SBR- Content.pmd - INBO

10 - HydropowerHydropower 10The hydroelectric potential of the Mekong and its tributaries is largely undeveloped. In the 1960s,the Committee for Coordination of the Investigation of the Lower Mekong Basin (known as theMekong Committee) carried out extensive research and planned more than 12 hydroelectric projectson the Mekong mainstream, but few of these were actually built, due to decades of war and civilunrest. Although peace has come to the region, so far only 5 percent (some 1,600 MW) of the lowerbasin’s hydroelectric potential of approximately 30, 000 MW have been developed, and these fewprojects are only on the tributaries. The only dams on the Mekong’s mainstream are two in the upperbasin in the People’s Republic of China.When the Mekong River Commission replaced the Mekong Committee in 1995, the focus changed.MRC was established as a river basin management organisation, with as much emphasis placed onsharing resources equitably and sustaining the environment as on developing resources.In 2001, MRC’s Council and Joint Committee approved a new Hydropower Development Strategy.This treats hydro potential as one of many renewable natural resources and considers both the benefitsand the adverse consequences of hydroelectric development.The Strategy was developed through extensive research and consultation with a wide range ofstakeholders that included National Mekong Committees, lines agencies, international organisationsand civil society groups. It is based on five principles which MRC’s Council endorsed at its annualmeeting in 1998: (1) information exchange; (2) international cooperation on sustainable developmentof hydropower projects; (3) integrated overall planning of the mainstream and sub-basins (up tothe pre-investment stage); (4) cumulative environmental and socio-economic aspects as well aspublic participation; and (5)encouragement of the privatesector to join in developinghydropower potential with properconsideration of the environmentand the well-being of the people.The Khone falls in Lao PDR near the Cambodian borderThe objectives of the Strategy aregrouped into three strategic areas:consideration of integrated wateruse and environmental and socioeconomicfactors; efficienthydropower generation anddistribution mechanisms; andinformation system and capacitybuilding.205