Mekong River Commission to revise dam guidelines

Phnom Penh Post

Hydropower developers and representatives of the Mekong River Commission member countries met last week for the last time before finalising guidelines to mitigate the negative impacts of dam construction on the Mekong River, though conservationists expressed doubts about whether such guidelines would make a difference.

In a statement, the MRC said the guidelines – which will be fully disclosed in March – have been two years in the making and are meant to update the existing “preliminary design guidelines” (PDGs) created in 2009.

“The Council Study predicts possible impacts from dam developments and other changes in the basin, while these mitigation guidelines focus on how to mitigate such impacts on the environment,” the statement reads, referring to a five-year study from the organisation which outlines dramatic social, economic and environmental impacts on Lower Mekong Basin countries.

Cambodia is likely to sustain a hit to its gross domestic product on the order of several billion dollars, the study found, and is facing food security risks resulting from a predicted 70 percent decline in floodplain fish production.

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