Energy
The Mekong Part II: How Dams May Damage Children’s Health
Ian G. Baird, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an expert on dams in Southeast Asia, tells of meeting a farmer and his five-year-old son from a village in rural Laos in 2009. The two were sitting in a canoe as the sun rose ...
Dan Southerland
Tonlé Sap Ecosystem is threatened by Development of Hydropower Dams on the Mekong River
Every year, between May and October, floodwaters from the Lower Mekong Basin reverse the flow of the Tonlé River in Cambodia. That pushes sediment-rich waters into the Tonlé Sap Lake and its surrounding floodplains and forests, which support complex food webs, migration patterns and agricultural ...
Kitila Davies
Kingdom okays 2,400MW power purchase from Laos
A cabinet meeting on Wednesday decided that the government will purchase 2,400MW of electricity from Laos. A briefing document uploaded by government spokesman Phay Siphan to his Facebook page confirmed this. It said Cambodia will buy exclusive power from two coal-fired power plants in Laos – TSBP ...
Thou Vireak
Conference promotes engagement in hydropower planning in Mekong basin
Environmental experts gathered at a conference held in Hanoi on September 11, discussing the important roles of stakeholders in outlining hydropower master plan and protecting water resources in the Mekong River basin. The event was organised by the Centre for Sustainable Development of Water Resources And ...
Commentary: Droughts and dams are drying up the Mekong river
An unusually long period of drought brought water levels to some of the lowest measurements in recent years. There are fears that the drought will have a particularly negative effect on the Tonle Sap River, connecting the Mekong to Cambodia’s Great Lake and which plays a ...
Milton Osbourne
Start of Latest Mekong Dam Draws Fears of River's 'Tipping Point'
Critics of the 1,285-megawatt Xayaburi hydropower dam in northern Laos fear recent upgrades to the controversial project won’t be enough to save the Mekong River from a critical tipping point when it starts churning out electricity at full throttle next month. After seven years of construction, ...
Zsombor Peter
Laos, Malaysia and Thailand Agree to Expand a Trilateral Power Deal
Laos, Malaysia and Thailand have agreed to expand a trilateral power deal, under which Lao electricity will be sold to the Malaysians via the Thai grid, Thailand’s minister of energy said Thursday. “Thailand, Laos and Malaysia achieved a new purchase deal, raising the capacity from 100 ...
A new dam on the Mekong could cause a biodiversity crisis
The Tonle Sap Lake is called the Great Lake by Cambodians for good reason. The scenic lake spans a vast area as the largest freshwater body in Southeast Asia. Its quaint waterborne villages are popular with tourists. Yet Cambodia’s Great Lake does more than just provide for ...
Darunee Sukanan
CDC approves solar parks in Kampong Chhnang and Pursat
The Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) on Thursday approved the registration of solar park projects in Kampong Chhnang and Pursat provinces. Both solar farms are an investment of Schneitec Sustainable. Each park will have a capacity of 60 megawatts and will cost $58 million. One ...
Chea Vannak
India to Include Laos in Planned Global Electricity Grid
India is poised to include Laos in plans for a global electricity grid, in response to an evolving energy security architecture. The country will present proposals for the grid at the second general assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to be held in New Delhi from October ...
