Mekong dam construction must be halted

We are also concerned about the status of the MRC Council Study, intended to inform on decisions regarding development on the river, and we request information on the status of the study, as well as of the review of the 1995 Mekong Agreement’s Procedures by the MRC Joint Platform.
The decision-making processes for the Xayaburi and Don Sahong dams in Laos ignited significant controversy within the region and internationally. 
The Xayaburi Dam is reportedly 70 per cent complete. Yet, despite repeated requests by development partners, the full design of the dam has still not been made public. Nor is there evidence demonstrating the project’s compliance with the MRC’s “Preliminary Design Guidance for Proposed Mainstream Dams”. No information has been shared regarding resolution of the concerns and requests for further studies raised by the governments of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam over the Don Sahong Dam, while project construction has forged ahead. 
This month the government of Laos notified the MRC of its intention to construct a third dam on the Mekong main stream, the Pak Beng Dam in Oudomxay province. 
We call on the Mekong governments and the Mekong River Commission to: 
- Prioritise participation and consultation on the Council Study and disseminate ongoing results to the public, ensuring that the findings and those of the Mekong Delta Study inform further decisions affecting the future of the river.
- Prioritise organisational reform, including an assessment of the future of the MRC and the 1995 Agreement, with participation by the public and Mekong communities. 
- Halt further decisions on Mekong mainstream dams until they can be informed by and based upon meaningful consultation, particularly with local project-affected communities and sound basin-wide studies that consider the trans-boundary and cumulative impacts. 
Save the Mekong Coalition