VOA慢速英语2014 Disagreement Over Lower Mekong River Dam Project

 

AS IT IS 2014-12-20 Disagreement Over Lower Mekong River Dam Project

A two-day meeting in Laos has left government officials and environmental activists¹ deeply divided. The meeting was called to examine plans for a 260 megawatt dam on the Lower Mekong River. The Lao government is prepared to start work on the project.

Lao officials have dismissed concerns over the dam’s effect on the Mekong Delta² area.

The proposed Don Sahong hydropower dam would be built in the southern province of Champassak. If built, it would become one of nine dams for the Mekong River's mainstream³ in Laos or along the border with Thailand.

Laos is heavily dependent on earnings⁴ from about 10 hydropower plants. They were largely built on waterways within Laos since the 1990s. They produce some 2,000 megawatts of power for domestic use and for export to Thailand.

But two big new dams have fueled debate. One is the $3.8 billion Xayaburi dam in northern Laos. The other is the $600 million Don Sahong planned for Chamapssak province.

Environmentalists are worried the two dams could affect water flow and the movement of migratory⁶ fish.

Viraphonh Virapong is Laos' vice⁷ minister of Energy and Mines. He says the government is ready to develop clean, renewable hydropower, despite criticisms.

Last week, the intergovernmental Mekong River Commission led discussions on the effect of the projects.

Critics say there are serious questions about whether this consultation⁸ process is worthwhile. Robert Mather is South East Asia head for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

"Three main issues - the timing⁹ of the process, the lack of clarity about really the limits of what the process is actually about and the lack of any real trans-boundary (Environmental Impact Assessment) EIA discussions around, then I really don't think you can expect the process to really yield anything meaningful."

The consultation process for the Don Sahong project will last only six months. The government in Laos sees the meetings as a way to clarify problem areas involving the building of the dams. But critics say the talks should raise issues leading to the project being stopped.

Environmental groups say the Don Sahong will disrupt migratory fish and affect local communities.

Premrudee Daorung is with Thailand’s Towards Ecological¹⁰ Recovery and Regional Alliance. She says talks are failing to deal with these issues. She notes that few communities dependent on the Mekong River for their food and livelihoods¹¹ are involved in the process.

"What we keep requesting is that the MRC itself, with its agenda, it has to include the local people; you cannot keep going along with the project or the platform that only allows so-called dam builders to attend."

Throughout the Greater Mekong area, up to 60 million people are dependent on fish and free flowing waters. Flood water runoff is needed to enrich soil for agriculture, especially rice.

Vietnam has been pressing Laos over Don Sahong project. Vietnamese officials fear the project might harm the Mekong Delta, the country’s ‘rice bowl’ and home to 20 million people.

Vietnam say the dam will lead to greater water salinity¹² and the washing away of soil.

The Mekong River Commission says national meetings are set to be held in Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia, before final decisions are made on the project.

Words in This Story

megawatt - n. a unit of electrical power equal to one million watts⁵

renewable – adj. restored or replaced by natural processess: able to be replaced by nature

disrupt – v. to interrupt the normal progress or activity of something

1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

3 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

4 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

5 watts   

（电力计量单位）瓦，瓦特( watt的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• My lamp uses 60 watts; my toaster uses 600 watts. 我的灯用60瓦，我的烤面包器用600瓦。
• My lamp uses 40 watts. 我的灯40瓦。

6 migratory   

n.候鸟，迁移

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• This does not negate the idea of migratory aptitude.这并没有否定迁移能力这一概念。

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

8 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

9 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

10 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.

11 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

12 salinity   

n.盐分；咸度；盐浓度；咸性

参考例句：

• In the sea water sampled the salinity is two parts per thousand.在取样的海水中，盐度为千分之二。
• In many sedimentary basins the salinity of the formation water increases with depth or compaction.在许多沉积盆地中，地层水的含盐量随深度或压实作用而增高。