The rush towards the head of the Mekong River in Southeast Asia was underlined by rare images from a large barrage under construction near the historic city of Luang Prabang.
The three billion dollars dam is one of the seven new general public dams on this lower mekong section that Lao plans to build. But these three are a fraction of the 200 dams, which are already built, under construction or planned for the lower Mekong and its tributaries, mainly in Laos and Cambodia, according to the Mekong project of the Stimson Center.
The hydroelectric dam of 1,460 megawatts Luang Prabang is the third in Laos to block the main artery of the lower Mekong. It should operate by 2027. The Pak Beng dam is built upstream, could work by 2029. The Xayaburi dam south of Luang Prabang was completed in 2019 and the Don Sahong dam, upstream from the border of Laos-Cambodian, a year later.
A video shot by a worker from the Luang Prabang dam at around 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of the ancient city, which was provided at Radio Free Asia, shows that the construction takes place quickly.
Experts have repeatedly warned that the Mekong dams will destroy freshwater fisheries which are a crucial source of calories for the people of the region.
Built by a Thai consortium and other companies, the Luang Prabang dam is part of the growing role of Laos as a regional electricity exporter.
The government has continued this strategy even if it does not guarantee a reliable electricity supply for its own citizens.
Over a few decades, the cost of all the dams built or planned in Laos is around 40 billion dollars and funded by foreign banks, according to researcher Pon Souvannaseng.
“Regional banks were able to constantly integrate money into Project After Project Project, as they do not meet international environmental standards,” she said last month.
The construction of the dam also harms the tourism industry in Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In a country governed by a communist state with a single party which does not tolerate dissent, a river guide spoke to RFA provided that we hide its identity.
“Foreigners come here. They want to make a boat trip, they want to see nature, they want to see trees, they want to see birds, they want to see cows, they want to see buffalo along the river, as before.
Now, with the Luang Prabang dam, the banks collapse.
“The partial blocking of the river during the construction of the dam makes it difficult for tourist boats to operate.
Residents say that the number of tourists visiting local attractions on the river has recently dropped. Changes in the flow of the river also caused the erosion of the shores.