Xayaburi Dam, Mekong River Hydroelectric Project, In Laos Remains Contested (VIDEO)

A proposed dam project in Southeast Asia is drawing greater concerns as it pits opportunities for economic and infrastructural developments against environmental worries.

A final decision on the Xayaburi Dam, a hydroelectric project that may be built on the Mekong River in northern Laos, has been delayed, however. The Mekong River commission, an agency representing the governments of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam announced that the dam's impact would receive further study, according to the Associated Press.

Yet the commission's recommendation for further study is non-binding. AP reports "there are signs that Laos is starting preparations for the project."

Environmentalists celebrated the dam's postponement. Ame Trandem, the Southeast Asia program director for International Rivers said, "Today the Mekong governments responded to the will of the people of the region. We welcome the recognition that not nearly enough is known about the impacts of mainstream dams to be able to make a decision about the Xayaburi Dam."

Among environmental concerns is the protection of the Mekong River region's biodiversity. Scientists announced this week that 208 new species were discovered in the region in the past year, including a "'psychedelic gecko' in southern Vietnam and a nose-less monkey in a remote province of Myanmar that looks like it wears a pompadour."

The recent announcement is not the first delay for the dam, which would be the first across the main stream of the Mekong and would reportedly cost $3.5 billion. In July, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Laos took a "forward-leaning position" by delaying dam construction, according to the Associated Press.

Watch the video above from journalist Gayathri Vaidyanathan about the disputed benefits and drawbacks of the Xayaburi Dam and concerns over future dam construction in the region.

Comments

[Jorgelzorro]

08:12 PM on 12/18/2011

Dams are the reason alot of species are going extinct in the planet

[Egalitare]

10:19 AM on 12/18/2011

Anyone who thinks that the Laotian people will be the principle beneficiaries of the power generated by this dam...well, I want what you are obviously inhaling.

[Kenz300]

09:54 AM on 12/18/2011

Wind, solar, wave energy, geothermal and second generation biofuels made from algae, cellulose and waste are the future. THe world produces a lot of trash every day. That trash can now be turned into biofuel, energy (methane) and raw materials for new products.

It is time to transition to safe, clean alternative energy and halt the damage to the planet.

[Anne Mccormick]

10:22 AM on 12/18/2011

all good ideas except for one thing; who's going to pay for it. I doubt Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam have the money to do it. Thailand may. perhaps you think that tax payers in the United States, Canada and Europe should pay for it.

[Kenz300]

10:42 AM on 12/18/2011

Renewable energy investment is surpassing fossil fuels in new power plants. Electricit­­­­­­­­­­y from sun power, wind energy, wave energy and biomass had an investment of $187 billion last year compared with $157 billion for natural gas, coal and oil, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance

[boxjelly]

08:29 AM on 12/18/2011

In light of all the cr@.p farmed seafood that comes from this area, can't say I really care as long as it puts those folks out of business.

If you disagree, keep enjoying your imported shrimp, catfish and tilapia farmed in the Mekong Delta. ie, farmed in raw sewage and animal waste runoff in lagoon pumped full of antibiotics and steroids. And thank our great government and envirowoowoos who would rather you import your seafood than eat what can be caught locally

[Michael D Ballantine]

11:05 PM on 12/17/2011

At some point we have to bite the bullet and either provide the people in Laos with emissions free electricity via nuclear or solar or let them build their dam. There is no question that this would damage the ecology of the region and permanently change it but the alternative is more coal-fired power plants because of the close proximity of coal fields. Dams have been built successfully in other places and the west should consider providing the subsidies to construct mitigation projects to limit the negative impact on the environment. Dams are not great but they are better than coal. With limited solar hours in the region, the only other option is nuclear, and after Fukishima most people in the region are not excited about nuclear right now. I think it is worth a billion or two to protect the region and let the Laos people have electricity. Let's get a donation from BP, they owe the environment some love and tender care.

[bad spelling grammar]

06:53 PM on 12/16/2011

Dear Santa

All I want for Christmas is for this river not to get dammed.

Thank You

Citizen of Earth

[ThinkCreeps]

04:08 AM on 12/18/2011

Would that mean a lump of coal for the naughty citizens of Laos?