(April 7, 2005) But have the right lessons been learned?
Poverty, pride and prejudice in Laos
(April 6, 2005) Poverty and self-interested professional advice has been used to promote the case for the Nam Theun 2 dam.
Laos dam construction to start in June
(April 6, 2005) Electricite de France said on Tuesday the financing for the controversial $1.25 billion Nam Theun 2 hydroelectric dam in Laos will be completed by the end of May, allowing construction to begin in June.
Nakai plateau: dammed to oblivion
(April 5, 2005) Any doubts locals have will be of no importance now Nam Theun 2 has the backing of the 24-member panel of the World Bank and a pledge for financing from the Asian Development Bank – the plan to flood the Nakai Plateau is all but under way.
Massive dam project could backfire
(April 5, 2005) A new dam funded by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and hailed as a windfall for Laos may end up doing more harm than good to one of the world’s poorest nations and its vulnerable farmers, several independent development groups say.
Nam Theun 2 figures don’t add up
(April 5, 2005) The World Bank’s final report on Nam Theun 2 relies on key assumptions that contradict both official Thai government plans for the power sector and the findings of other World Bank- commissioned reports on NamTheun 2.
PRESS RELEASE: World Bank dam will generate debt burden for Laotians
(April 1, 2005) The World Bank’s decision to finance the US$1.2 billion Nam Theun 2 hydro project will become an intractable debt burden for Laotians in years to come, warns Probe International, a Canadian-based foreign aid watchdog. "It is projects like Nam Theun 2 that eventually need debt forgiveness because they are not economically viable and they don’t generate the wealth needed to repay the loans," said Patricia Adams, Probe’s executive director and an expert on odious Third World debt.
Huge Laotian dam gets World Bank financing
(April 1, 2005) Environmental groups say the Laotian government isn’t equipped to manage revenue from the Nam Theun 2 dam or look after the rights of its people.
The World Bank’s watershed decision: Nam Theun 2
(March 28, 2005) In April, the countries on the governing board of the World Bank will consider a proposed high dam on the Nam Theun River – a decision that will set a pattern for decisions regarding hydroelectric dams around the world for years to come.
A Nam Theun 2 proponent responds to critics
(March 26, 2005) “Based on in-depth and detailed [World Bank] analyses . . . we are confident that Nam Theun 2 will be a benefit and not a burden to Thai consumers.”
Villagers protest Nam Theun 2 dam project
(March 15, 2005) An independent energy analyst claims electricity from Nam Theun 2 would be 14% more expensive than that produced from alternative, renewable energy sources.
Protesters urge World Bank to stop Nam Theun 2 project
(March 15, 2005) By supporting Nam Theun 2, the World Bank might repeat the same mistake it made at Pak Mool, which generated neither benefits to the local people nor sufficient electricity to Thailand’s power system, say protesters.
Lao power may not be the best buy
(March 15, 2005) Thailand has a number of energy options which negate the need for importing hydroelectricity from Laos.
Thai citizens urge World Bank to stop supporting Nam Theun 2 dam
(March 14, 2005) “The World Bank has never shown us any real commitment to take project impacts seriously and get involved in problem solving afterwards, at the very least, to provide all parties with important lessons to avoid the same mistakes elsewhere.”
Letter to the World Bank from citizens groups and NGOs
(March 14, 2005) “We believe that not only does this project fail to meet the World Bank’s environmental and social standards, the World Bank’s decision framework for the Nam Theun 2 Dam has not yet been fulfilled.”
Patricia Adams
Dai Qing
Fan Xiao
Lawrence Solomon
Mu Lan
Probe International
Lisa Peryman
Probe Media
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Probe International 