Cambodia scraps plans for Mekong hydropower dams

A Cambodian government decision to postpone building new hydropower dams on the Mekong river has been welcomed by campaigners, who say it will provide welcome relief to the tens of thousands of people whose livelihood depend upon its rich resources.

Cambodia announced on Wednesday that it would not build any new hydropower dams on the mainstream Mekong for the next decade, allaying fears that the river’s fragile biodiversity could be further devastated by development projects.

Victor Jona, the director general of energy at Cambodia’s energy ministry, told Reuters the decision came after a Japanese consultant recommended Cambodia seek energy elsewhere.

“According to the study we need to develop coal, LNG, imports from neighbouring countries and solar energy,” he said, adding that he could not give details contained in a government master plan.

“In this 10-year plan, from 2020 to 2030, we have no plans to develop a mainstream dam,” he said. The country has not ruled out constructing dams on Mekong tributaries.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/20/cambodia-scraps-plans-for-mekong-hydropower-dams

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