MRC Chief Executive Officer Pham Tuan Phan (R) speaks at the event (Source: VNA)
Vientiane (VNA) – The second Regional Stakeholder Forum on the Pak Beng HydropowerPlant opened in Vientiane, Laos, on May 5.
ChiefExecutive Officer for the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Pham Tuan Phan,Government officials from the four MRC countries of Laos, Cambodia, Thailandand Vietnam, attended the event, together with representatives frominternational organisations and non-governmental organisations.
Delegatesdiscussed issues and ideas raised in the first forum which was held in LuangPrabang in late February.
Preliminaryresults of technical assessment of the project conducted by the MRC Secretariatwere also announced at the event.
Alsoon the day, a national-level consultation on the hydropower plant was organisedin Hanoi.
Participantsexpressed concerns over cross-border impacts of the project, especially onaquaculture, alluvium and livelihoods of people in upper and lower Mekong Riverareas.
Theystressed the need for scientific evidence on the efficiency of solutionsrelated to fish migration carried out by investors, as well as preventivemeasures in case of dyke break or floods.
Theideas collected at the event and other channels will be sent to the Mekong RiverCommission and the Vietnam National Mekong Committee.
Membersof the MRC are scheduled to contribute their opinions on the Pak Beng projectto the Lao Government through the MRC in June.
Lyingin Pak Beng district in the northern Lao province of Oudomsay, Pak Benghydropower plant has a designed capacity of 912MW and an average annualgeneration output of 4.775 GWh per year. It is the third plant on the MekongRiver mainstream after Sayabouly and Don Sahong.
InNovember 2016, the Lao government submitted detailed description of Pak Beng tothe MRC Secretariat to seek approval for the six-month consultation processwhich started on December 20, 2016.-VNA
Regional concerned parties met at a forum in Luang Prabang city, northern Laos on February 22 to discuss consultation process for Pak Beng hydropower plant on the Mekong River mainstream.
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MRC Chief Executive Officer Pham Tuan Phan (R) speaks at the event (Source: VNA) 
