Is Hydropower the Best Option for
Laos’ Development?
Aviva Imhof
Campaigns Director
International Rivers Network
California, USA
Abstract:
The Mekong River forms the heart and soul of mainland
Southeast Asia, providing sustenance, drinking water and transport for more than
65 million people living along its banks. Known as the “Mother of Waters,” the
Mekong River supports one of the world's most diverse fisheries, second only to
the Amazon. The Mekong’s annual flood-drought cycles are essential for the
sustainable production of food crops on the floodplains and along the banks of
the rivers during the dry season.
Laotians depend on the Mekong River and its many tributaries for all aspects of
their lives – wild-caught fisheries make up 80% of the dietary protein of people
in the country. People depend on rivers to irrigate and fertilize their rice
fields, to grow vegetables along riverbanks during the dry season and for
transportation, drinking water and many other uses. River development projects
threaten not only the integrity of the river ecosystem but the livelihoods of
communities who depend on the river for their survival.
Hydropower projects have been promoted in Laos for national development and
poverty alleviation. Since the late 1980s, the World Bank, Asian Development
Bank and other international donors have advised the Lao government that the
best option for development is to build hydropower dams and export the power to
neighboring Thailand. This would provide the Lao government with foreign
exchange that can be used to fund development activities in the country.
However, the track record of building and implementing dam projects in the
country has been poor, depriving communities of access to natural resources
essential for their survival.
Five hydropower projects developed over the past decade have damaged fisheries
and river ecosystems that people depend on for their food security and
well-being. Tens of thousands of Laotians now lack sufficient food to eat, clean
water to drink and income to meet basic needs because of dam projects. As there
are no independent agencies within Laos to monitor the government’s commitments,
affected communities remain isolated, marginalized and intimidated from voicing
concerns.
At the end of March, 2005, the World Bank and Asian Development Bank approved
the controversial Nam Theun 2 hydropower project in Laos, arguing that the
project will generate much-needed foreign exchange to alleviate poverty in Laos.
However, Nam Theun 2 will displace 6,200 indigenous people living on the Nakai
Plateau and will affect another 100,000 people living downstream of the project
along the Xe Bang Fai and Nam Theun who rely on these rivers for fish, drinking
water and agriculture. Most of these people are subsistence farmers dependent
upon natural resources for their livelihoods. Experience from other hydropower
projects in Laos shows that replacing subsistence livelihoods is extremely
difficult. Independent reviews of the mitigation and compensation plans reveal
that these plans are overly ambitious and have a high likelihood of failure.
This paper will discuss the experience with hydropower development in Laos and
explore whether hydropower is indeed the best option for Laos’ development.