ID :
181520
Wed, 05/11/2011 - 15:08
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/181520
The shortlink copeid
Academics oppose Xayaburi dam
BANGKOK, May 11 (TNA) - Academics have urged ASEAN to cancel plans for the Xayaburi hydropower dam, the most advanced of eleven dams planned by Lao PDR for the lower part of the Mekong River’s mainstream.
The construction is believed to be the cause of severe cross-boundary conflict among the ASEAN member countries, especially the five ASEAN member nations of the Mekong River Commission.
The message was reaffirmed Wednesday at a public lecture led by Dr Richard P. Cronin and Dr Suchit Bunbongkarn from Chulalongkorn University, along with Mekong River Commission technical adviser, Birgit Vogel. All have nodded to irreversible and permanent ecological changes at the proposed site as well as potential conflicts in the region.
The Xayaburi dam would generate 1,260 megawatts of electricity, mostly for export to Thailand. Laos proposed building the dam in September 2010, despite international opposition. The main goal of the dam is to help attract foreign investment and further national economic growth.
However, if Lao PDR insists on continuing construction then the country will need to implement an effective management plan to minimise the impact to local ecosystems and nearby communities.
As for Thailand, its nuclear development plan will eventually be re-evaluated, hence new alternative energy sources will be needed, instead of relying only on current traditional supplies. (TNA)
The construction is believed to be the cause of severe cross-boundary conflict among the ASEAN member countries, especially the five ASEAN member nations of the Mekong River Commission.
The message was reaffirmed Wednesday at a public lecture led by Dr Richard P. Cronin and Dr Suchit Bunbongkarn from Chulalongkorn University, along with Mekong River Commission technical adviser, Birgit Vogel. All have nodded to irreversible and permanent ecological changes at the proposed site as well as potential conflicts in the region.
The Xayaburi dam would generate 1,260 megawatts of electricity, mostly for export to Thailand. Laos proposed building the dam in September 2010, despite international opposition. The main goal of the dam is to help attract foreign investment and further national economic growth.
However, if Lao PDR insists on continuing construction then the country will need to implement an effective management plan to minimise the impact to local ecosystems and nearby communities.
As for Thailand, its nuclear development plan will eventually be re-evaluated, hence new alternative energy sources will be needed, instead of relying only on current traditional supplies. (TNA)
