After months of speculation and ambiguity, Laos finally publicly
confirmed on Friday that work had been suspended on the
controversial Xayaburi dam, the first large mainstream dam along
the resource-rich Mekong River which runs through China,
Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar. The clarification
is not just a victory for environmental groups who have
campaigned tirelessly on this issue, but for sustainable
development in the region more generally. The Mekong, one of the
world's largest rivers which provides food, water and transport
for about 65 million people, is in peril because of a string of
hydropower projects by riparian nations coupled with strong
development, demographic and climate change pressures.
Hydropower is an important energy source, but projects need to
proceed in a sustainable manner that takes into account region-
wide effects on affected populations and the environment,
instead of simply the interests of the people in power or with
cash. This is not just a request, but a requirem