The Water Resources Department is to ask the Lao government to extend the prior consultation process for the Don Sahong Dam construction for another six months.
Chatuporn Buruspat, the department’s chief, said he will contact Lao officials by the end of this month to discuss prolonging the consultation period.
Mr Chatuporn said the extension is necessary because details relating to the dam must be clarified to make sure the project does not have a negative impact on Thais living along the Mekong River, the environment and local fisheries.
The prior consultation process, or Procedures for Notification, Prior Consultation and Agreement (PNPCA), allows other Mekong countries to evaluate and comment on the project and its potential side effects.
Mr Chatuporn said he decided to seek the extension after a special round of talks between locals against the dam project and the department’s representatives, which recently reached an agreement favouring locals’ demands.
“Cambodia and Vietnam both wish to have the PNPCA extended. But it is up to Laos whether to agree with the proposal or not. We will discuss the issue during the special session of the Mekong River Commission Joint Committee this week,” Mr Chatuporn said.
He said the department will submit its PNPCA report, including findings from public hearings conducted in provinces along the Mekong River and Bangkok. The report shows that many Thais are against the dam project and want the PNPCA process to be extended by another six months.
Kritsakorn Silalak, a key coordinator for the Assembly of the Poor, which opposes the Don Sahong Dam project, said the department has agreed to cooperate with local people to study the impact of dams along the Mekong River.
Mr Kritsakorn said the department will also arrange a field trip for his group to the dam construction site, so they can gather first-hand information on the scheme.
The controversial Don Sahong dam project in Laos has prompted protests from local people in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. They fear the dam will stop fish migrating from Laos to other parts of the river. The majority of 60 million people living along the Mekong River depend on fisheries and aquaculture.