In Thailand and Cambodia, fishermen have noticed a decline in fish. And farmers in the delta have complained that salt deposits are ruining their cropland. Villagers along the Mekong complain that dams destroy their farmland and fisheries. Courtesy of Range of Vision In Cambodia, riverside peasants fear the social and cultural consequences that a dam would bring. Even if the government says the dam is good, I will oppose it.
Nobody wants it here.
And water projects in the Mekong could have other positive consequences, according to environmentalists. Dams could be used to decrease flooding in vulnerable areas of the Mekong where farmers lose their homes nearly every year and reservoirs can be created to maintain fisheries. Hydroelectric dams can even have positive environmental impacts by decreasing the burning of fossil fuels. After spending four years studying the potential environmental and social impacts of the proposed Nam Theun dam in Laos, the lending institution is still considering whether it will provide a loan guarantee to private investors of the project. But the project also would give Laos, one of the poorest countries in the world, a much needed source of income.