Regional cooperation on Mekong River in tatters Environment and
water ministers had agreed in 2011 to delay a decision on
building the US$3.5-billion Xayaburi dam pending further studies
on its environmental impacts. This agreement was swept aside
last November when Laos decided to forge ahead with construction
of the controversial dam. The 16-17 January Ministerial-level
meeting of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) – an inter-
governmental agency made up of representatives from the four
lower Mekong countries – will put transboundary cooperation to
the test and the fate of the Mekong River, vital to the
livelihoods of 60 million people. “The Xayaburi dam experiment
threatens the health and productivity of the Mekong River and
Delta, and could leave millions of people facing critical food
insecurity,” said Dr. Jian-hua Meng, WWF’s Sustainable
Hydropower Specialist. “Ministers must take a stand against
Xayaburi-style diplomacy or it will be the dangerous precedent
for the future.” Xayaburi dam is a crucial test