At this event, the lao government told the visiting diplomats that it would use the world banks resettlement standards operational policy 4. A further eight dams are proposed along the river in laos, with two more planned on this lower part of the river in other countries. A few doors down from srey on, the fishing communitys chief, chhim sokea, says villagers are also concerned that proposed dams such as xayaburi and the much closer and potentially bigger sambor dam could damage their way of life. To date, china is the only nation to have dammed the mainstream mekong, and has so far constructed the first four dams in a planned cascade of up to eight hydroelectric projects. People and livelihoods located approximately 150 kilometers downstream of luang prabang town, a unesco world heritage site, the xayaburi dam threatens to resettle over 2,100 people in ten villages. W3 mekong river upstream from proposed dam site 8 km. Xayabury, laos, march 9, 2017 the xayaburi dam, with installed capacity of 1,260 mw, is the first one among 12 mainstream dams on the mekong river. In the lower basin, xayaburi dam is the first of a further eleven dams planned for construction in. Today, the supreme administrative court of thailand hears a case brought by thai villagers against thai agencies for the impacts of the xayaburi dam being built in laos. Xayaburi hydroelectric power project xayaburi power xpcl. Xayaburi mainstream dam on the lower mekong river, lao pdr. This is xayaburi dam project, laos by adrian callan on vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.
Xayaburi dam presents no risks to environment, lao government. Opinion no more dams on the mekong the new york times. One of the largest groups of potain cranes at work in asia is helping the xayaburi dam in laos stay on schedule as the eightyear project enters its second phase. Xayaburi dam 30% finished, says laos phnom penh post. National consultation workshop on the proposed xayaburi dam of the lao pdr ha long city, 22 january 2011 time event event leaders 08. The main purpose of the dam is to produce hydroelectric power, 95% of which is to be purchased by the electricity generating authority of thailand egat.
The downstream governments are concerned that the xayaburi and 10 other structures planned for the mekong, which originates in china and flows through burma, laos, thailand, cambodia, and vietnam, will wreck the fishery and imperil the lives of those who live below it. The dam has an expected capacity of 1260mw, a height of 32m, and a reservoir length of 60 to 100km 1. Even during the early stages of construction on the xayaburi dam, food. After xayaburi, its time for some hydrodiplomacy tue, 05 feb 20 the groundbreaking ceremony for the xayaburi dam in laos on nov 7 marked the symbolic end to a long and contentious international campaign to delay the dams construction until further studies. Ngos set oneyear deadline to stop xayaburi dam posted on 30 march 2014 leading nongovernmental organisations ngos today issued a joint declaration in opposition to ongoing construction of the xayaburi dam on the mekong river mainstem, and called on the thai government to cancel the power purchase agreement relating to the controversial. Annex 3 does xayaburi comply with world bank standards. Located in northern laos, the proposed xayaburi dam is the most advanced of eleven large hydropower dams planned for the lower mekong river. Vietnam and cambodia are asking laos to halt the construction project pending further study, according to the guardian jan. Brief report on national consultation on xayaburi in quang.
Review of the design change made for xayaburi hydropower project. Impacts of the xayaburi dam on the mekong river interview. The 23 potain tower cranes began arriving at the job site in 2012 and are expected to stay on site for another three or four years, as the project builds towards its 2020 activation date. Xayaburi dam and the fate of the mekong national geographic.
The mekong river, largely undeveloped prior to 1990, is undergoing rapid dam construction. Cronin, stimson center, united states planned construction of up to 12 mainstream dams on the lower mekong is testing the strength and e. Laos approves xayaburi mega dam on mekong bbc news. Construction began in 2010 and as of last month the project was 10 percent complete. The construction of the immense xayaburi mainstream dam, located in mountainous northern laos, is drastically changing the life of millions of villagers, leading to irreversible, largescale environmental destruction, while creating significant transboundary tensions between the mekong countries laos, cambodia, vietnam and thailand 1. And if reports are accurate, construction of the dam, though denied by the lao government, has already begun. Pdf tensions between watercourse states are likely to escalate in the absence of. Seven of 175 mw and one of 60 mw generators have been installed to generate electricity for sell to thailand and laos pdr. The xayaburi hydro power project is a reinforce concrete dam with 810 meters long and 28.
