Nordics worry about Mekong mainstream dams

A study commissioned by the Mekong River Commission calls for a ten-year moratorium on plans to build 12 large hydropower dams on the Mekong’s lower mainstream. The freeze on dam building is supported by the World Bank.

The report warns that blocking the mainstream will cause irreversible damage to fisheries with negative impact on the food security of millions of poor people in the basin. Nordic donors, which provide half the Mekong River Commission’s funding, are “greatly concerned”.