ADVANTAGES: 1. The Xayaburi Dam, will block critical fish migration routes for between 23-100 fish species to the Mekong’s upper stretches as far upstream as Chiang Saen in northern Thailand, an important spawning ground for the critically endangered Mekong Giant Catfish. Once a dam is constructed, electricity can be produced at a constant rate. Laos deputy energy minister Viraphonh Virawong said work on the Xayaburi dam itself would begin this week, and hoped it would be the first of many. The Xayaburi Dam is significant because it would be the first mainstream dam in the lower Mekong, the area of highest diversity and productivity. We support a network of local and non-government organisations across the six countries in the region, linking grassroots village work with international and regional organisations. The dam would destroy the river’s complex ecosystems that serve as important fish habitats for local and migratory 2.

If electricity is not needed, the sluice gates can be shut, stopping electricity generation. All of the numbers that you see about the importance of Mekong fisheries–largest in the world, 2.5 million metric tons/year, values at … Oxfam Australia has been working in the Mekong region for more than 20 years.

Academia.edu is a platform for academics to share research papers. Oxfam is an active member of global campaigning group Save the Mekong Coalition. The Mekong River, downstream of the proposed site for the Xayaburi Dam A LOOMING THREAT TO THE MEKONG RIVER The Xayaburi Dam Located in a mountainous valley in Northern Laos, the proposed Xayaburi hydropower dam is the most advanced of eleven large dams planned for the Lower Mekong River’s mainstream.