Photo: Nakai City - new settlement

A group of experts appointed by the Lao government to assess the Nam Theun 2 hydropower dam project in Laos yesterday reiterated their call for the lush forest around the dam site to be registered as a new World Heritage to protect its ecological value. They said the forest, which is rich in biodiversity and also recognised for containing new species significant to scientific research, faces mounting threats from man-made activity.

The experts made their call during a briefing on their latest six-month assessment, which was relayed from Laos to the World Bank's Bangkok office.

Dr Lee Talbot, a professor from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia in the US, said the area has global significance.

Despite this global value, the area has been under threat from destructive activities such as mining, which is expanding in the area, he added.

The professor recommended the Lao government curb the activities, remove non-local people involved, and propose the area for World Heritage listing.

''The area has such great value and should acquire World Heritage status. It's particularly important for the government to apply for that status without any further delay,'' said Dr Talbot.

The Lao government is jointly developing the project with a consortium of French and Thai partners, including Thailand's Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand which agreed to buy over 90% of the electricity supply.

The project is planned in the so-called Nakai-Nam Theun protected area. It will submerge around 450 square kilometres of forest in Khammouane province, and has drawn opposition from conservationists globally.

The World Bank came up with a set of requirements for mitigating social and environmental impacts in exchange for a financial guarantee for the US$1.3 billion dam, which is scheduled to be completed in 2009.

Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/230807_News/23Aug2007_news13.php