Tuesday November 13, 2007
Bangkok Post
More than 200 civil and environmental groups from 30 countries have called on the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to block the planned construction of six dams on the Mekong river. In a petition sent to the commission's chief executive officer and donors of the MRC, the NGOs said they were concerned about the revival of plans to build dams on the lower Mekong and the failure of the MRC to defend the ecological integrity of the river.
According to NGOs, the governments of Laos, Cambodia and Thailand have granted permission to Thai, Malaysian and Chinese companies to conduct feasibility studies for six large hydro-power dams - four in Laos, one in Cambodia and one on the Thai-Laos border. ''The Mekong is a vast international resource and therefore decisions affecting its use and management cannot be undertaken without due decision of the countries sharing the river,'' said the letter.
The NGOs urged the MRC to conduct a technical assessment and review the feasibility study of the dam projects.
If the MRC fails to protect the river from unsound projects, the group said, they would urge the MRC donors to review funding of the commission.
The MRC is an international, country-driven organisation that provides the institutional framework to promote cooperation among the countries sharing the Mekong.
According to NGOs, the governments of Laos, Cambodia and Thailand have granted permission to Thai, Malaysian and Chinese companies to conduct feasibility studies for six large hydro-power dams - four in Laos, one in Cambodia and one on the Thai-Laos border. ''The Mekong is a vast international resource and therefore decisions affecting its use and management cannot be undertaken without due decision of the countries sharing the river,'' said the letter.
The NGOs urged the MRC to conduct a technical assessment and review the feasibility study of the dam projects.
If the MRC fails to protect the river from unsound projects, the group said, they would urge the MRC donors to review funding of the commission.
The MRC is an international, country-driven organisation that provides the institutional framework to promote cooperation among the countries sharing the Mekong.
10 comments:
Oh, don't listen to paranoid people. Just go with all dams, because this will help control the price of electricity for the people and improve their standard of living. Keep in mind that we are racing against inflation. For people to benefit from the project, the project must be completed ASAP.
I already states in previous comment regarding the alternative energy. They are many ways. Massive Dam would bring ecological changes to the livlihood of people that depends on the Mekong River. The fish population will be diminished.
INVEST IN RENEWAL ENERGY NOW!
I agree to 11:13
if we build dam cross Mekong River,
the ecology will destroy,for example the Y aly Dam vietnam side in Sesan River make khmer people live with risk in Rattanakiri and stung steng,
To: 9:43 AM
Without electricity we (you and me) can live, but we surely can't without fish & clean water. Please think again. Do you think the price of electricity will go down because of those stupid dams. I don't think so.
Wrong 11:13, alternative energy is not enough. We need hydroelectric power throughout the Mekong river, and that can be done without impacting the ecology and the live of anyone significantly.
Let us face fact, you can't develop the country unless you are willing to cope with some changes.
Yes, 12:46, the more electricity you produce, the lower the price will be, especially we are talking free hydro energy. It is a proven universal price/supply/and demand theory, nothing new here.
Furthermore, it need not to impact the fish population significantly either. If worse come to worse, we'll go out to get fish from the ocean instead. Thus, it is not a nightmare.
To 12:56
Do you think it's easy enough to catch fish in the ocean? Who's going to protect us in the middle of the sea? Think again about the fishermen in Kampot. Here, 10 provinces and more than half of the population depend on the fresh water fish. We just go out a few meters from our homes, and the food is right away. We are farmers. Please construct the dams somewhere else. Leave Mekong Free.
1:47, fishing is in all khmer blood. If there are fish anywhere, we can catch it, hehehe.
Okay, let's assume that all the fishes are extinct from tonle sap for a moment. What have to happen then is the people living around tonle sap will have to get regular job and make money to by fish from the fishermen in the south. That is all. It is not a nightmare.
To: 2:56 PM
Yes, it will be great if we could find the solution to those fishermen. But I don't think so.
How many jobs are we creating a year. Let's say we have 5,000,0000 people depending on fish for their food and we create 500,000 job per year then it will take 10 years time. So what are we going to eat during this period?
Nowadays, the price of fish is about $3 per kg because we have fish in Tole Sap. Tomorrow when we didn't have this great river the fish would be $5 or $10 or even
$15 per kg. I work 9hrs a day/ 6 days/week and earn only $150/month. Please tell me the other job that I can support my living.
Come on, 5:15, the price of fish isn't that high. You must got rip off, and you need to learn to negotiate with the merchant.
And you do have a point about it will take 10 years to create 5M jobs, but keep in mind here that we are assuming that the fish just disappeared overnight. Which is impossible. What will likely to happen is the fish population will slowly decrease over the 10 years period and provide a much smoother transition for everyone.
Also, keep in mind, in the worse case, we'll just destroy the dam if the problem is impossible to solve. There is nothing that a couple grenade launchers can't bring down, hehehe.
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