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Showing posts with label Dams on the Mekong River. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dams on the Mekong River. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Mekong under threat from climate and dams
December 2, 2009
ABC Radio Australia
ABC Radio Australia
The Mekong River is vital as a source of transport, irrigation and fisheries for the millions who live along its banks.
Originating in Tibet, the Mekong river passes either through or by China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. But it is under threat from hydro-electric dams and from climate change
Presenter: Sen Lam
Speaker: Milton Osborne, visiting fellow at the Lowy Institute in Sydney and author of a new paper on the Mekong River
OSBORNE: In terms of climate change, we are still some distance away from seeing a dramatic change, so far as can be determined by the scientific work that is being done to date. One of the big concerns is, if there is a significant rise in sea level, this will certainly affect in a very significant and negative fashion, the Mekong Delta, which is the major agricultural production area for Vietnam. A very small rise in sea level would led to much of the Mekong Delta being inundated. The longer term concern is the glaciers which feed the Mekong River in the highlands of Tibet are melting and that is going to remove the snow melt that feeds the river. But at the same time as that is occurring, with the expectations of climate change, the possibility is that there will be increased precipitation, which could led in 20 years time to increased flooding on the Mekong. So it's a paradoxical sort of development that is occurring in this second case.
LAM: Indeed, so it's a question of too much water and too little water?
OSBORNE: That could be the concern, but are directed into climate change. The more immediate concerns in relation to the river relate to the possibility first of all, that dams will be built on the course of the river below China. There is no actual certainty about when those dams will be built, but there are plans to build up to 11 dams on the river below China and there is the already established problem that is going to arise from the dams China has built. It's already built three and it's planning to build at least another two. In fact another two are currently under construction.
LAM: Indeed, as you point out that China does control a large proportion of the Mekong River and it's of course enormously more powerful than the other regional countries. Are countries like Laos and Cambodia, for instance, talking to China about managing the river, or is China in a position to just simply do whatever it wants?
OSBORNE: Well, in very bold times, China is in a position and has taken the position that it will decide what is done on that section of the river that runs through its territory. And as you rightly say, 44 percent of the river's overall length is in China. There has been very little consultation between China and the downstream countries and in fact, until very recently, the Chinese have been reluctant even to let people from the governments of Laos and Cambodia and Vietnam visit China to examine the dams the Chinese have built.
LAM: What about the role of the Mekong River Commission? Is it an effective body or is it in need of change and reform?
OSBORNE: The Mekong River Commission is unfortunately, very poorly understood by many people who criticise it. It's regarded incorrectly by its critics as a body that has the right to determine what is done by governments in relation to the Mekong River. But that is not the case at all. It is a body which has a very important role, particularly through its Secretariat in providing scientific and technical information about the river, but it has no powers to mandate what any individual government or group of governments should do in relation to the Mekong River.
LAM: But as far as you know, has it made representations to either China or any of the other regional countries?
OSBORNE: No, and it would not under its charter really have the right to do so.
LAM: And Milton Osborne, on a micro-level, fish stocks I understand, in particular, are being threatened.. but are there technical solutions to this?
OSBORNE: Well, I have to take the guidance provided by scientists so far as technical issues are concerned. And scientists have looked very carefully at whether or not it is possible to overcome the barriers that dams built on the river will provide, if these dams do come to be constructed, to see whether there're ways of mitigating the dams' fact of preventing migration by fish. There are some 900 species of freshwater fish in the Mekong, which at least 80 percent are migratory, moving over long distances. So that if you have dams in the river that block the migration, this will have a dramatic and devastating effect on fish. And the importance of fish becomes very clear when you know that in Cambodia, well over 70 percent of the Cambodian population's protein intake comes from fish taken out of the Mekong and its associated system.
