"New Dam Planned in Same District as Xe Pian Xe Namnoi Collapse in Southern Laos", 13 March 2020

A new dam is set to go up in southern Laos, in the district where two years ago a major dam collapse caused a flood...the Xe Pian Xe Namnoy (PNPC) hydropower project....

Now the South Sekong A Dam project is in the planning stages and will begin construction later this year in Sanamxay.

[...]

"There will be no relocation of the villagers because this dam can be closed and opened. When it has too much water it will release it according to its technical design," the official said.

He added that the feasibility study and environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the 86 megawatt dam were completed last year and that the dam will be located in the Maknao village area and affect a total of five villages: Maknao, Hadxaysung, Namkong, Hadxayyao and Mitsumphanh. Negotiations on compensation for affected villagers are currently underway.

Based on the EIA report, the five villages contain about 300 families who will lose more than 3,000 hectares (more than 7400 acres) of their land to the project, but they will not be relocated.

A villager who will be affected by the project told RFA he was concerned.

"The dam will flood our homes and villages. Now when it rains, water already submerges our village. [With the new dam] we will float away like dead logs," the villager said.

[...]