Energy
Northeastern folk voice fears over new Mekong dam
Unseasonal drought, floods and the negative impact of hydropower projects on the Mekong River’s ecology were major concerns raised by residents of northeastern provinces at a public hearing on the Luang Prabang Dam on Tuesday. Pradap Klatkhemphet, deputy secretary-general of the Office of the National Water ...
APINYA WIPATAYOTIN
Vietnam puts the Mekong's fate on ASEAN's agenda
In a nod to green diplomacy, Vietnam is raising the geopolitical stakes over the Mekong River, Southeast Asia’s largest body of water, which has dropped to record lows due to a severe drought and construction of large dams. Hanoi has signaled its intent to raise the issue this ...
Marwaan MaCan-Markar
Xayaburi Dam Dispels Rumors of Role in Dry Mekong River
Amid an ongoing drought and low water levels, the state of the Mekong River is a topic that is animating discussion along the watercourse, with sights often aimed squarely at the Xayaburi Hydroelectric Power Plant. To help clear the waters, the project owners invited regional ...
Steven Cleary
Laos Plans to Build Sixth Large-Scale Mekong River Mainstream Dam
A Thai hydropower company has plans to build what would be Laos’ sixth large-scale Mekong river dam, the latest cog in Laos’ ambitious plan to become the “battery of Southeast Asia.” The Thailand-based Charoen Energy and Water Asia Co. Ltd. (CEWA) presented to Lao authorities the ...
RFA’s Lao Service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Eugene Whong
Mekong River Dams Disrupting Lives of Southeast Asian Fishermen, Farmers
Tiem Ngern-tok pointed at the water level, shook his head and talked about dragon boat races to explain how dams in China and Laos have disrupted the lives of Thai people whose villages abut the Mekong River. “During annual boat races the water was high,” said ...
Thailand nixed China’s Mekong River blasting project. Will others push back?
China has had a setback in its infrastructure building along the Mekong River after Thailand cancelled a project on the vital Southeast Asian waterway. But observers say that without more coordination between downstream countries, China’s influence in the region will continue to go unchallenged. In a ...
Laura Zhou
China says will help manage Mekong as report warns of dam danger
China on Thursday said it was helping its downstream neighbors cope with a prolonged drought by releasing more water from its dams on the Mekong River, adding it would consider sharing information on hydrology to provide further assistance in the future. The statement came as a ...
Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Kay Johnson
Laos to Experience Electricity Shortage During Hot Season
Electricity generation will not be sufficient to supply all areas in Laos during times of peak consumption from March to June, according to authorities, who are urging the public to cut energy usage during this period. The Ministry of Energy and Mines has announced that less ...
Taejun Kang
Thais Living Along Mekong Struggle from Drought, Effects of Dams
Dam operations upstream combined with a drought have caused a severe drop in water levels along the Mekong River, on which tens of millions of people rely for their livelihoods through fishing or farming, say Thais who live by the banks of the great waterway. BenarNews ...
Nontarat Phaicharoen
Deeper look into ecological costs of coal-fired power in Mekong Delta needed: expert
Ecological expert Nguyễn Hữu Thiện speaks to Nông Nghiệp Việt Nam (Việt Nam’s Agriculture) newspaper on the need for clearer environmental regulations for thermopower plants in the Mekong Delta to reduce risks to the region’s aquatic resources What are the notable characteristics of the Mekong Delta’s fish resources? The ...