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

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.