Hydropower dams a curse on Mekong River: Seminar 18/08/2012,
06:54:46 AM (GMT+7) (VNA)-Nearly 30 hydropower plants are
scheduled to be built along the Mekong River within the next few
years, which will not only upturn the lives of tens of millions
of local residents but also prove to be disastrous for the eco-
system and a serious threat to water resources and future food
security. Xiaowan Dam in Yunnan Province, China, is one of the
upstream dams along the upper reaches of the Mekong River. This
was the deduction of domestic and foreign scientists present at
a seminar titled ‘Mekong and Hydropower’, organized by Vietnam
Union of Science and Technology (VUSTA) and Vietnam River
Association(VRA) in Ho Chi Minh City on August 14. Dr. Dao Trong
Tu from VRA said that China is leading in the construction of
hydropower plants along the upper reaches of the Mekong River
with five plants, and another eight to 15 plants coming up in
the next few years. There is heightened fear of 12 plants
scheduled to be built along t