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 consider dams a significant threat. China has built seven large hydroelectric plants in the Upper Mekong, while 20 others are in various planning phases. Eleven additional dams are being planned in the southern part of the basin. These dams are mostly located in Laos, one of Asia’s poorest countries. Laos aspires to become Asia’s ‘hydroelectric battery’, with a production potential of 26 gigawatts.
SCIDEV