Originating in Tibet, the Mekong river passes either through or by China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. But it is under threat from hydro-electric dams and from climate change
Presenter: Sen Lam
Speaker: Milton Osborne, visiting fellow at the Lowy Institute in Sydney and author of a new paper on the Mekong River
OSBORNE: In terms of climate change, we are still some distance away from seeing a dramatic change, so far as can be determined by the scientific work that is being done to date. One of the big concerns is, if there is a significant rise in sea level, this will certainly affect in a very significant and negative fashion, the Mekong Delta, which is the major agricultural production area for Vietnam. A very small rise in sea level would led to much of the Mekong Delta being inundated. The longer term concern is the glaciers which feed the Mekong River in the highlands of Tibet are melting and that is going to remove the snow melt that feeds the river. But at the same time as that is occurring, with the expectations of climate change, the possibility is that there will be increased precipitation, which could led in 20 years time to increased flooding on the Mekong. So it's a paradoxical sort of development that is occurring in this second case.
LAM: Indeed, so it's a question of too much water and too little water?
OSBORNE: That could be the concern, but are directed into climate change. The more immediate concerns in relation to the river relate to the possibility first of all, that dams will be built on the course of the river below China. There is no actual certainty about when those dams will be built, but there are plans to build up to 11 dams on the river below China and there is the already established problem that is going to arise from the dams China has built. It's already built three and it's planning to build at least another two. In fact another two are currently under construction.
LAM: Indeed, as you point out that China does control a large proportion of the Mekong River and it's of course enormously more powerful than the other regional countries. Are countries like Laos and Cambodia, for instance, talking to China about managing the river, or is China in a position to just simply do whatever it wants?
OSBORNE: Well, in very bold times, China is in a position and has taken the position that it will decide what is done on that section of the river that runs through its territory. And as you rightly say, 44 percent of the river's overall length is in China. There has been very little consultation between China and the downstream countries and in fact, until very recently, the Chinese have been reluctant even to let people from the governments of Laos and Cambodia and Vietnam visit China to examine the dams the Chinese have built.
LAM: What about the role of the Mekong River Commission? Is it an effective body or is it in need of change and reform?
OSBORNE: The Mekong River Commission is unfortunately, very poorly understood by many people who criticise it. It's regarded incorrectly by its critics as a body that has the right to determine what is done by governments in relation to the Mekong River. But that is not the case at all. It is a body which has a very important role, particularly through its Secretariat in providing scientific and technical information about the river, but it has no powers to mandate what any individual government or group of governments should do in relation to the Mekong River.
LAM: But as far as you know, has it made representations to either China or any of the other regional countries?
OSBORNE: No, and it would not under its charter really have the right to do so.
LAM: And Milton Osborne, on a micro-level, fish stocks I understand, in particular, are being threatened.. but are there technical solutions to this?
OSBORNE: Well, I have to take the guidance provided by scientists so far as technical issues are concerned. And scientists have looked very carefully at whether or not it is possible to overcome the barriers that dams built on the river will provide, if these dams do come to be constructed, to see whether there're ways of mitigating the dams' fact of preventing migration by fish. There are some 900 species of freshwater fish in the Mekong, which at least 80 percent are migratory, moving over long distances. So that if you have dams in the river that block the migration, this will have a dramatic and devastating effect on fish. And the importance of fish becomes very clear when you know that in Cambodia, well over 70 percent of the Cambodian population's protein intake comes from fish taken out of the Mekong and its associated system.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Civic Groups Press to End Hydropower Development on Lower Mekong River
By Ron Corben, VOA
Bangkok
19 October 2009
Bangkok
19 October 2009
Civic groups meeting in Thailand are petitioning regional governments to halt dam construction on two major Southeast Asian rivers. The groups say the dams threaten food supplies for millions and are leading to human-rights abuses in some areas.
Environmental and human-rights activists say regional governments are looking at an outdated development model for generating electricity that fails to recognize people's rights. They say the dams do not ensure equitable and sustained development.
The groups are attending a so-called People's Forum before the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit later this week.
The environmental group, Towards Ecological Recovery and Regional Alliance, collected more than 20,000 signatures asking governments to abandon plans to build dams along the lower Mekong River.
The petitions are to be presented to the leaders of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, which share the river with Thailand. The activists have asked Thailand's government to abandon the projects.
An alliance representative, Premrudee Daoroung, says the 11 dams on the lower Mekong threaten fishery stocks.
"Our main concern is that if the Lower Mekong mainstream dams happen the fishery for the whole Mekong region will be blocked and fishery is a very thing - it is out of concern that if that [occurs] it will destroy the livelihood of millions of people in the region," said Premrudee.
