Ron Corben
AAP
Australia, a key donor to the four-nation Mekong River Commission (MRC), has backed a move to defer a decision on a controversial $US3.5 billion ($A3.28 billion) hydropower dam in northern Laos.
A meeting of officials from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam this week decided the issue would be sent for consideration at the ministerial level, in face of opposition from Laos' neighbouring countries including its closest ally, Vietnam.
Australia's development and overseas aid program, AusAid, said the decision was "in line with our calls for an extension to the decision-making process", and urged Mekong countries to "use this extension to further assess the trans-boundary impacts of the dam".
AusAid said key concerns were the impact on highly productive fisheries, food security, livelihoods and ecosystem health, which millions of people are dependent upon.
Laos is looking to develop the 1260 megawatt Xayaburi Dam, which is the first of 11 proposed hydropower developments on the lower Mekong River.
Environmental groups oppose the dam project and have warned it would adversly impact the Mekong River's ecology and water flow, cause the resettlement of more than 2100 people and directly affect a further 200,000 people.
Environmentalists - including Professor Phillip Hirsch from Sydney University, who is the director of the Mekong Resource Centre - say construction of the Xayaburi Dam would have a devastating impact on migratory fisheries and sediment capture and would make it extremely difficult to stop the juggernaut of the 10 other dams being built on the lower Mekong.
The Mekong River Commission, in a statement this week, said gaps remained in the technical knowledge and studies on the project.
It said more public consultations were required.
China has already constructed dams in the Mekong's upper regions but Vietnam fears dams in the lower river would directly affect water flows to the southern delta region, Vietnam's primary rice-growing area.
Cambodia has also raised concerns over the project, calling for comprehensive studies over the cumulative environmental impacts.
Birgit Vogel, a technical advisor with the commission, said these divisions highlighted differences in views on the outlook for economic development of lower Mekong River.
"This is exactly the reason why it was decided it would be wise to be take it forward to the ministerial level because of there were differences of opinion," Ms Vogel told AAP.
"So the advice from the ministerial meeting is really needed now to come to a conclusion after all," she said.
Jonathon Cornford, from Australian-based environmentalist group Manna Gum, said the commission's decision was better than he had expected just a year ago.
"At this stage last year I would have said it was a fait accompli they'll go ahead with (the dam)," Mr Cornford told AAP.
"So the position that we're in now is far better than I would have expected. So in one sense you could say I'm pleased with that. But I'm cautious about saying that because it's still very unclear," he said.
Thai Energy Minister, Wannarat Charnnukul, told local media the government would go ahead with signing of a power purchase agreement with the project's developer amid hopes the delays would be short term.
Laos already has a 2007 memorandum of understanding with Thailand to sell 95 per cent of the electricity generated by the dam to Thai power companies.
Ministers from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, are due to meet in October when the Xayaburi Dam's future will again be raised.
7 comments:
Australia forgot about the devastation from the last floating this year in Australia.
Sounds good but be aware about what is the catch? will they take control over our live styles e.g do people have to pay for their usuage of the project? if so, for how long? everything outsiders do usually involves in privatisation, it may sound geniune but sometime it is concieving. Just remember, it is very hard to trust anyone outsiders really? however, whatever progress made, still sounds interesting. In other words be open minded. Wisdom
built that dam......SE Asian are going no where, shit hole...no changed and government suck....
ខ្ញុំសូមរំលឹកលោកបន្តិចឡើងវឹញ ពីភាពបាទដៃ
ខ្នងដៃនឹងភាពក្រឡេចក្រឡុចខាងនយោបាយរបស់លោកសមរង្សីឡើងវឹញខ្លះជូនជ្រាបដូចត
ទៅ :
១ ក្រោយរដ្ឋប្រហារឆ្នាំ១៩៩៧ ស.រ.អា.បានស្នើឲ្យ
គណបក្សអ្នកប្រជាធិប្បតេយ្យទាំងអស់រូបរួមគ្នា
ជាសម្ព័ន្ធអ្នកប្រជាធិប្បតេយ្យដើម្បីយកឈ្នះលើ
គណបក្សប្រជាជន តែរង្សីគេចចេញពីការរូបរួម
គ្នានេះហើយរត់ទៅភ្នំពេញជួបហ៊ុនសែនជា
សម្ងាត់មុនគេ។
២ លោកសមរង្សីធ្លាប់សរសេរសំបុត្រទៅសុំ
ទោសលោកហ៊ុនសែន ហើយថ្មីៗនេះក៏ធ្លាប់
សរសេរសំបុត្រទៅញ៉ិញ៉ក់ឲ្យនាយករដ្ឋមន្តី្រយួន
ជួយប្រាប់ហ៊ុនសែនឲ្យគាត់បានចូលស្រុកវឹញផង។
តើមានអ្វីដែលថោកទាបជាងនេះសំរាប់លោករង្សី
៣ លោករង្សីធ្លាប់ហុចដងដាវឲ្យអាយ៉ងយួនសម្លាប់
សម្តេចក្រុមព្រះដើម្បីសងសឹកជួសត្រកូលគឺ៥០+១
៤ លោករង្សីធ្លាប់នាំគ្រួសារទៅលេងនៅហា
ណូយហើយជជែកគ្នាជាសម្ងាត់ជាមួយអ្នកដឹកនាំ
យួន។តើវាបានប្រយោជន៏អ្វីខ្លះដល់លោករង្សី?
៥ គួរឲ្យព្រឺខ្លួនមួយទៀតរង្សីបានប្រកាសថាខ្លួន
ឈប់និយាយចរចារជាមួយអាយ៉ងយួនហើយៗ
ចង់ចរចារជាមួយចៅហ្វាយវាម្តង។សូមអញ្ជើញ
តើអំពើទាំងប៉ន្មានខាងលើនេះតើលោកកឹមសុខាឫលោករង្សីជាមនុស្ស hypocrite vendu au CPP.តើលោកកឹមសុខាមានធ្វើអ្វីខ្លះខុសដែល
លោកចោទថាលោកកឹមសុខាជាអាយ៉ងរបស់
អាយ៉ងគេនោះ។គឺលោកសមរង្សីទេដែលលួច
បំរើនយោបាយឲ្យអាយ៉ងយួនដោយងងឹតងង៉ុល
ទាំងភ្នែកខ្វាក់ព្រោះថាអាយ៉ងយួនវាមិនចង់ឲ្យអ្នកប្រជាធិប្បតេយ្យរូបរួមគ្នាព្រោះវាដឹងថាបើខ្មែររូប
រួមគ្នាវាប្រាកដជាចាញ់ដូច្នេះរង្សីខ្លាចហ៊ុនសែន
ចាញ់វាធ្វើជាងិកង៉ក់ខុសនេះខុសនោះ ទាស់នេះទាស់នោះមិនឲ្យរូបរួមគ្នាកើត។
តើអ្នកណាជាអ្នកបំរើនយោបាយឲ្យអាយ៉ងយួន?
i think more dams should be built all along the mekong river, really! even in cambodia, too, you know! we all need electricity to develop. too bad for the mekong river delta, i say salt water can seep up from the mekong river to destroy viet/youn stealing from cambodia the mekong river delta which belonged to cambodia in the first place, and our koh tral island, too, will always be cambodia's, ok! we don't care about viet/youn cry now because they did this to cambodia all along, especially during cambodia's dark ages. they all took advantage to steal from cambodia all the time, you know!
that's right, know and study khmer history and then you will know how khmer feel about youn thugs and siem thugs stole from cambodia all the time, really!
cambodia needs electricity, too, you know! in fact, we need and want a lot more electricity than anyone, ok!
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