Tag
Laos dams

March 24, 2023
Laos Takes Another Step Forward on Controversial Mekong Dam
By Sebastian Strangio
The China-backed Pak Lay hydropower project is just one of nine dams that the Lao government has planned for the Mekong River.

March 24, 2023
The Last Days of Beautiful Luang Prabang
By Tom Fawthrop
UNESCO experts insist that a huge dam would destroy the “authenticity and integrity” of the World Heritage Site in Laos.

November 01, 2022
What’s Driving Laos’ Debt Crisis?
By Kearrin Sims and Emma Luce Scali
While China is critically important, the current debt crisis in Laos is about much more than Beijing.

April 29, 2022
Laos Pushes Forward With Seventh Mekong River Dam Project
By Sebastian Strangio
The Phou Ngoy dam is one of nine hydropower projects that the Lao government is planning on the mainstream of the Mekong River.

December 03, 2021
What Chinese Dams in Laos Tell Us About the Belt and Road Initiative
By Phillip Guerreiro
Analyzing Chinese dams in Laos provides insight into the local origins and drivers of the BRI, particularly along China’s borderland regions.

July 17, 2021
The Threat of a Dam Disaster in Luang Prabang
By Tom Fawthrop
The dam near Luang Prabang - both a World Heritage site and an seismically active zone - is “an irresponsible gamble,” experts argue.

March 17, 2021
Laos Grants 25-Year Power Grid Concession to Chinese-Majority Firm
By Sebastian Strangio
The deal will deepen China's involvement in the Lao government's goal of transforming itself into the "battery of Southeast Asia."

March 04, 2021
UNESCO Calls for Heritage Assessment for Lao Hydropower Dam
By Sebastian Strangio
The U.N.'s cultural agency fears that the project might endanger the World Heritage-listed town of Luang Prabang.

January 18, 2021
In Laos, Reform Hopes Peter Out Into Business as Usual
By David Hutt
The Lao communist party's newly selected General Secretary Thongloun Sisoulith once promised change. Now he sits atop a closed and sclerotic system.

January 14, 2021
In the Face of Criticism, Laos Pushes Ahead With Four Mekong Dams
By Luke Hunt
But costs and competition could leave the putative "battery of Southeast Asia" running on empty.

December 23, 2020
Hydropower vs Heritage: Will Laos Lose Luang Prabang?
By Tom Fawthrop
Another Mekong dam project threatens to cost the former royal capital its UNESCO World Heritage status.

November 27, 2020
Thai Official Warns Laos on Power Purchases from Controversial Dam
By Sebastian Strangio
The Thai concerns about the Sanakham dam come amid growing recognition of the dire state of the Mekong.
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