What caused the Laos dam to collapse?
Poor construction methods, with soil used in place of concrete, caused a fatal hydropower dam collapse last year in Laos, a panel of water experts has concluded, prompting a rejection of its findings by the South Korean firm that built the project.
What are the unintended consequences of building hydroelectric dams along the Mekong River?
These dams impede sediment and nutrient transport, causing coastal erosion in the Mekong delta, and disrupting river hydrology, which has facilitated deforestation and loss of fish production in the Tonle Sap Lake.
What are the negatives of the Mekong River dams?
Hydropower dams have had a dramatic effect on the Mekong river over the last two decades, resulting in unseasonable flooding and droughts, low water levels in the dry season, and drops in the amounts of sediment carried by the river, with drastic consequences for biodiversity and fisheries.
Who built the first dam in the world?
The first constructed dams were gravity dams, which are straight dam made of masonry (stone brick) or concrete that resists the water load by means of weight. .” Around 2950-2750 B.C, the ancient Egyptians built the first known dam to exist.
Who does the Xayaburi Dam benefit?
While hydropower is one of the country’s main exports, Lao PDR still has to import electricity. And although the government says the Xayaburi dam will improve access to electricity for its citizens, nearly all of the power it produces will be sold to Thailand.
What effect could building a dam along the Mekong River in Southeast Asia have on different groups who live along the river?
These dams “could cause irreversible and long-term ecological damage to a river that feeds millions of people,” Olson explained. In addition, new dams could push endangered aquatic species such as the Mekong giant catfish further to the brink of extinction.