April 2011

Lao Tourism in The News

Mekong Dam Scheme Ignites Controversy:

Construction of the USD3.5 billion Sayabouly Dam on the Mekong River is set to begin, pitting Southeast Asian neighbors against one another and raising a furor among environmentalists. The dam, the first of 11 proposed hydropower development projects along the Mekong, is a cooperative effort between the Lao PDR government and a Thai company. Thai officials say it will bring cheap and plenty of electricity to the kingdom, while Vietnam and Cambodia are opposed to the project, saying it will harm the region's biodiversity and negatively affect the 40 million people who depend on the river for their livelihoods.

For more information, visit: www.savethemekong.org.