Mekong governments delay the Xayaburi Dam pending further study

The governments of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam have agreed to a halt in the construction of the controversial Xayaburi Dam on the Mekong River pending further study on its environmental impact.  While activists have welcomed this move, the goal is to persuade the governments to permanently scrap all the 11 Mekong dams in the pipeline.

IN a crucial decision for the people and ecosystems of the Mekong River Basin, the governments of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam agreed on 8 December to delay the Xayaburi Dam, the first of 11 dams proposed for the Mekong River, pending further study on the impacts of the proposed Mekong mainstream dams. Japan and other international donors will be asked to assist in conducting the studies. No timetable for the delay was announced.

The government representatives did not give a joint press conference, but rather spoke to journalists separately. Te Navuth, Secretary-General of the Cambodian National Mekong Committee, told reporters, 'When the four member countries agreed to conduct a further study, this meant the construction would not start until we have a clear result.'

'Today the Mekong governments responded to the will of the people of the region. We welcome the recognition that not nearly enough is known about the impacts of mainstream dams to be able to make a decision about the Xayaburi Dam,' said Ame Trandem, Southeast Asia Program Director for the non-governmental organisation (NGO) International Rivers. 'In line with today's important decision, we expect that construction on the Xayaburi Dam will immediately stop and equipment will be cleared from the site. We expect the governments will provide a clear timeline and consultation process for the studies, and that the prior consultation process will remain open.'

'The Mekong governments made the right decision today, but it is only the beginning,' said Nguy Thi Khanh of Vietnam Rivers Network. 'The governments need to take further steps to make their joint commitment a reality. They should agree on a roadmap for conducting further scientific studies to understand the Mekong River, building on the recommendations of the Strategic Environmental Assessment. They should commit not to pursue any mainstream dams until these studies are complete and meaningful public consultation occurs. We hope the Lao government will act in good faith and immediately halt all construction activities at the dam site and withdraw all construction equipment.'

The agreement to delay the Xayaburi Dam and conduct further studies was confirmed at a meeting of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Council on 8 December in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The agreement was reportedly first made by the four Prime Ministers of the MRC member countries at the 3rd Mekong-Japan Summit held on the sideline of the 19th ASEAN Summit in Bali, Indonesia in November.

'Ultimately the only responsible solution is to cancel the Xayaburi Dam and other dams planned for the Mekong River. We are confident that scientific studies on the Xayaburi Dam's impacts, conducted in a transparent, participatory, and independent manner, will reach the same conclusion,' said Teerapong Pomun, Director of Living River Siam, a Thai NGO working to protect rivers and people.

The decision builds on the outcomes of a meeting of the four governments last April, when Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam called for further studies of the project's transboundary impacts and public consultations before deciding on the dam. At that time, Vietnam also called for a 10-year moratorium on all mainstream dams, in line with the recommendations of a 2010 Strategic Environmental Assessment prepared for the Mekong River Commission.

'While the governments have agreed to a delay, they will eventually need to make a final decision on whether to proceed with the dam,' said Chhith Sam Ath, Executive Director of the NGO Forum on Cambodia. 'We believe that scientific evidence and the voices of the people must be taken into account in any further decisions. Alternative energy options exist that are cheaper and cleaner than these dams. The Mekong governments have succeeded at this first test of regional cooperation, but we cannot stop and rest yet.'

A study released earlier in December demonstrated that power from Xayaburi and other mainstream dams was not needed to meet Thailand's energy demand, and that cheaper and cleaner options exist that would lower electricity bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Xayaburi Dam and the other dams proposed for the Mekong River have come under intense local and international scrutiny in the past year. Numerous scientific studies have warned about the potentially harmful impacts of these projects on the region's fisheries, farmers, and local communities (see box). Nevertheless, between April and December, Laos proceeded with preliminary construction and Thailand pursued agreements to purchase 95% of the dam's electricity.                                                         

The above is reproduced from an International Rivers press release (8 December 2011).

*Third World Resurgence No. 255/256, November/December 2011, pp 4-5