Women must be central to Mekong dam decisions
Today, on International Women’s Day, a recent trip to the Mekong Basin serves as a reminder that women’s voices must be central to decision-making on hydropower, and in broader energy planning for Thailand and the region.
The Nam Ou River, a longest tributary of the Mekong in Laos, is quiet during the early morning. Community activities, such as fishing and collection of river weeds, are merely a memory. A cascade of dams under construction along the Nam Ou block this important tributary. The once mighty river is being transformed into a series of seven reservoirs by the Chinese developer PowerChina Resources.
