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‘Water Grabbing’ On The Mekong
June 5th, 2021
Via Eurasia Review, a look at what some refer to as ‘water grabbing’ on the Mekong: As dam-building projects continue to proliferate along Southeast Asia’s vital Mekong River, experts in a recent online discussion panel agreed that the area is fast becoming overloaded with them, dredging up far-reaching issues ranging from international friction and industry […]
Read more »Trouble Brews in South-East Asia as Thailand Rejects Laotian Dam Report
February 3rd, 2021
Via Future Directions International, a report on growing concerns around the environmental and economic viability of damming the Mekong River: On 15 January, a Chinese contractor for the planned Sanakham Dam in Laos submitted a revised technical report to the Thai National Mekong River Committee, in the hopes of reducing concerns surrounding the controversial project. According to […]
Read more »In the Face of Criticism, Laos Pushes Ahead With Four Mekong Dams
January 15th, 2021
Via The Diplomat, a report on Laos’ plan to push ahead with four Mekong dams but whose costs and competition could leave the putative “battery of Southeast Asia” running on empty: As a struggling least developed country, Laos stands alone when it comes to ignoring common sense and pushing ahead with infrastructure development that it can […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: China Belatedly Notifies Mekong Nations of River Disruption
January 9th, 2021
Via The Diplomat, an article on China’s belated notification to other Mekong nations of a river disruption: Earlier this week, I wrote about the sudden drop in water levels along the Mekong River in northern Thailand, and their likely link to the filling of a dam reservoir upstream in China. The fall first became apparent on January 4, […]
Read more »Laos Presses Ahead with 4 More Mekong Dams Amid Drought
December 12th, 2020
Via VoA, a report on Laos’ decision to press ahead with 4 more Mekong dams amid a drought: Laos is pushing ahead with four dams across the mainstream of the Mekong River, despite an escalating chorus of objections and crippling debt to Chinese state banks which resulted in the loss of control over its electricity grid […]
Read more »Thai Official Warns Laos On Power Purchases From Controversial Mekong Dam
November 27th, 2020
Via The Diplomat, a report on Thai concerns about the Sanakham dam come amid growing recognition of the dire state of the Mekong: The Thai government has warned that it might refuse to buy electricity from a planned hydropower dam in Laos due to the negative environmental impacts, potentially throwing the controversial project into doubt. In comments to […]
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