More than 60 million people in Southeast Asia are dependent on the Mekong River for fishing. The river starts in Tibet and runs 4,800 kilometers through China and Southeast Asia.
Meanwhile, more that 50 civic groups from Burma submitted a petition to the Thai government demanding a halt to dam construction on the Salween River between Burma and Thailand.
Five dams have been planned for the Salween - four to deliver power to Thailand and one to supply China.
The groups accuse Burma's military of committing human-rights abuses at a dam site in the country's Karen State and one in Shan State.
The Salween Watch Coalition led the petition drive. Sai Sai, a coalition spokesman, says the Burmese military has forced thousands of people from their homes.
"Even though [construction of] the dam is just beginning and doing the survey, the military has forced people out from their homes," he said. "So now more than 70,000 people - including indigenous people - are already relocated out of their home towns. So right now the affected people in Burma have not been consulted on the dam construction."
Sai Sai says the projects lack transparency and accountability, because the money for them goes to the military government. The groups want all the dams to be put on hold until Burma has a democratically elected government.
Environmental and human-rights activists say regional governments are looking at an outdated development model for generating electricity that fails to recognize people's rights. They say the dams do not ensure equitable and sustained development.
The groups are attending a so-called People's Forum before the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit later this week.
The environmental group, Towards Ecological Recovery and Regional Alliance, collected more than 20,000 signatures asking governments to abandon plans to build dams along the lower Mekong River.
The petitions are to be presented to the leaders of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, which share the river with Thailand. The activists have asked Thailand's government to abandon the projects.
An alliance representative, Premrudee Daoroung, says the 11 dams on the lower Mekong threaten fishery stocks.
"Our main concern is that if the Lower Mekong mainstream dams happen the fishery for the whole Mekong region will be blocked and fishery is a very thing - it is out of concern that if that [occurs] it will destroy the livelihood of millions of people in the region," said Premrudee.
More than 60 million people in Southeast Asia are dependent on the Mekong River for fishing. The river starts in Tibet and runs 4,800 kilometers through China and Southeast Asia.
Meanwhile, more that 50 civic groups from Burma submitted a petition to the Thai government demanding a halt to dam construction on the Salween River between Burma and Thailand.
Five dams have been planned for the Salween - four to deliver power to Thailand and one to supply China.
The groups accuse Burma's military of committing human-rights abuses at a dam site in the country's Karen State and one in Shan State.
The Salween Watch Coalition led the petition drive. Sai Sai, a coalition spokesman, says the Burmese military has forced thousands of people from their homes.
"Even though [construction of] the dam is just beginning and doing the survey, the military has forced people out from their homes," he said. "So now more than 70,000 people - including indigenous people - are already relocated out of their home towns. So right now the affected people in Burma have not been consulted on the dam construction."
Sai Sai says the projects lack transparency and accountability, because the money for them goes to the military government. The groups want all the dams to be put on hold until Burma has a democratically elected government.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Thousands sign a Mekong River anti-dam petition
June 19, 2009
ABC Radio Australia
ABC Radio Australia
In an unprecedented move more than 15-thousand people from countries along the Mekong River system have signed a petition urging governments to abandon plans for hydropower along the river's mainstream.
There are 11 dams proposed along the lower Mekong, 7 in Laos, 2 at the Laos Thailand border and another 2 in Cambodia. The dilemma facing the region is that while the 11 dams will create hydropower energy that'll increase the countries economic potential, the dams could also destroy the fisheries and other aquatic wildlife, ruining the lives of the thousands of people who depend on the Mekong for their day to day existence and income.
Presenter: Claudette Werden
Speaker: Premrudee Daoroung, co founder Towards Ecological Recovery and Regional Alliance
DAOROUNG : We spent about 30 minutes to discuss the issues, the Prime Minister recognised the issues of the Mekong and also the dam and he said that the Thai government and he himself had been monitoring the situation but he didn't really have the opinion towards the hydropower dam yet but he has the opinion on the other projects, for example the water diversion from the Mekong to north-eastern Thailand which he believes there should be a better way to find water for south-eastern Thailand.
WERDEN: So were you happy with his response?
