Vietnam held its first national preliminary consultation seminar in CanTho on September 25 to assess the impact of the construction of the DonSahong hydropower plant on the Mekong River in Laos.
Speaking atthe seminar, Nguyen Thanh Hai, head of the Office of the SouthwestSteering Committee, said the hydropower plant would have a negativeimpact on the Mekong River, especially fish migration routes along themainstream of the river.
The members of the International MekongRiver Commission and members from Asian countries were evaluating theconstruction of the dam to ensure that it would improve the environmentand enhance development, he added.
Le Duc Trung, head of theOffice of Mekong River Commission, said the seminar aimed to report onobjective scientific research on the Don Sahong hydropower damconstruction, especially its impact on fisheries, water, sediment andpeople's livelihoods in the region.
After receiving reports fromthe Secretariat, the International Mekong River Commission CooperationCommittee, and the Vietnam Mekong River Commission CooperationCommittee, Vietnam plans to organise further consultation seminars forscientists and localities, particularly those in Mekong Delta provinces,according to Trung.
Also speaking at the event, Nguyen HuuThien, an independent expert, said the Mekong River was one of theworld's greatest rivers with essential resources for the region,maintaining the livelihoods of millions of people.
Thus, thedecision on hydropower development on the Mekong River mainstream mustbe based on serious research and proven technologies, as well asconsultation with affected governments and communities, he added.
However,most of the reports and analysis about the environmental impact of theproject were insufficient and incomplete, he said, adding that the riskof the impact was high. The measures to mitigate the impact have notbeen proven in an environment with such biodiversity like the MekongRiver, Thien noted.
According to research from the Vietnam MekongRiver Commission, the hydropower projects on the mainstream MekongRiver have affected the quantity and quality of water, sediment,navigation, agriculture, biodiversity, fisheries and economy in theMekong Delta.
Speakers also discussed challenges facing theMekong Cooperation projects, and solutions for sustainable developmentas well as quality of research work in the region.
In June, Laos announced its decision to have the Don Sahong project undergo a Mekong River Commission consultation process.
Theprocess requires Laos to hold an intergovernmental consultation beforeproceeding with the dam and conduct and share studies on the project'senvironmental and social impact. The process will take at least sixmonths to complete.
With a designed capacity of 260 MW, the DonSahong hydropower plant is expected to be built on Dong Sahong River, amainstream branch of the Mekong River, which is around three kilometresfrom the Cambodian border and 420 kilometres from Vietnam's border.-VNA
Speaking atthe seminar, Nguyen Thanh Hai, head of the Office of the SouthwestSteering Committee, said the hydropower plant would have a negativeimpact on the Mekong River, especially fish migration routes along themainstream of the river.
The members of the International MekongRiver Commission and members from Asian countries were evaluating theconstruction of the dam to ensure that it would improve the environmentand enhance development, he added.
Le Duc Trung, head of theOffice of Mekong River Commission, said the seminar aimed to report onobjective scientific research on the Don Sahong hydropower damconstruction, especially its impact on fisheries, water, sediment andpeople's livelihoods in the region.
After receiving reports fromthe Secretariat, the International Mekong River Commission CooperationCommittee, and the Vietnam Mekong River Commission CooperationCommittee, Vietnam plans to organise further consultation seminars forscientists and localities, particularly those in Mekong Delta provinces,according to Trung.
Also speaking at the event, Nguyen HuuThien, an independent expert, said the Mekong River was one of theworld's greatest rivers with essential resources for the region,maintaining the livelihoods of millions of people.
Thus, thedecision on hydropower development on the Mekong River mainstream mustbe based on serious research and proven technologies, as well asconsultation with affected governments and communities, he added.
However,most of the reports and analysis about the environmental impact of theproject were insufficient and incomplete, he said, adding that the riskof the impact was high. The measures to mitigate the impact have notbeen proven in an environment with such biodiversity like the MekongRiver, Thien noted.
According to research from the Vietnam MekongRiver Commission, the hydropower projects on the mainstream MekongRiver have affected the quantity and quality of water, sediment,navigation, agriculture, biodiversity, fisheries and economy in theMekong Delta.
Speakers also discussed challenges facing theMekong Cooperation projects, and solutions for sustainable developmentas well as quality of research work in the region.
In June, Laos announced its decision to have the Don Sahong project undergo a Mekong River Commission consultation process.
Theprocess requires Laos to hold an intergovernmental consultation beforeproceeding with the dam and conduct and share studies on the project'senvironmental and social impact. The process will take at least sixmonths to complete.
With a designed capacity of 260 MW, the DonSahong hydropower plant is expected to be built on Dong Sahong River, amainstream branch of the Mekong River, which is around three kilometresfrom the Cambodian border and 420 kilometres from Vietnam's border.-VNA
