Lao hydro gets a fresh start: Following a six year hiatus as a result of the 1997 financial crisis in Southeast Asia hydro power development is back on the agenda in Laos

摘要

AS MAINLAND Southeast Asia's power sector finally recovers its balance after the region's 1997 financial meltdown, Lao plans for hydro power exports as a core element of its economic development strategy are regaining their lustre. As a direct response to the November 2000 World Commission on Dams (WCD) report, such plans are much more soundly based than before the crisis. The fresh tranche of proposed hydro projects therefore promises to be much more socially and environmentally benign than before.