DAOROUNG: I do agree with the Prime Minister that the government needs to have more information, in general I think we're grateful the government and the Prime Minister spent more than 30 minutes with us to discuss the issues in a bit more detail but we think we should have more chance to monitor or follow up what we talked to him.
WERDEN: Now tell me how were you able to gather the 15-thousand signatures?
DAOROUNG: Yes it's been 3 months and we have printed postcards in three languages, Thai, Cambodian and English, so for us, even though the 16-thousand 380 signatures that we have got now might not look too big compared to the population of the Mekong but looking at the process it's a very big work and this was the very first time this news has reached the people, even the people along the Mekong and also the city people who never heard about this dam issue before.
WERDEN: So you're saying basically that a lot of people when you were approaching them to sign the petition had no idea the dams were being built?
DAOROUNG: Most of the people don't know about the 11 proposed dams but the impressive thing is that 95per cent of the people have listened to us, they were willing to sign, willing to support, so for us it's a good, good response and that as I mentioned before is a process because we all need to understand what's going on before we can support.
There are 11 dams proposed along the lower Mekong, 7 in Laos, 2 at the Laos Thailand border and another 2 in Cambodia. The dilemma facing the region is that while the 11 dams will create hydropower energy that'll increase the countries economic potential, the dams could also destroy the fisheries and other aquatic wildlife, ruining the lives of the thousands of people who depend on the Mekong for their day to day existence and income.
Presenter: Claudette Werden
Speaker: Premrudee Daoroung, co founder Towards Ecological Recovery and Regional Alliance
DAOROUNG : We spent about 30 minutes to discuss the issues, the Prime Minister recognised the issues of the Mekong and also the dam and he said that the Thai government and he himself had been monitoring the situation but he didn't really have the opinion towards the hydropower dam yet but he has the opinion on the other projects, for example the water diversion from the Mekong to north-eastern Thailand which he believes there should be a better way to find water for south-eastern Thailand.
WERDEN: So were you happy with his response?
DAOROUNG: I do agree with the Prime Minister that the government needs to have more information, in general I think we're grateful the government and the Prime Minister spent more than 30 minutes with us to discuss the issues in a bit more detail but we think we should have more chance to monitor or follow up what we talked to him.
WERDEN: Now tell me how were you able to gather the 15-thousand signatures?
DAOROUNG: Yes it's been 3 months and we have printed postcards in three languages, Thai, Cambodian and English, so for us, even though the 16-thousand 380 signatures that we have got now might not look too big compared to the population of the Mekong but looking at the process it's a very big work and this was the very first time this news has reached the people, even the people along the Mekong and also the city people who never heard about this dam issue before.
WERDEN: So you're saying basically that a lot of people when you were approaching them to sign the petition had no idea the dams were being built?
DAOROUNG: Most of the people don't know about the 11 proposed dams but the impressive thing is that 95per cent of the people have listened to us, they were willing to sign, willing to support, so for us it's a good, good response and that as I mentioned before is a process because we all need to understand what's going on before we can support.
15,000 sign up to save the Mekong
Reports of planned hydro-electric dams surprised thousands of people along the Mekong River, say petition organisers. [Reuters]Friday, June 19, 2009
Claudette Werden
ABC Radio Australia
In an unprecedented move, more than 15,000 people from countries beside the Mekong River have signed a petition urging governments to abandon plans for hydro-electricity along the river's mainstream.
Co-organiser Premrudee Daoroung told Radio Australia's Connect Asia program they printed postcards in three languages - Thai, Cambodian and English - and took three months to gather responses.
This week, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was presented with the petition.
Eleven dams are proposed along the lower Mekong - seven in Laos, two at the Laos-Thailand border and another two in Cambodia.
Risk to fishing
The dilemma facing the region is that while the 11 dams will create hydro-electricity which will increase the countries' economic potential, they could also destroy fish stocks and other aquatic life.
That could ruin the lives of the thousands of people who depend on the Mekong for their day-to-day existence and income.
Ms Daoroung, co-founder of the Bangkok-based Towards Ecological Recovery and Regional Alliance (TERRA), says the Prime Minister told them while the Thai government was monitoring the situation, he felt he needed more information before forming a view about a hydro-power dam.
But Mr Vejjajiva did feel there should be a better way to find water for agriculture in north-eastern Thailand than huge projects on the river to channnel water off - as proposed by a previous administration - she said.
