Donor countries and development agencies must support the Lao government in seeking compensation from the dam companies, and re-direct their aid policies that rely on hydropower development
On July 23rd, a devastating incident occurred in the Sanamxay District of Attapeu Province in southern Laos. The top of a saddle dam (*1) installed at one of the reservoirs of the Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy hydropower project (*2) collapsed, releasing a massive amount of water. As a result, six villages directly downstream were inundated by the water, while 13 villages were also affected by severe flooding. The Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy dam is under construction in the Sekong River basin, a transboundary tributary of the Mekong River. As a consequence, the heavy flow of water has also reached downstream into Cambodia, causing damage to border communities in the Stung Treng Province.
READ MORE >> MW XP-XNN Statement_ENG_Final_6Aug2018