NAM THEUN is a tributary of the Mekong River that flows through central Laos, but it's also the name of an important hydroelectric dam in South Asia, NAM THEUN 2 (EDF main partner - 35%)
2011, I was in Laos and had the opportunity to visit this dam for a few days after its official inauguration in 2010.
Several years have passed and what was supposed to be a flagship of modernity in terms of hydraulic project and sustainable development turns out to be not so good.
Several NGOs have noted a dramatic drop in fish catches, the flooding of rice fields and vegetable gardens previously used for food supply, as well as recurrent skin problems linked to the turbidity of the water. The development benefits claimed in the World Bank's promotional materials never materialized.
Above all, the dam will have displaced 6,300 indigenous people and affected more than 100,000 people downstream. Far from contributing to local development, the dam exports more than 90% of the electricity it generates to Thailand, to the factories of multinationals. These criticisms have been confirmed by official World Bank audits.
The idea was beautiful on paper, but the reality is quite different. This project was supposed to inspire other projects of the same type in the Amazon. Let's hope they're never built.
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