Ms Daoroung said environmental groups were pleased they had 30 minutes with the Prime Minister and she understood his wish for more details.
'Big work'
As for the petition, she says that "even though the 16,380 signatures that we have got now might not look too big compared to the population of the Mekong . . . looking at the process, it's a very big work.
Ms Daoroung says most people approached had not known about the 11 proposed dams.
"This was the very first time this news has reached the people - the people along the Mekong, and also the city people who never heard about this dam issue before.
"But the impressive thing is that 95 percent of the people have listened to us, they were willing to sign, willing to support.
"So for us it's a good, good response . . . because we all need to understand what's going on before we can support" such a cause.
Co-organiser Premrudee Daoroung told Radio Australia's Connect Asia program they printed postcards in three languages - Thai, Cambodian and English - and took three months to gather responses.
This week, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was presented with the petition.
Eleven dams are proposed along the lower Mekong - seven in Laos, two at the Laos-Thailand border and another two in Cambodia.
Risk to fishing
The dilemma facing the region is that while the 11 dams will create hydro-electricity which will increase the countries' economic potential, they could also destroy fish stocks and other aquatic life.
That could ruin the lives of the thousands of people who depend on the Mekong for their day-to-day existence and income.
Ms Daoroung, co-founder of the Bangkok-based Towards Ecological Recovery and Regional Alliance (TERRA), says the Prime Minister told them while the Thai government was monitoring the situation, he felt he needed more information before forming a view about a hydro-power dam.
But Mr Vejjajiva did feel there should be a better way to find water for agriculture in north-eastern Thailand than huge projects on the river to channnel water off - as proposed by a previous administration - she said.
Ms Daoroung said environmental groups were pleased they had 30 minutes with the Prime Minister and she understood his wish for more details.
'Big work'
As for the petition, she says that "even though the 16,380 signatures that we have got now might not look too big compared to the population of the Mekong . . . looking at the process, it's a very big work.
Ms Daoroung says most people approached had not known about the 11 proposed dams.
"This was the very first time this news has reached the people - the people along the Mekong, and also the city people who never heard about this dam issue before.
"But the impressive thing is that 95 percent of the people have listened to us, they were willing to sign, willing to support.
"So for us it's a good, good response . . . because we all need to understand what's going on before we can support" such a cause.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Damming Public Opinion: The Risks of China’s Economic Diplomacy in Cambodia
Life on the Mekong, Cambodia, by Tharum BunApril 4, 2008
Devin T. Stewart
Carnegie Council
In this increasingly interconnected age, the role of public opinion has grown in many areas of life—from corporate valuations in the form of brands to political influence in the form of soft power. With these trends in mind, China's approach to dealing with global public opinion, be it over Tibet or Darfur, carries risks.
Symbols of Control
China's style of economic diplomacy may become one of the greatest questions of our time. While the rich democratic countries attempt to pursue development strategies that are people friendly, emphasizing human rights and environmental standards, China is said to be following a strategy that is regime friendly, focusing on local practices, practical results, and infrastructure development. For this reason, some observers have argued that China's approach may be more appealing to the elite in less democratic countries in Africa and Asia.
Unfortunately, the enormous dams that China is constructing both inside its borders and in the countries where it invests may become a symbol for a flawed approach to coping with an increasingly powerful public opinion. From the Three Gorges Dam to the "Great Firewall" of Internet censors in China to the planned dams of the Mekong River, China hopes dams can provide growth and stability. For how long can China dam public opinion?
Money First, Governance Later
A potentially powerful dynamic playing out in China's relations with the developing world emerged during a recent trip I took to Cambodia. Looking at the potential oil and gas boom in Cambodia, my research investigated the possible impact of natural resource revenue on Cambodian society and governance.
It is widely known that China is willing to deal with authoritarian regimes, but these relationships may end up sparking a backlash against China in the developing world. As UNDP head Kemal Dervis said at a recent conference at New York's New School, the greatest threats to development may be social instability from inequality and environmental degradation, not macroeconomic stress. This sentiment was a major theme in many of my interviews in Phnom Penh.
