Many along Mekong River concerned about hydropower expansion
Rick Valenzuela, writing for the Voice of America from Taikek, Laos in Southeast Asia, says a Thai company says it is going ahead with construction of the controversial $3.5 billion Xayaburi dam on the Mekong River in Laos.
“Some 12 planned hydropower dams on the Mekong are expected to bring in lucrative profits, but environmentalists warn the dams threaten the health of a river that sustains tens of millions of people.”
In a related story, Marianne Brown reports from Hanoi, Vietnam that a similar dam project is raising concerns about its threat to wildlife.
“The fate of one of Vietnam’s most important national parks is hanging in the balance this week as the government decides whether to back a plan to build two hydropower dams in the area,” Brown reports. “Wedged between swathes of paddy fields and only 161 kilometers north east from the country’s biggest city, Ho Chi Minh, Cat Tien park provides a rare sanctuary for native wildlife. In nearly 80,000 hectares of lush lowland forest and expansive wetlands, rare animals like the duoc langur and the pigmy slow loris make a home, alongside 100 other endangered mammals. But much of that could change if the government approves plans to build two hydropower dams on the Dong Nai River, which runs through the park.”
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
