Energy
Laos dam builders under scrutiny for rushing project
The Thai and South Korean investors in the hydropower dam in southern Laos that collapsed last month, killing dozens and washing away the homes of thousands, are coming under increasing pressure to take responsibility for the disaster. Keep reading ...
Laos urged to abandon ‘Battery of Asia’ plan
Hydropower projects ruining Mekong, culture and causing deaths, meeting told LAOS HAS to wake up from its dream to be the major power supplier of the region, say critics. Keep reading ...
Moratorium on new Mekong dams in Laos provides window of opportunity
As Laos hits the pause button on its huge hydropower dam building spree, this is an opportunity to push for other forms of renewable energy – solar and wind – that Laos is well-placed to use, argues Brian Eyler. Keep reading ...
Activists call on Laos dam operator to own up
Activists and regional development experts on Thursday demanded Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy Power Company (PNPC) to take responsibility for all damages caused by the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy dam, which collapsed on July 25. Keep reading ...
Rethink plans to dam Mekong after Laos disaster
The collapse of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy dam after heavy rains last month that killed more than 30 in Laos and left thousands of Lao and Cambodian people homeless is reigniting an urgent debate about preventing similar tragedies in future. Keep reading ...
Southeast Asia is betting on hydropower, but there are risks of economic damage
Across the world, countries are building dams to create electricity and boost their economies, but the risks could outweigh the benefits. Dams often inflicts environmental damage to aquatic eco-systems that creates socio-economic risks to communities dependent on rivers and lakes for their livelihoods. The problem ...
Investigators Begin Work on Deadly Laos Dam Collapse
The Laos Ministry of Energy and Mines has decided to participate in a government probe of the apparent failure July 23rd of a concrete gravity and clay core rockfilled dam that killed 34 people. At least 100 more people are reported missing. Heavy rains preceded the apparent collapse at the $1.02 ...
Laos' govt to inspect all dam standards, shelve new hydro projects
The government has announced it will examine the safety standards applied to the construction of hydropower dams across the country following the deadly disaster caused by the collapse of a dam in Attapeu province. Keep reading ...
Vietnam’s Mekong quandary: settling the sediment issue
As the biggest loser, Vietnam has to use its influence to limit dam damage on Mekong Delta, says Mekong specialist Richard Cronin. []Already, upstream dams in China and on major Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) tributaries in Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam have trapped a major share of ...
China dismisses U.S. criticism over dams
Beijing dismissed criticism from the United States after a U.S. official claimed that China’s construction of dams on the upper Lancang (Mekong) River had a detrimental effect on lower Mekong countries. “Related comments by a U.S. official are groundless and they have ulterior motives,” Foreign ...