"China is making Cambodia move backward," said Son Chhay, a Cambodian opposition party lawmaker. He explained that China's involvement with Cambodia's authoritarian regime is erasing the progress the country made in human rights and democratic development. One effect is that Western donors may have to weaken their demands for better governance just to keep up with the growing influence of Chinese investment.
During the last decade, the main source of foreign influence had been nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working with aid donors. Now, China's presence is shifting the balance, potentially exacerbating the two risks that worry Dervis. For example, China's distaste for making aid contingent on policy indicators may worsen the already rampant corruption in Cambodia. Most observers predict that at least half of the oil and gas revenue would go into the personal bank accounts of corrupt officials.
Hydro Power without People's Power
"You could have a people power movement in the next two to three years if the government fails to create the million jobs needed. The youth will go to the street because they have nothing to lose," Son Chhay said. He predicts upcoming elections will fail to be democratic. Half of the population is young and unhappy with the government, and they have no memory of the genocide of Pol Pot and therefore no fear of authority. One target could be Chinese-owned businesses.
While my trip to Cambodia was to examine the impact of possible oil and gas revenue, it became clear that the planned Mekong dam and its symbolic implications were at least as important. "The big story is hydropower. Cambodia relies on the Mekong and damming will have devastating consequences on food and welfare," said a Western diplomat based in Cambodia.
Civil society groups such as Cambodia's NGO Forum are questioning the country's plan to become "the battery of Southeast Asia," especially for energy-hungry Thailand and Vietnam, with the help of Chinese state companies, which are in turn financed by Chinese state financial institutions. Without thorough and transparent social and environmental impact assessments, NGO groups worry that the dam projects in Cambodia and Laos could disrupt fish migration patterns in the Mekong River. Indeed, the dams that the Chinese have already built on the Mekong inside Chinese territory are causing unprecedented water fluctuations downstream in Cambodia.
The Coming Fallout
"Cambodia's future rests on a knife's edge," as one senior economic researcher put it. The path the country will take depends on the foreign influence coming to Cambodia, he explained. If Chevron decides that the energy resources off of Cambodia's coast are worth pursuing, the American company could possibly bring more transparency and accountability to Cambodia's economy. If not, China will become the dominant source of external influence given that its total investment in the country now exceeds that of any other donor.
In the long-term, when the voice of the people is stifled, it hurts the advancement that can come through the positive interaction between civil society and corporations. This problem will haunt China's development strategies both within its borders and in its relations with other countries.
It seems cracks are forming in China's dams, literally and metaphorically. "China cannot survive the system it is creating," Son Chhay concluded. "I predict a crisis in China before they enter the real world."
Related Resources:
Symbols of Control
China's style of economic diplomacy may become one of the greatest questions of our time. While the rich democratic countries attempt to pursue development strategies that are people friendly, emphasizing human rights and environmental standards, China is said to be following a strategy that is regime friendly, focusing on local practices, practical results, and infrastructure development. For this reason, some observers have argued that China's approach may be more appealing to the elite in less democratic countries in Africa and Asia.
Unfortunately, the enormous dams that China is constructing both inside its borders and in the countries where it invests may become a symbol for a flawed approach to coping with an increasingly powerful public opinion. From the Three Gorges Dam to the "Great Firewall" of Internet censors in China to the planned dams of the Mekong River, China hopes dams can provide growth and stability. For how long can China dam public opinion?
Money First, Governance Later
A potentially powerful dynamic playing out in China's relations with the developing world emerged during a recent trip I took to Cambodia. Looking at the potential oil and gas boom in Cambodia, my research investigated the possible impact of natural resource revenue on Cambodian society and governance.
It is widely known that China is willing to deal with authoritarian regimes, but these relationships may end up sparking a backlash against China in the developing world. As UNDP head Kemal Dervis said at a recent conference at New York's New School, the greatest threats to development may be social instability from inequality and environmental degradation, not macroeconomic stress. This sentiment was a major theme in many of my interviews in Phnom Penh.
"China is making Cambodia move backward," said Son Chhay, a Cambodian opposition party lawmaker. He explained that China's involvement with Cambodia's authoritarian regime is erasing the progress the country made in human rights and democratic development. One effect is that Western donors may have to weaken their demands for better governance just to keep up with the growing influence of Chinese investment.
