From dianne Sat Nov 23 01:01:42 1996 Received: (from dianne@localhost) by lox.sandelman.ottawa.on.ca (8.7.5/8.7.3) id BAA22736; Sat, 23 Nov 1996 01:01:41 -0500 (EST) Date: Sat, 23 Nov 1996 01:01:41 -0500 (EST) From: Dianne Murray Message-Id: <199611230601.BAA22736@lox.sandelman.ottawa.on.ca> X-within-URL: http://xp9.dejanews.com/getdoc.xp?recnum=11875233&server=dnserver.db96q4&CONTEXT=848728610.8331&hitnum=2 To: dianne@sandelman.ocunix.on.ca Subject: getdoc.xp?recnum=11875233&server=dnserver.db96q4&CONTEXT=848728610.8331&hitnum=2 Status: OR [Previous] [Next] [Hitlist] [Get Thread] [Author Profile] [Post] [Post] [Reply] [LINK][LINK] _________________________________________________________________ Article 3 of 17 Subject: [Fwd: Cambodia seeks hydroelectric investment] From: sitha Date: 1996/11/11 Message-Id: <32871E95.4C53@erols.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-Ascii Organization: Erol's Internet Services Mime-Version: 1.0 Reply-To: sitha@erols.com Newsgroups: soc.culture.cambodia X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.0 (Win95; U) > > > Monday November 11 12:55 AM EST > > > > Cambodia seeks hydroelectric investment > > > > By ANDREW NETTE > > > > PHNOM PENH, Nov. 11 (UPI) _ Cambodia hopes that hosting the Mekong > > River Commission (MRC) will encourage foreign investment in developing > > the country's hydroelectric industry, government officials said > > Monday. > > > > Phnom Penh won the right to host the MRC secretariat for five years at > > a meeting of member states in Laos on October 29. The secretariat's > > headquarters are currently in Bangkok. > > > > ``Certainly, we have a lot of Mekong projects in the pipeline and we > > hope that this will help us gather investment for them,'' Foreign > > Minister Ung Huot said. > > > > Those programs include reforestation programs to protect river banks, > > studies on fisheries migration and spawning habits, and the aerial > > photographing of Cambodia's wetland areas. > > > > But Phnom Penh's principal emphasis is the development of > > hydroelectric power, both for domestic use and for sale to its energy > > hungry neighbors, Thailand and Vietnam. > > > > ``We have 8000 megawatts of hydropower potential and we are using none > > of it,'' said Khy Tainglim, vice chairman of the Cambodian National > > Mekong Committee. > > > > ``We know there are costs and benefits... but> > > > > Cambodia has no choice but to build some dams to generate money to > > develop,`` he said. > > > > At least 17 dams have been identified as ``priority'' projects by the > > government and donors such as the MRC and the Asian Development Bank > > (ADB). > > > > The MRC and the ADB estimate the government needs at least $230 > > billion in private investment to build the dams. > > > > The ADB is funding feasibility studies on a number of dams on the > > Sekong and Sesan rivers in northern Cambodia. > > > > The Thai firm MDX is considering the development of three dams near > > the Thai border in southern Koh Kong province, which would cost $800 > > million and generate power for sale to Thailand. > > > > Despite these initiatives, the government's efforts to attract foreign > > investment in the hydroelectric industry have been unsuccessful. > > > > An ADB-sponsored delegation of South Korean business executives > > explored investment opportunities in Cambodia earlier this year, but > > Cambodian officials said so far nothing has materialized. > > > > Dam construction also faces domestic critics. > > > > Touch Seng Tana, an fisheries advisor at the Ministry of Agriculture, > > Forestry and Fisheries in Phnom Penh, says dam building will have > > disastrous environmental consequences, destroy vital fisheries and > > displace hundreds of thousands of rural people from their land. > > > > ``Everyone just talks about getting more power to develop industry, > > there is no analysis of the social and environmental impacts of dam > > construction,'' he said. > > > > The most controversial dam under consideration is the 3,300 megawatt > > Sambor, on the mainstream of the Mekong River in Kratie province. > > > > Construction of the $4 billion dam will force the relocation of at > > least 60,000 people. > > > > Tana said that by blocking the River's mainstream the dam will disturb > > fish migration habits and water flow. > > > > The Commission, whose members are Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and > > Thailand, was established in 1957 to coordinate efforts to harness the > > Mekong River's potential for tourism, trade, fisheries and power > > generation. [LINK][LINK] _________________________________________________________________ [Previous] [Next] [Hitlist] [Get Thread] [Author Profile] [Post] [Post] [Reply] _________________________________________________________________ Home Power Search Post to Usenet Ask DN Wizard Help Why use DN? | Advertising Info | New Features! | Policy Stuff Copyright © 1996 Deja News, Inc. All rights reserved.