Cambodia's two largest dam projects threaten to flood huge swathes of protected forests, a conservation group said in a report released January 28, urging reform in the country's burgeoning hydropower sector. International Rivers Network said the Kamchay and Stung Atay dams, which seek to provide much-needed electricity to the country, will instead wreak havoc on local communities and slow development. The US-based organization was especially critical of Chinese investment in the sector, which it said is powering forward through close ties between Cambodia's government and Beijing, unchecked by public scrutiny. (AFP)