Mar 25, 2014 laoss controversial xayaburi dam is 30 per cent built, its government has told the post. The xayaburi dam now being built on the mekong river is part of the lao governments strategy to become the battery of southeast asia. Review of the design changes made for xayaburi hydropower project. Oct 07, 2011 ive been studying the implications of the proposed xayaburi dam in lao pdr, which would be the first dam on the mainstream of the mekong river downstream from china, for regional cooperation among the lower mekong countries and for the institutions designed to promote such cooperation. Ten floodgates were installed to produce electricity. Recently, laos, thailand, cambodia, and vietnam agreed to put construction of the xayaburi dam on hold until an official impact assessment can be made of the potentially adverse environmental, social, economic, and food security effects of the project on the.
Deputy energy and mines minister viraponh viravong said the project which laos began work on without regional approval in november 2012 remains on track to be functioning in 2019. The lao ministry of foreign affairs invited xinhua and other foreign media to visit the construction site of the controversial xayaburi dam being built on the mekong river, which they claim will. Mar 30, 2014 ngos set oneyear deadline to stop xayaburi dam posted on 30 march 2014 leading nongovernmental organisations ngos today issued a joint declaration in opposition to ongoing construction of the xayaburi dam on the mekong river mainstem, and called on the thai government to cancel the power purchase agreement relating to the controversial. The total outflow of water that goes through the power plant equals the natural inflow of water, and no water is stored or channeled away from the mekong river. Fish passes proposed for upstream fish passage at xayaburi dam.
Laos, for example, has proceeded with construction on the xayaburi dam, the first in the mainstem series, over objections from the governments of cambodia and vietnam, which are. Pdf notification and consultation procedures under the mekong. Ive been studying the implications of the proposed xayaburi dam in lao pdr, which would be the first dam on the mainstream of the mekong river downstream from china, for regional cooperation among the lower mekong countries and for the institutions designed to promote such cooperation. Thai geologists warn xayaburi dam is an earthquake risk. Recently, laos, thailand, cambodia, and vietnam agreed to put construction of the xayaburi dam on hold until an official impact assessment can be made of the potentially adverse environmental, social. The impact of continued mekong basin hydropower development. I n a remote part of northern laos, history is being made. Aug 12, 2011 a subsequent report, published in march by the mekong river commission itself, found that, from the xayaburi dam alone, the migrations of anywhere from 23 to 100 species of fish would be restricted, and the rivers iconic giant catfish, which can span 10 ft. The xayaburi dam poses a problem for the mekong rivers fish and the people living beside it. Xayaburi dam presents no risks to environment, lao. Laos has suspended construction on the controversial xayaburi dam on the mekong river following an uproar from neighboring cambodia and environmental groups, a. Media in category xayaburi dam the following 12 files are in this category, out of 12 total. In 2019, the first dam on the lower mekong will be completed. This is in northern laos and about 19 miles to the east of the town of xayaburi.
The lao government and its thai developer are beginning preparatory earth works and resettlement plans for those whose land is needed for the dam. The xayaburi dam is a runofriver hydroelectric dam on the lower mekong river approximately 30 kilometres 19 mi east of sainyabuli xayaburi town in northern laos. Today, the supreme administrative court of thailand hears a case brought by thai villagers against thai agencies for. Even though construction started back in 2012, it is due to finally start operating sometime in 2019. The dam would destroy the rivers complex ecosystems that serve as important fish habitats for local and migratory species. The stalled battle for the future of the mekong river. Dec 16, 2011 the mekong river is currently under siege by a proposal for a major dam on the rivers main stream in northern laos. Properities parameter unit w1 w2 w3 w4 w5 w6 standard. Commercial operation of the dam is scheduled to start in october 2019. The dam would destroy the rivers complex ecosystems that serve as important fish habitats for local and migratory. Work restarts at xayaburi dam in laos project leader reuters. Potain cranes keep multiyear xayaburi dam project on schedule. Aug 16, 2012 ch karnchangs 50 percentowned subsidiary, xayaburi power co, has received a 29year concession contract from the laotian government to operate the dams power plant.
