Laos to plough on with third Mekong dam projectFILE PHOTO: A local villager drive a boat where the future site of the Luang Prabang dam will be on the Mekong River, outskirt of Luang Prabang province, Laos, Feb 5, 2020. (Reuters)Laos is pushing ahead with a hydropower project on the Mekong River, despite reservations aired by neighbouring countries over its potential to harm fisheries and farming downstream, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) said on Wednesday. The 1,400-megawatt (MW) Luang Prabang project will be Laos's third and largest dam on the river, with construction originally set to begin this year. However the 1995 Mekong treaty gives the three neighbours no power to veto any project inside Laos. Last year, it completed two Mekong dams, the 1,285-megawatt Xayaburi Dam and the 260-megawatt Don Sahong Dam, despite objections by environmental groups.

Source: Bangkok Post July 01, 2020 11:15 UTC