Laos dams

Analyzing Chinese dams in Laos provides insight into the local origins and drivers of the BRI, particularly along China’s borderland regions.

The dam near Luang Prabang - both a World Heritage site and an seismically active zone - is “an irresponsible gamble,” experts argue.

The deal will deepen China's involvement in the Lao government's goal of transforming itself into the "battery of Southeast Asia."

The U.N.'s cultural agency fears that the project might endanger the World Heritage-listed town of Luang Prabang.

The Lao communist party's newly selected General Secretary Thongloun Sisoulith once promised change. Now he sits atop a closed and sclerotic system.

But costs and competition could leave the putative "battery of Southeast Asia" running on empty.

Another Mekong dam project threatens to cost the former royal capital its UNESCO World Heritage status.

The Thai concerns about the Sanakham dam come amid growing recognition of the dire state of the Mekong.

A policy reversal on Mekong dams has put Hanoi’s credibility – and the river’s fate – on the line.

Communities in Thailand and beyond are learning to organize to demand that dam construction consider their rights.

A look at dam, Belt and Road, and SEZ projects in “the battery of Southeast Asia.”