Xayaburi Dam Site. A photo of the Xayaburi Dam site, taken during a field visit in October 2012. The Xayaburi Dam is the single greatest threat currently facing the Mekong River and its people. The project would resettle around 2,100 people and directly affect a further 202,000 people living near the dam due to impacts on the river’s ecology and fisheries. Captions and Photo source: ©© International Rivers
Excerpts;
Laos has given the go-ahead to build a massive dam on the lower Mekong river, despite opposition from neighbouring countries and environmentalists.
“Laos is playing roulette with the Mekong, and trying to pass its studies off as legitimate science…”
“The scenic rapids, strong currents, and complex ecosystems of the mighty Mekong River in the remote province of Xayaboury in northern Laos are the spawning grounds of rich migratory fisheries that feed millions of people along the entire length of the river.
Beneath the sparkling sand beaches, exposed during the dry season, thousands of gold-panning families find a vital source of income, supplementing their fishing and farming that helps meet their daily needs.
However, this way of life is now threatened.”—International Rivers.
Xayaburi Dam, by International Rivers
The scenic rapids, strong currents, and complex ecosystems of the mighty Mekong River in the remote province of Xayaboury in northern Laos are the spawning grounds of rich migratory fisheries that feed millions of people along the entire length of the river. Beneath the sparkling sand beaches, exposed during the dry season, thousands of gold-panning families find a vital source of income, supplementing their fishing and farming that helps meet their daily needs.
However, this way of life is now threatened. Since 2007, Ch. Karnchang, one of Thailand’s largest construction companies, has been planning to build a massive 1,285 MW dam on the Mekong River’s mainstream at the Kaeng Luang rapids, 30 km from Xayaboury town. This dam would affect hundreds of thousands of local people directly, and millions more indirectly due to its impact on the Mekong River and its interconnected ecosystems…
