SBR- Content.pmd - INBO

10 - HydropowerIn considering whether to proceed with hydro development, the following negative and positive impactsneed to be considered:4.3.1 Negative impacts of hydro projects• adverse impacts on the ecosystem(aquatic life, animals, birds, vegetation)• blocking of the flow of sediment• negative impacts due to changing a river’sflow pattern• negative social impacts (resettlement, lossof livelihood)• loss of scenic landscapes (tourismpotential)• negative impacts on water quality due tostorage of water (eutrophication, lowertemperatures for discharged water)• negative impacts on other users of water(navigation, fisheries)• problems during the construction period(noise, vibration, dust, traffic problems)4.3.2 Positive impacts of hydro projectsOnly five percent of the basin’s hydroelectricpotential has thus far been developed• harnessing of a renewable natural resource• reducing of the negative impacts that power generation has on the global environment (forexample, reducing the use of fossil fuels will lessen air and water pollution)• increasing the river’s flow in the dry season, and reducing peak flow during the flood season• increasing the availability of electrical power will stimulate economic development andimprove people’s living standards• revenues will be earned from the sale of power5. Hydropower development in the People’s Republic of ChinaIn Yunnan Province on the upper stream of the Mekong, China is implementing hydro projects on themainstream without official consultation with the countries downstream. China currently has plans toconstruct six dams/power stations, in addition to the two that are already operating. These projectsare: the Manwan dam/hydropower station with a reservoir capacity of 920 million m 3 and an installedgeneration capacity of 1,500 MW; and the Dachaoshan dam/hydropower station with a reservoircapacity of 880 million m 3 and an installed generation capacity of 1,350 MW. The six hydro projectsplanned on the Mekong River for Yunnan Province in China are presented in Table 6 and the locationof the projects is shown on the map in Figure 2.213