The first hydro-power dam on the lower Mekong River began commercial operations in Laos on Tuesday. The opening sparked protests from Thai villagers who say the Xayaburi Dam will destroy their livelihoods. The 1,285-megawatt Xayaburi Dam’s debut coincides with parts of the Mekong drying to a trickle even at the end of the rainy season. However its builders and operators say it is not responsible for the reduced river flow. Xayaburi, which will sell 95% of its power to Thailand at an average rate of 2 baht per unit. The hydro-power dam is the first of at least nine more hydro-power projects. Which are either under construction or planned on the lower Mekong in Laos. The new spate of dam-building is poised to turbo-charge already-fraught water and food security disputes after years of worry about the 11 existing Beijing-built dams on the upper Mekong in China. Which environmentalists say are choking the river on which millions depend for their livelihoods in Laos, Thailand, … [Read more...] about Xayaburi Dam Opens in Laos Sparking Protests in Thailand