During the last decade, the main source of foreign influence had been nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working with aid donors. Now, China's presence is shifting the balance, potentially exacerbating the two risks that worry Dervis. For example, China's distaste for making aid contingent on policy indicators may worsen the already rampant corruption in Cambodia. Most observers predict that at least half of the oil and gas revenue would go into the personal bank accounts of corrupt officials.
Hydro Power without People's Power
"You could have a people power movement in the next two to three years if the government fails to create the million jobs needed. The youth will go to the street because they have nothing to lose," Son Chhay said. He predicts upcoming elections will fail to be democratic. Half of the population is young and unhappy with the government, and they have no memory of the genocide of Pol Pot and therefore no fear of authority. One target could be Chinese-owned businesses.
While my trip to Cambodia was to examine the impact of possible oil and gas revenue, it became clear that the planned Mekong dam and its symbolic implications were at least as important. "The big story is hydropower. Cambodia relies on the Mekong and damming will have devastating consequences on food and welfare," said a Western diplomat based in Cambodia.
Civil society groups such as Cambodia's NGO Forum are questioning the country's plan to become "the battery of Southeast Asia," especially for energy-hungry Thailand and Vietnam, with the help of Chinese state companies, which are in turn financed by Chinese state financial institutions. Without thorough and transparent social and environmental impact assessments, NGO groups worry that the dam projects in Cambodia and Laos could disrupt fish migration patterns in the Mekong River. Indeed, the dams that the Chinese have already built on the Mekong inside Chinese territory are causing unprecedented water fluctuations downstream in Cambodia.
The Coming Fallout
"Cambodia's future rests on a knife's edge," as one senior economic researcher put it. The path the country will take depends on the foreign influence coming to Cambodia, he explained. If Chevron decides that the energy resources off of Cambodia's coast are worth pursuing, the American company could possibly bring more transparency and accountability to Cambodia's economy. If not, China will become the dominant source of external influence given that its total investment in the country now exceeds that of any other donor.
In the long-term, when the voice of the people is stifled, it hurts the advancement that can come through the positive interaction between civil society and corporations. This problem will haunt China's development strategies both within its borders and in its relations with other countries.
It seems cracks are forming in China's dams, literally and metaphorically. "China cannot survive the system it is creating," Son Chhay concluded. "I predict a crisis in China before they enter the real world."
Related Resources:
- Ethics Be Dammed? China's Water Projects (Carnegie Ethics Online)
- Book Review: Charm Offensive (Carnegie Ethics Online)
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The Damming of the Mekong
Boat on the Mekong River
Khone Falls
River dolphin on the Mekong RiverA-WEAR-NESS Blog
I think it's safe to say that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and I have very little in common. But, for a brief moment on March 29 when our paths crossed at the Phnom Penh Airport, we were on the same wavelength. I was coming from a trip up the Mekong to Khone Falls. Mr. Sen was going to Ventiane to determine the fate of Khone Falls. I had spent the previous week traveling up the Mekong River with aquatic ecologist Zeb Hogan who's on a mission to document the world's megafish. A megafish is any freshwater fish that grows to at least 6.5 feet in length or more then 220 pounds.
We were searching for giant fresh water stingray, and Zeb had heard rumors of a monster near Khone Falls. We spent the week talking to local fishermen and sitting around drinking lukewarm beer waiting for them to call with news of a ray. They didn't, which is not that surprising. Stingrays are very difficult to catch and are rare - technically, they are listed as vulnerable. The Mekong and the stretch just below Khone Falls in particular, is home to more megafish then any other river in the world. Along with stingray, the list includes the Mekong Giant Catfish (critically endangered) and Irrawaddy Dolphin (critically endangered). Life for these rare fish doesn't look to be getting any easier if Laos builds the Don Sahong Dam at Khone Falls, only two kilometers from the Cambodian border. That is bad news for fish living below the falls, and for Cambodians who get two thirds of their protein from fish caught in the Mekong and its tributaries, as well as relying on the river's annual floods to fertilize their fields with nutrient rich sediment. This, presumably, is why Hun Sen was on his way to Ventiane.
