(January 25, 2000) According to the 22nd meeting of the Standing Committee of Yunnan People’s Congress, starting from this year, Yunnan Province will have to move an average of 40,000 people every year to pave the way for hydropower development, which is equivalent to the total figure of dam migrants in the past 50 years.
PRESS RELEASE Chinese government orders farmers out of Three Gorges region
(January 18, 2000) In a desperate attempt to keep pace with construction of the Three Gorges dam, which will flood close to two million people out of their homes, China’s central government recently announced plans to move 125,000 rural people out of the project area.
China’s official media reports Three Gorges dam investment and resettlement figures
(January 18, 2000) China News Agency reported on January 12 that the Three Gorges dam has cost the Chinese government $5.65 billion (all figures in U.S. dollars) since construction began in 1993. The news agency also reports that this year the government plans to invest another $1.57 billion in the $30-billion dam, making 2000 the project’s peak investment year thus far. The $1.57-billion investment is assured according to a quote from a leader of China’s Three Gorges Project Corporation, the dam’s sole contractor.
“PUC broke the law” Senator Ambrose Tillett
(January 18, 2000) Opposition Senator, Ambrose Tillett, has written to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) challenging its decision to increase electricity rates and give the Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) an increase in revenues, purportedly to pay for electricity costs.
Laos issues new anti-corruption decree
(January 6, 2000) Laotian Prime Minister Sisavath Keobounphanh has issued a decree to combat corruption in the ruling Communist party, the civil service and military, diplomats said Thursday.
Plans call for energy efficiency
(January 3, 2000) Plans have been launched to make both residential and office buildings more energy efficient. In the first five months of the year, industrial policymakers announced three sets of new national standards. They are regulations on energy saving for civil buildings, standards for residential buildings and technical evaluations of residential constructions.
Nam Ngum 3 hydroelectric power station construction
(January 1, 2000) This project is for the construction and operation of a rockfill dam and hydroelectric power plant with 440MW maximum output on the Nam Ngum River, a tributary of the Mekong, on a 25-year build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis.
Odious debts
(January 1, 2000) There is “no (repeat, no) prospect for Zaire’s creditors to get their money back in the foreseeable future.” – Edwin Blumenthal, International Monetary Fund.
Theun Hinboun is no model for Mekong development
(December 31, 1999) Grainne Ryder argues that the Theun Hinboun model is a deception serving the interests of the dam building industry at the expense of local communities and the national economy of Laos.
A regime in denial: Vientiane says everything’s just fine with its politics and economics
(December 24, 1999) The demise of Oudom Khattigna, ranked fourth in the nine-member Politburo that rules Laos, was not announced in Vientiane. Instead, it was revealed by a Lao diplomat at the embassy in Hanoi (political affairs in Laos are controlled by Vietnam).
Auditors uncover tide of misconduct
(December 17, 1999) Company funds spent on securities speculation, flood control money squandered on building a new hotel, billions stolen to set up a company and bogus stock listings are among the misdeeds uncovered by government auditors this year.
The Three Gorges dam: A great leap backward for China’s electricity consumers and economy
Uneconomic and outdated, the Three Gorges dam will stunt China’s economic growth
China’s Three Gorges dam to begin flood control with a bang
(December 15, 1999) The moment of truth for the world’s largest dam will arrive on June 6. The main concrete wall of the Three Gorges dam on the Yangtze River must begin to hold water after a temporary cofferdam is demolished in a series of planned explosions.
Empowering China
(December 15, 1999) Senior officials, international aid agencies, and foreign engineering firms continue to push China toward large, expensive and inflexible hydropower projects such as the recently completed Ertan Hydroelectric Project in Sichuan.
Dam removals on a roll across the USA
(December 13, 1999) Removing small hydroelectric dams is often the most effective way to help the environment and to save money, says a coalition of U.S. environmental groups.
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