Energy
The Mekong, Dammed to Die
In Laos, the lush forests are alive with the whines of drills that pierce the air. On the Mekong, a giant concrete wall rises slowly above the trees. The Don Sahong dam is a strong symbol, not only for a power-hungry Asia but also for ...
Pascal Laureyn
Water and power: Mega-dams, mega-damage?
‘Water grabbing’ refers to a situation in which public or private entities are able to take control of, or reallocate, precious water resources for profit or for power — and at the expense of local communities and the ecosystems on which their livelihoods are based.[] Many ...
SCIDEV
Thai-Kayin coal plant project against the law: former Hluttaw MP
TTCL Co’s plan to build a $3 billion 1,280-megawatt coal power plant in Kayin State could be against the Constitution and existing electricity laws. The Thai company had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kayin State government to conduct project feasibility studies a few ...
Chan Mya Htwe
Mekong hydro resource coordination gets boost from France
Laos and France have agreed to enhance cooperation in the energy sector and improve the management of water resources on the Mekong River by building a new Coordination and Monitoring Centre (CMC). The centre will be equipped to monitor hydroelectric power project (HPP) development on ...
Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth
Dams threaten Mekong: experts
One of the world’s greatest rivers is under threat from unregulated activities in riparian countries, including dam construction, which disrupt the river’s flow and break down its food chains, experts cautioned. Keep reading ...
Pak Beng dam meets stiffer new resistance
An environmental group in Chiang Rai has renewed its campaign against the controversial Pak Beng dam that is due to be built on the transnational Mekong River by lodging a complaint with the Supreme Administrative Court against Thai authorities for failing to provide local communities ...
China's plan to buy influence and undermine democracy
[] To enhance its economic and political clout, China has made substantial inroads across Southeast Asia on the back of multi-billion-dollar infrastructure and investment deals like the one in Cambodia. This is how China will engage with the world for the foreseeable future. At the ...
Philip Heijmans
Khon Kaen flooding worsens
Flooding has spread in this northeastern province, with a village of about 150 houses and 5,000 rai of ricefields now under water. The floods came after Ubonrat Dam on Sunday began to discharge water at the rate of 46 million cubic meters per day. Keep ...
Chakraphan Nathanri
Belt and Road shields Myanmar from Beijing’s capital crackdown
Beijing recent crackdown on outbound investments does not affect Myanmar because of its involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The sectors targeted by the restriction do not concern investment projects here, which are mostly infrastructure and energy-related. Keep reading ...
Thompson Chau
Laos, Vietnam speeding up oil pipeline project
Lao authorities are gearing up to realize the planned bonded warehouses and pipeline project from Vietnam’s Hon La port to Laos’ Khammuan province as the countries’ leaders agreed to speed up implementation. Keep reading ...
Souksakhone Vaenkeo