Finnish firm in hot water over its approval of xayaburi dam. Thai geologists warn xayaburi dam is an earthquake risk the huge barrage under construction on the laotian section of mekong river is located near active fault lines and is therefore vulnerable to. Work restarts at xayaburi dam in laos project leader. Some 27 thai nongovernment groups and the dawei development association dda, a communal rights group in myanmar, issued statements yesterday urging the thai and myanmar governments, plus thai companies to follow the united nations guiding principles on business and human rights and international rights treaties. Then came a slew of negative reports and local complaints. Can damming the mekong power a better life to laos. Nov 06, 2012 laos mekong xayaburi dam plan delayed again. Nguyen thai lai, deputy minister of monre, vice chairman of vnmc. The sesan, srepok, and sekong 3s rivers dam developments.
The xayaburi hydroelectric power project is a runofriver power plant. A look inside xayaburi dam open development mekong. Xpcl and government of lao pdr gol undertook the redesign of certain aspects of the project to address the concerns raised during the prior consultation process. Xayaburi dam the mekong river, aptly named the mother of all rivers, forms the heart and soul of mainland southeast asia. W6mekong river upstream from proposed dam site 20 km. Ngos set oneyear deadline to stop xayaburi dam wwf. While environmentalists fear it will threaten fisheries and communities, the lao government says the concerns are exaggerated. If the xayaburi dam can be built, so will 12 others. Seven of 175 mw and one of 60 mw generators have been installed to generate electricity for. Seven dams are under construction on the mainstem in china and 3 proposed for the lower mekong river. Commercial operation of the dam started in october 2019.
Xayaburi dam poses test for mekong regional cooperation. Thus the water volume which passes through the project is naturally maintained. The main purpose of the dam is to produce hydroelectric power, 95% of which is to be purchased by the. The mekong river is currently under siege by a proposal for a major dam on the rivers main stream in northern laos. Nov 15, 2016 in 2019, the first dam on the lower mekong will be completed. W2 mekong river at proposed dam site w5 mekong river upstream from proposed dam site 16 km. The site for the proposed dam, to be called xayaburi, is located in northern laos. Laos mekong xayaburi dam plan delayed again bbc news. The mrc regional workshop on discharge and sediment monitoring and geomorphological tool for the lower tool. More recently, not only are the benefits of the xayaburi dam being trumpeted in the government public relations paper, the vientiane times, laos is even beginning to launch projects such as the pak beng dam in the north, and the don sahong. Mekong villagers wary of xayaburi dam phnom penh post. However, a closer look reveals that the xayaburi project has failed to comply with at least. The xayaburi dam, with installed capacity of 1,260 mw, is the first one among 12 mainstream dams on the mekong river.
Laoss controversial xayaburi dam is 30 per cent built, its government has told the post. Does the xayaburi resettlement comply with lao law. After xayaburi, its time for some hydrodiplomacy tue, 05 feb 20 the groundbreaking ceremony for the xayaburi dam in laos on nov 7 marked the symbolic end to a long and contentious international campaign to delay the dams construction until further studies into its potential transboundary impacts were complete. Mar 29, 2016 the xayaburi hydro power project is a reinforce concrete dam with 810 meters long and 28. Brief report on national consultation on xayaburi in quang ninh. The mekong river, downstream of the proposed site for the xayaburi dam a looming threat to the mekong river the xayaburi dam located in a mountainous valley in northern laos, the proposed xayaburi hydropower dam is the most advanced of eleven large dams planned for the lower mekong rivers mainstream. Review of the design changes made for xayaburi hydropower. The xayaburi dam is significant because it would be the first mainstream dam in the lower mekong, the area of highest diversity and productivity. All of the numbers that you see about the importance of mekong fisherieslargest in the world, 2.
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