Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Dam ‘redesign’ a mystery

Dam ‘redesign’ a mystery

Construction at the Xayaburi dam site in Laos in June 2012
Construction at the Xayaburi dam site in Laos in June 2012. Developers have submitted a multi-million dollar redesign proposal. INTERNATIONAL RIVERS

Dam ‘redesign’ a mystery

Amid a lawsuit and a chorus of dissent, developers of the first lower Mekong mainstream hydropower project, the massive Xayaburi dam, have quietly submitted a long-anticipated, multimillion-dollar redesign plan, the Post has learned.

What exactly has been changed about the 1,260-megawatt dam, which environmentalists contend will decimate migratory fish populations, remains a mystery, however, as the plan isn’t being shared.

“Laos has sent the redesign documents to the [Mekong River Commission’s] Secretariat only and not to the MRC member countries. Development partners have requested the redesign documents, but they never received them,” said Te Navuth, secretary general of the Cambodian National Mekong Committee.

Navuth added that he has not seen the submitted plans, which, since the dam is already full swing into construction and 40 per cent completed, represent little more than a token gesture.

According to the MRC, an intergovernmental advisory committee, the revised dam plans were submitted in February for an internal assessment.

“The information and our analyses can be shared with the other Member Countries once our analysing work is done,” said Surasak Glahan, MRC secretariat communications officer. “The Lao government made it clear however, that the sharing of information on the modifications is not to seek approval for the redesign, but rather for them to receive input and expert advice on ways to avoid, minimize and mitigate impacts from the project in a practical way.”

Two years ago, the Lao government announced that the $3.8-billion dam project would see an additional $100 million spent to revamp fish passages and sediment flows in line with recommendations from two enlisted foreign consulting firms: Poyry of Finland and the French Compagnie Nationale du Rhone. But by the time the official groundbreaking ceremony rolled around in November 2012, no one had seen the reworked plans.

Though they haven’t seen the new plan, critics contended that any redesign would be invalid, as there isn’t enough data on hydropower’s impact to the shared waterways.

“Without comprehensive assessment and disclosure of all project documents and studies that are underway, no one can say or be confident that the mitigation measures will work, as they have never been tested in this region,” said Pianporn Deetes, a coordinator at International Rivers.

MOST VIEWED

  • Joy as Koh Ker Temple registered by UNESCO

    Cambodia's Koh Ker Temple archaeological site has been officially added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on September 17. The ancient temple, also known as Lingapura or Chok Gargyar, is located in

  • Famed US collector family return artefacts to Cambodia

    In the latest repatriation of ancient artefacts from the US, a total of 33 pieces of Khmer cultural heritage will soon return home, according to the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts. In a September 12 press statement, it said the US Attorney’s Office for the

  • Cambodia set to celebrate Koh Ker UNESCO listing

    To celebrate the inscription of the Koh Ker archaeological site on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, the Ministry of Cults and Religion has appealed to pagodas and places of worship to celebrate the achievement by ringing bells, shaking rattles and banging gongs on September 20. Venerable

  • Kampot curfew imposed to curb ‘gang’ violence

    Kampot provincial police have announced measures to contain a recent spike in antisocial behaviour by “unruly’ youth. Officials say the province has been plagued by recent violence among so-called “gang members”, who often fight with weapons such as knives and machetes. Several social observers have

  • PM outlines plans to discuss trade, policy during US visit

    Prime Minister Hun Manet is set to meet with senior US officials and business leaders during his upcoming visit to the US for the UN General Assembly (UNGA), scheduled for September 20. While addressing nearly 20,000 workers in Kampong Speu province, Manet said he aims to affirm

  • Manet touches down in Beijing for high-level meetings

    Prime Minister Hun Manet arrived in Beijing on September 14 for his first official visit to China, where he is slated to attend the 20th China-ASEAN Expo and meet other leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping. Upon his arrival, Manet laid a wreath at the Monument