Cambodia Biggest Dam in Kratie: Build or Not Build?

• 29 May 2018
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Sample Hydro-power Dam

The proposed 2600-megawatt Sambor Dam in Kratie province backed by China has recently become a controversial topic both within and outside Cambodia after The Guardian reported on 16 May leaked data from a study showing that dam could ‘literally kill’ the Mekong river.

The assessment was carried out by the Natural Heritage Institute, and the result has been kept secret since it was first submitted last year.

As proposed, the Sambor hydropower dam will be the biggest dam in Cambodia. If built, it could generate up to 2,600 megawatts. However, to achieve this gigantic power, the hydropower plant would require an 18km-wide barrier across the river.

According to the results of the study published in The Guardian report, this 18km-wide barrier would block fish migration from the Tonle Sap a vital tributary to the Mekong and the spawning grounds upstream. It would also affect the plight of the dolphins, and the fisheries, livelihoods and nutrition of rural communities would all suffer, as well as precipitating the sinking of the Mekong delta in Vietnam.

Regardless of the debate over whether or not the dam should be build, the Cambodian government has yet to release any official decision on the issue.

According to the Guardian, Deputy Secretary of State of the Ministry of Energy H.E. Ith Praing said that it is a very sensitive issue and too early to publish any kind of information on Sambor. He also added that the government has yet to make any decision on this issue.

However, if the dam is approved, the leading candidate to build it is China’s Hydrolancang International Energy Company.