Comments on: The Nam Tha dam

By: John Roberts

John Roberts — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:22:41 +0000

An interesting blog on the subject of Laos hydropower is kept by Mr Phanomsinh who works in the field and whose banner reads.

“Laos hydro power development
Hi every body. welcome to Phanomsinh’s blog. It is about electric power situation here in Lao PDR – the country which going to be power exporter in ASEAN. Many dams are going to be constructed here by investors from every parts of the world. My company constructs electric power distribution networks throughout Lao PDR”

The only thing he has on the Nam Tha is from January 2008 – linked http://pnomsin.blogspot.com/search/label/Nam%20Tha%201 .

The main page is http://pnomsin.blogspot.com/

By: Dr Bruce Moon

Dr Bruce Moon — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 12:31:54 +0000

bounmy

I am reading you to say that as a rural Laos person, and coming from a poorly educated area, you believe that the natural environment is the key for villagers to make a living. I also read that you believe that the promise of economic benefits will not help local rural villagers.

I agree with you. Unless all the money from ‘economic progress’ goes to the villagers (neither the Nam Tha head man, or the government) the villagers will lose access to their lifestyle.

Thank you for speaking out.

Cheers

By: bounmy

bounmy — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 08:15:30 +0000

I am a rural villager in LuangNamtha province which effect about many problems. I would like to say we should consider in the negative way too much before doing any project because the problems are effect to rural people who live in the area. Every thing changes including their lifestyle, old prosperity, Land for earn living as well know that they dependent on forest for living. The environment is very important of them. We can’t live without forest and we haven’t no experience to work cooperation with the project. I can say that I am proud to be born rural villager. Our village lack of electricity, high technology but we live happiness without terrorist, corruption, murder, drug addict. We are low education but we use local knowledge to deal with every problem in our society. We aim to develop our mind first and later material this is the way of Buddhism.
People will live happiness when their mind is peaceful we believed that the more develop material the more lead problems to our society. Therefore, I would like to request all Lao have to consider much in the affection unless it will lead our society to the disadvantages like developed country which are many problems although they are rich country but they also can’t deal with this problems. Our country which plenty of forest and prosperity of environment will fade down because human destroy. In the former time we combated the war and stop the war but now It will be war of economics. We should seek the way which is not devastated environment, social, culture, tradition and religion

By: Bounmy in Luangnamtha based

Bounmy in Luangnamtha based — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 07:09:49 +0000

As someone said this project will help eliminate poverty of villagers
but in fact it is not. Do you know it is very hard for the villagers to changes their new livelihood. Maybe someone don’t understand much about the rural lifestyle. I am one who is from rural country in Luangnamtha province. I know much effection about every project such as: Nam tha Dam, Road construction, and Rubber plantation. I
know the Dam project will not help release poverty of villagers. Although we are poor, uneducation but we may live happiness than others in developed country. We practiced following the teaching of our religion said that whenever we still have greed, hatred, and delusion that we are unhappiness. We live without terrorist, no economics conflict, no corruption, no robbery. We lived in the village for several years without high technology we can. The main purpose is to live dependent on natural and natural dependent on human beings we both dependent on each other. We don’t need to leave our old prosperous and hard to make a new one. Some thing we can move but some thing we can’t move such temples or spirit worship places. We always worshiped spirit in our village but if we change it will effect us because it makes wrong behavior of the spirit and some one died because move the spirit place. I know that you maybe not believe about this but you have never been in our village for long term

By: Dr Bruce Moon

Dr Bruce Moon — Wed, 06 May 2009 06:52:43 +0000

Olivier

It’s now 2009, and I’m interested in any ‘developments’ regarding the ‘progress’ of Nam Tha dam #1.

Also, as the distance between Nalae to L. Nam Tha is approximately 60 kilometres (on a twisty road – so probably only 50 k). The proposed 110km ‘flood’ tail would appear to also reach beyond Nam Tha (on a straight line basis). But, as the topography upstream of Nam Tha rises quickly and significantly, if 110km WAS to be the distance, it’d be a MASSIVE dam.

I’m not sure the Chinese know how to deal with siltation (the cause of turbidity). The ‘mighty’ 3 Gorges dam will have a life of only 50 years precisely because the Chinese don’t know how to address the impact of siltation on the dam floor.

Cheers on a great article.

By: Val

Val — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:50:48 +0000

Very good report, Olivier, thank you. Are there any organisations trying to stop the dam, or educate people on the consequences?

By: Micko

Micko — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:19:10 +0000

The popularity of large dams comes from the fact that they possess massive ‘contingency funds’ at the ready to pave (read ‘pay’) the way through all beaurocratic, human rights, environmental and social justice obstacles. It is no coincidence that nearly every developed country in the world where corruption is less pervasive currently refues to continue building these monstrosities due to their extremely well documented downsides which outweigh the benefits.

The winners of the Nam Tha nation building charade are the Chinese dam developers and the Lao officials who clean up by signing off on the projects. The losers are the Lao people and their wonderful environments. It used to be the world bank and the Asian development bank who mainly funded poorly thought through dam projects but with China now loaded with funds a lot worse is to come. My sincere sympathies go out to the Lao people.

The best we can do is bring pressure to bear upon China to address it’s appaling lack of respect for human rights and the environment. Press your government to boycott the Olympic opening ceremony as this is the clearest way to send a message to Beijing that their Human rights and environmental policies simply dont cut it in the real world.

By: Diego Perin

Diego Perin — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 13:48:09 +0000

We are a company speciallist in dam´s construction all over the world. We are interested to contact the construction company to offer our services.
If someone can aproach our companies we will very thankful and offer a comission if the contract will result positive.
Please contact us, diego@tecbarragem.com.br
Thank you, Best regards

By: James Haughton

James Haughton — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:19:16 +0000

It's not that they don't know better, it's that they make heaps of money from such things. cf Arundhati Roy's essay "The Greater Common Good on the Narmada dam in India. Same Iron Triangle here, I bet. Except Laos and China don't even pretend to be democratic.

By: col. jeru

col. jeru — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 15:06:28 +0000

Damn those dams! There must be better alternatives now, and if not, better to wait for technology to catch up.

Surely after all we now know about dams and how they wreck the environment and the people and their culture within the vicinity of the dams, those development experts (and development bankers) would know better..

The Chinese huge dams (3-Gorges) will be their colossal curse. Exporting their cursed dam building technology to Laos and impoverished neighbors look good on paper but with untold social and environmental costs tagged on for decades to follow.