The Mekong River starts high in the Tibetan plateau, and makes its way through 6 countries, over a course of more then 3,000 miles. It is the 11th longest river in the world and approximately 90 million people rely on it. One of those is Sok Long, a fisherman we spoke with who lives with his family just north of Kratie not far from a dolphin pool. He is a reserved, serious man with a beautiful wife, a young daughter with wide toothy smile, and an even younger son who followed his daddy everywhere he went, and will no doubt be a fine fisherman himself when he gets older, assuming there are still fish in the river.
China has already built 6 dams on the upper Mekong, and it has resulted in depleted fish stocks and lower water levels below the dams. The Don Sahong Dam could prove particularly harmful to fish stocks in Cambodia because 87% of fish species in the Mekong, whose behavior is known, are migratory, according to The Worldfish Center. The Don Sahong Dam would prevent those fish from completing their lifecycles. The dam would almost certainly reduce water levels below it affecting Tonle Sap river and Lake, tributaries of the Mekong, which supports nearly half of Cambodia's 13 million citizens.
There is no doubt that Cambodia and its neighbors need affordable energy, but at what cost? The Don Sahong Dam is just one of many more dams planned for the lower Mekong. Another in the planning stage is the Sambor Dam to be built just above one of the last remaining Irrawaddy Dolphin pools, and Sok Long's home. The dolphins almost certainly would not survive the dam. As for Sok Long and his family, I wonder what will happen to them.
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Biography: Daniel Milder is a freelance writer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. He most recently wrote about rat catchers in India and motorcycle doctors in Africa for GOOD Magazine. If you know of any people or organizations doing interesting work that are not getting enough attention, he’d like to hear about them.
We were searching for giant fresh water stingray, and Zeb had heard rumors of a monster near Khone Falls. We spent the week talking to local fishermen and sitting around drinking lukewarm beer waiting for them to call with news of a ray. They didn't, which is not that surprising. Stingrays are very difficult to catch and are rare - technically, they are listed as vulnerable. The Mekong and the stretch just below Khone Falls in particular, is home to more megafish then any other river in the world. Along with stingray, the list includes the Mekong Giant Catfish (critically endangered) and Irrawaddy Dolphin (critically endangered). Life for these rare fish doesn't look to be getting any easier if Laos builds the Don Sahong Dam at Khone Falls, only two kilometers from the Cambodian border. That is bad news for fish living below the falls, and for Cambodians who get two thirds of their protein from fish caught in the Mekong and its tributaries, as well as relying on the river's annual floods to fertilize their fields with nutrient rich sediment. This, presumably, is why Hun Sen was on his way to Ventiane.
The Mekong River starts high in the Tibetan plateau, and makes its way through 6 countries, over a course of more then 3,000 miles. It is the 11th longest river in the world and approximately 90 million people rely on it. One of those is Sok Long, a fisherman we spoke with who lives with his family just north of Kratie not far from a dolphin pool. He is a reserved, serious man with a beautiful wife, a young daughter with wide toothy smile, and an even younger son who followed his daddy everywhere he went, and will no doubt be a fine fisherman himself when he gets older, assuming there are still fish in the river.
China has already built 6 dams on the upper Mekong, and it has resulted in depleted fish stocks and lower water levels below the dams. The Don Sahong Dam could prove particularly harmful to fish stocks in Cambodia because 87% of fish species in the Mekong, whose behavior is known, are migratory, according to The Worldfish Center. The Don Sahong Dam would prevent those fish from completing their lifecycles. The dam would almost certainly reduce water levels below it affecting Tonle Sap river and Lake, tributaries of the Mekong, which supports nearly half of Cambodia's 13 million citizens.
There is no doubt that Cambodia and its neighbors need affordable energy, but at what cost? The Don Sahong Dam is just one of many more dams planned for the lower Mekong. Another in the planning stage is the Sambor Dam to be built just above one of the last remaining Irrawaddy Dolphin pools, and Sok Long's home. The dolphins almost certainly would not survive the dam. As for Sok Long and his family, I wonder what will happen to them.
-------
Biography: Daniel Milder is a freelance writer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. He most recently wrote about rat catchers in India and motorcycle doctors in Africa for GOOD Magazine. If you know of any people or organizations doing interesting work that are not getting enough attention, he’d like to hear about them.
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