Project Description
The Project aimed to identify potential risks, opportunities and contributions of hydropower to regional development. This was achieved through assessing alternative mainstream Mekong hydropower development strategies, in particular considering regional cost distribution and benefits to economic development, social equity and environmental protection. The Strategic Environmental Assessment considered all planned and committed hydropower and development activities in the LMB. It also assessed climate change impacts on river hydrology, agriculture and hydropower. The SEA was also developed to be used as a pilot to show the process and benefits of SEA in identifying likely impacts on environmental, social and economic variables in LMB for all MRC member countries. Key outputs of the project included recommendations on the mitigation and monitoring of impacts and technical, policy & institutional guidance for SEA and hydropower development. The project also built capacity for SEA, principally within the NMCs, national agencies responsible for power development and those concerned with facilitating application of SEA and EIA. Government staff received on-the job training and participated in components of the SEA. The SEA had four main objectives: Preview: SEA of Hydropower on the Mekong Mainstream: Summary of the Final ReportSEA of Hydropower on the Mekong Mainstream
About: ICEM was commissioned by the Mekong River Commission to undertake a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of 11 planned hydropower dams along the mainstream Mekong River, in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam. The SEA ran for 12 months and assessed the wider economic, social and environmental implications of the proposed developments. The final SEA report is also available to download below in English and Vietnamese. The Vietnamese translation was completed in collaboration with Pan Nature.
The SEA utilized an extensive program of data collection, interviews and a comprehensive program of national and regional government consultations involving representatives from a wide spectrum of the national governments, civil-society and donor consultations in the SEA process.
MRC SEA of Hydropower on the Mekong Mainstream: REPORTS SERIES
VUSTA Mainstream hydropower seminar
INCEPTION REPORTS:
BASELINE REPORTS
IMPACT REPORTS