Conference discusses potential impact of Pak Lay hydropower project
Conference discusses potential impact of Laos’ Pak Lay hydropower project
Representatives of Mekong Delta localities, central departments, and agencies, as well as scientists gathered at a conference in the city of Can Tho on January 15 to discuss the potential impacts of the Pak Lay hydropower project in Laos, especially to Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region.
Potential impacts of the Pak Lay hydropower project in Laos are discussed at the conference. (Photo: VNA)
CanTho (VNA) – Representatives of Mekong Delta localities, central departments,and agencies, as well as scientists gathered at a conference in the city of CanTho on January 15 to discuss the potential impacts of the Pak Lay hydropowerproject in Laos, especially to Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region.
Theevent, the second of its kind so far, was chaired by Le Cong Thanh, DeputyMinister of Natural Resources and Environment and Vice Chairman of the VietnamNational Mekong Commission.
Participantswere updated on the progress of the Mekong River Commission (MRC)’s technical assessmentreport on documents related to the project. Experts also gave their ideas onthe Pak Lay hydropower plant and other projects in the Mekong River andrecommendations to the Vietnam National Mekong Commission.
DeputyMinister of Natural Resources Le Cong Thanh said that Vietnam is paying greatattention to the possible effects from hydropower plant construction to theenvironment and the socio-economic situation in the Mekong Delta region, whichalso go hand-in-hand with impacts from climate change.
Accordingto head of the Vietnam National Mekong Commission’s Office Le Duc Trung, theMRC Secretariat will analyse information from the project and consider theideas of experts as to how to best evaluate the impacts of the project and measuresto reduce them. It will then propose that the MRC Joint Committee ask Laos tomake appropriate adjustments.
Theconsultation plan will prepare Vietnam for the upcoming special meeting of theMRC Joint Committee in February 2019, he said.
Participantsat the event raised concern that the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam will begreatly affected by hydropower development activities along the Mekong Rivermainstream, especially in the context of increasing demand for water resourcesin the river basin and impacts from climate change.
Theyheld that the Vietnam National Mekong Commission should build a detailed evaluationsystem on the Pak Lay hydropower project, especially its impacts to the MekongDelta region before it is launched.
ViceDirector of the Dong Thap Department of Natural Resources and Environment HuynhVan Nguyen expressed that he was worried about the effects of the project toagricultural production in the lower Mekong river.–VNA
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Potential impacts of the Pak Lay hydropower project in Laos are discussed at the conference. (Photo: VNA) 
