Laos proceeds with Mekong River dam project

Construction at the proposed Xayaburi Dam's access road and work camp wnet ahead despite an agreement by the four lower Mekong countries to defer a decision on the project.

"By building this dam, Laos is disregarding its regional commitments and robbing the future of millions of people in the region who rely upon the river for their livelihood and food security," said Ame Trandem, Southeast Asia program director for International Rivers.

Laos proposed building the dam in September 2010, the main goal being to generate "foreign exchange earnings for financing socio-economic development in Lao PDR," according to Mekong River Commission.

The dam  would generate 1,260 megawatts of electricity, mostly for export to Thailand.

It is the first of 11 proposed in the Mekone River's lower basin.

Under earlier agreements, Laos has the right to proceed on its own without approval of the other three nations. But Laos' choice in late April to defer a decision appeared to indicate that the desperately poor country wants its neighbors' support, especially that of Vietnam, which is a major trading partner and political patron.

Conservationists warn that the dam could significantly reduce the critical fish stock in the Mekong, the world's most productive inland fishery. There were also concerns about gaps in technical knowledge, predicted impact on the environment and livelihoods of people in the Mekong Basin and the need for more public consultations, according to the MRC.

Vietnam proposed that this project — and other hydropower projects planned for the Mekong mainstream — be delayed for at least 10 years.