The United States says it is concerned at Laos’ plan to start building a controversial dam that has raised environmental concerns from neighboring countries. The State Department said in a statement Monday that the impact of the $3.5 billion Xayaburi hydroelectric dam on the Mekong River area is “still unknown.” Laos, one of Asia’s poorest […]
Laos Gives Go-Ahead to Build Controversial Dam
Posted November 6th, 2012 at 12:10 am (UTC-5)
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Laos Gives Go Ahead To Build Controversial Dam
Posted November 5th, 2012 at 5:40 pm (UTC-5)
Laos says it will start construction of a controversial dam, despite opposition from neighboring countries. Deputy Energy Minister Viraphonh Viravong says the groundbreaking ceremony will take place on Wednesday. The Xayaburi hydroelectric dam project on the Mekong River is expected to cost at least $3.5 billion. It is backed by a Thai company, with Thailand […]
Flooding Kills 10 in Nigeria, Displaces Thousands
Posted August 27th, 2012 at 3:50 pm (UTC-5)
Flooding in eastern Nigeria has killed at least 10 people and displaced thousands of others. Emergency officials say the flood resulted from the release of water from a dam in neighboring Cameroon. The head of the agency in Nigeria’s Adamawa state, Shadrach Daniel, told the French news agency Monday that flooding swept away more than […]
Thai Company Says Work on Disputed Dam Has Started
Posted April 19th, 2012 at 4:30 am (UTC-5)
A Thai company may have already begun construction on a controversial hydroelectric dam on the Lower Mekong River, despite regional calls for further research into its impact on the environment. On its website Tuesday, the CH. Karnchang development group says it has notified the Thai Stock Exchange that construction on the $3.5 billion Xayaburi Dam […]
China May Relocate 100,000 Residents From Three Gorges Vicinity
Posted April 18th, 2012 at 4:50 am (UTC-5)
China says about 100,000 people living near the Three Gorges Dam may have to be relocated due to the threat of geological disasters near the massive project. Liu Yuan, an official with the Ministry of Land Resources, recently told China National Radio the number of landslides and riverbank collapses has increased 70 percent since the […]
Thai Continues Work on Disputed Dam, Ignoring Regional Pact
Posted February 29th, 2012 at 4:55 am (UTC-5)
An environmental group says a Thai company is going ahead with work on a controversial hydroelectric dam on the Lower Mekong River, despite an agreement to postpone a final decision on the project. U.S.-based International Rivers says it has discovered that preliminary construction has continued on the $3.5 billion Xayaburi Dam in Laos, including an […]
Southeast Asia Commission Postpones Decision on Mekong Dam
Posted December 8th, 2011 at 7:35 am (UTC-5)
Government ministers from four Southeast Asian countries on Thursday decided to postpone a decision on whether to endorse the construction of a controversial hydroelectric dam on the Lower Mekong River in Laos. The Mekong River Commission said after meeting Thursday in Cambodia that further study was needed to assess the “sustainable development and management” of […]
Cambodia Opens China-Funded Hydro-Electric Dam
Posted December 7th, 2011 at 11:15 am (UTC-5)
Energy-starved Cambodia has opened its largest hydro-electric dam to date, a multi-million dollar China-funded project that has drawn praise from the Phnom Penh government and criticism from environmentalists. Prime Minister Hun Sen and a host of dignitaries witnessed the start of operations Wednesday at the 194-megawatt dam on the Kamchay river in southern Kampot province. […]
Environmental Group Blasts Study on Mekong Dam Project
Posted November 9th, 2011 at 4:40 am (UTC-5)
An U.S. environmental group is denouncing a report commissioned by Laos that recommends going ahead with a proposed hydroelectric dam on the Mekong River. The group, International Rivers, says the study by a Swiss-based company (Poyry Energy AG) represents “a desperate bid” by Laos to gain approval for the multi-million dollar Xayaburi Dam from neighboring […]
ADB Announces Funding for Laos Dam
Posted November 3rd, 2011 at 3:35 am (UTC-5)
The Asian Development Bank has announced more than $450 million in financial backing for a hydro-electric project in Laos. The bank said Thursday the project will generate more than $770 million of revenue for the impoverished country, of which more than $200 million will be earmarked for poverty reduction and environmental protection programs. The 220-meter-high […]
