRees
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Dam Issues - Vietnam / Southeast Asia

U.S. Senator Jim Webb, chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, has issued a statement regarding proposed construction in Laos of the Xayaburi Dam on the Mekong River, which also flows through China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

The statement, dated April 14, 2011 from his office, said "Construction of Xayaburi Dam in Laos could have “devastating consequences” for Southeast Asia". Meanwhile, the four Mekong River Commission country members – Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam – are to meet on April 19 to make a decision on the proposed project.

The press release from Senator Jim Webb reads:

“Reports are very troubling that the government of Laos may move forward with the construction of the Xayaburi Dam following next week’s meeting of Mekong River Commission members. This is a dangerously harmful precedent as it relates to the environmental health of Southeast Asia. Numerous scientific studies have concluded that construction of the Xayaburi Dam and other proposed mainstream dams will have devastating environmental, economic, and social consequences for the entire Mekong sub-region.

“The United States and the global community have a strategic interest in preserving the health and well-being of the more than 60 million people who depend on the Mekong River. All countries along the Mekong River should respect the riparian water rights of other river basin countries and take into account any objection or concern regarding construction. To avoid irreversible damage to the region, I believe it would be prudent to delay the construction of any mainstream dam along the river, including those along the Upper Mekong River, until adequate planning and multilateral coordination can be guaranteed. Absent this collaborative approach, the stability of Southeast Asia is at risk.

“I am also asking the U.S. State Department to strengthen its engagement with the Lower Mekong Initiative and invigorate its efforts to support sustainable infrastructure and water security in Southeast Asia.”

As subcommittee chairman, Senator Webb has traveled to all of the countries in mainland Southeast Asia and examined water use practices and plans for the Mekong River’s development.  He has engaged numerous U.S. and regional diplomats, policymakers, environmental engineers, and academics who conveyed the importance of the Mekong River to Southeast Asia’s economic and social development and the risks associated with disrupting the river’s ecological balance. In an October 2010 letter, Senator Webb urged Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to take steps to strengthen cooperation and to promote the sustainable development of mainstream hydropower dams on the Mekong River. The text of that letter is available here: http://webb.senate.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/10-27-2010-02.cfm.

Meanwhile, Thai newspaper Bangkok Post reported April 17 that construction work around the controversial dam “is well underway despite the project not yet receiving official approval.”

The Bangkok Post article (following this post, or online linked in title text) Xayaburi dam work begins on sly: THAI CONSTRUCTION GIANT, LAOS IGNORE MEKONG CONCERNS states major road work is all ready under construction and villagers are preparing to be relocated.Several of the villagers said they were to receive as little as US$15 (450 baht) in compensation for moving from the area, the newspaper said.

One of the pictures the Bangkok Post showed as evidence shows a backhoe digging the earth on a road leading to the proposed dam site.

The dam developer is Ch. Karnchang Public Co. Ltd. of Thailand.

Mon, 2011-04-18 23:35 — JRees

SPECIAL REPORT

Xayaburi dam work begins on sly

THAI CONSTRUCTION GIANT, LAOS IGNORE MEKONG CONCERNS

Construction work around a controversial dam in Laos which is expected to provide cheap energy to Thailand is well underway despite the project not yet receiving official approval.

DIGGING IN: A backhoe digs the earth on a road leading to the proposed dam site, about 20km from Tha Dua pier.

An investigation by the Bangkok Post Sunday which visited the area surrounding the Xayaburi dam on the Lower Mekong River last week found major road works under construction and villagers preparing to be relocated.

Several of the villagers said they were to receive as little as US$15 (450 baht) in compensation for moving from the area.

Trucks and backhoes bearing the name of Ch Karnchang, the Thai company jointly involved in the $3.5 billion project with the Lao government, were seen clearing and grading roads.

Mekong River Commission (MRC) members Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia are due to meet this Tuesday to decide whether to approve the project.

Vietnam and Cambodia are opposed to the dam, which has also raised concerns among environmentalists and activists who say it has circumvented proper environmental impact studies.

However, the decision is not binding on any of the countries and any one member can go ahead with a project if it wants.

WE MEAN BUSINESS: A fleet of more than 20 Ch Karnchang trucks, along with 10 backhoes. The trucks carry the company’s logo.

Our investigation revealed road work being undertaken over more than 30km from Ban Nara village to Ban Talan and Ban Houay Souy, which is near the proposed site for the dam.

According to villagers living near the dam site, the road work started about five months ago.

This was one month after the Lao government submitted the documents required for consultation to the MRC, which included an environmental impact assessment, for review.

From Ban Nara village, about 17km from the Tha Dua pier where people cross the Mekong River to gain access to Xayaburi, there is a potholed two-lane road running parallel to the river.

But as the road veers to Ban Talan and Ban Houay Souy on the mountainside of the river, it has been widened to five to eight metres with a hard level surface.

YOU’LL HAVE TO GO: Ban Talan village below the road at the campsite.

Backhoes were seen digging by the roadside, and about 10km from Ban Nara village, dozens of trucks and backhoes were parked at a temporary construction camp. They bear the name Ch Karnchang, which has set up a subsidiary in Laos called Xayaburi Power to carry out construction and operate the dam project.

About 3km further on, there is a larger camp with heavy machinery, fuel tanks, cement mills, food stalls and grocery shops. Some workers were seen at the site and 500m away, there is a checkpoint with a sign saying "construction area" which bars entry.

The newly levelled road continues about 15km before abruptly ending at Ban Houay Souy, which is now accessible only by boat.

HOME, SWEET HOME: One family which has been asked to move to make way for the dam.

"They want to finish it before the rain comes," said one worker.

Laotians from other parts of the country have already come to seek work. Some have set up grocery shops and food stalls, while others have taken jobs as road workers or are waiting for construction work on the dam to start.

One man from Vientiane said he and several others from the capital had come looking for work. He said they had been told that an office would open next month.

The relocation of villagers is also ready to begin. At Ban Talan, villagers said Lao authorities had come to see them. They were told they would have to move but no date was specified. The villagers said they were promised new concrete houses allotted by the government on a nearby mountain.

They said they were also promised $15 in compensation. "The authorities said so, so we have to do it," said one villager. Ch Karnchang was unavailable for comment.

In September 2010, the Lao government petitioned the MRC to begin the formal process of approving the Xayaburi, the first of 11 proposed dams across the lower Mekong.

PAVING PARADISE: A cement mill on the road.

This initiated the required procedure for all such projects as stipulated in the MRC agreement signed by member countries in 1995.

Under the agreement, development projects with potential transboundary impacts should be subject to review and consultation before proceeding.

Prasarn Marukpitak, a retired senator working on social development in the region, said it was evident preparation work for the dam was in full swing.

Mr Prasarn said if the project went ahead without agreement from all MRC member countries, it could escalate into an international confrontation. "Laos is one of the MRC's members. The international community is keeping an eye on whether it is overriding the agency's rules.

"It has apparently ignored the region's strategic impact assessment and the consultation process," said Mr Prasarn.

The Xayaburi dam project plans to start commercial operation in January 2019.

In December last year, Thailand's National Energy Policy Committee approved the electricity purchase agreement, paving the way for the state electricity supplier Egat to sign a contract with Ch Karnchang's subsidiary Xayaburi Power. About 95% of the project's 1,260MW capacity is set for export to Thailand at a rate of 2.15 baht per unit.

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