Residents in the Central and Central Highlands have asked forhydro-power developers to give top priority to ensuring locallivelihoods and protecting the environment while undertaking theirprojects.
They voiced their request when attending a forum inThua Thien-Hue province on October 28 to address environmental andsocial issues with the developers of hydro-power projects since theyhave left observable damage over recent years.
The participants came from Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Phu Yen, Quang Nam, Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Binh provinces.
A survey showed that the Binh Dien hydropower plant in Thua Thien-Huehas negatively affected residents’ living conditions in upstream anddownstream areas and reduced the population of some species offreshwater fish.
Highlighting the regions’ substantialpotential of hydro-power production, the Director of the Centre forSocial Research and Development (CSRD), Lam Thi Thu Suu, who is also thecoordinator of the Vietnam Rivers Network, agreed that the activity hadsocial and environmental impacts and needed to be addressed promptly.
Vietnam now has 815 hydropower projects with a combined capacityof 24,324.3 MW. Of these, 268 projects have been put into operation(14,240.5 MW); 205 projects are under construction (6,198.8 MW) andexpected to be operated before 2017.
To ensure sustainablehydropower development and environmental and social protection, thePrime Minister has directed ministries, branches and localities involvedto operate hydropower plants as processes approved, ensure powergeneration efficiency, and regulate sufficient water sources for thedownstream.-VNA
They voiced their request when attending a forum inThua Thien-Hue province on October 28 to address environmental andsocial issues with the developers of hydro-power projects since theyhave left observable damage over recent years.
The participants came from Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Phu Yen, Quang Nam, Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Binh provinces.
A survey showed that the Binh Dien hydropower plant in Thua Thien-Huehas negatively affected residents’ living conditions in upstream anddownstream areas and reduced the population of some species offreshwater fish.
Highlighting the regions’ substantialpotential of hydro-power production, the Director of the Centre forSocial Research and Development (CSRD), Lam Thi Thu Suu, who is also thecoordinator of the Vietnam Rivers Network, agreed that the activity hadsocial and environmental impacts and needed to be addressed promptly.
Vietnam now has 815 hydropower projects with a combined capacityof 24,324.3 MW. Of these, 268 projects have been put into operation(14,240.5 MW); 205 projects are under construction (6,198.8 MW) andexpected to be operated before 2017.
To ensure sustainablehydropower development and environmental and social protection, thePrime Minister has directed ministries, branches and localities involvedto operate hydropower plants as processes approved, ensure powergeneration efficiency, and regulate sufficient water sources for thedownstream.-VNA
