Vietnam's hydroelectric projects in hot water

Hydroelectric power plant constructions in Vietnam are said to be disrupting the natural ecosystem, trigerring calls for its stoppage.

The Vietnam Rivers Network said that hydroelectric power plants are negatively impacting on ecological systems and the natural environment of the river basins and this endangers not only people’s lives but also national water and food security”

The VRN emphasized that hydroelectricity should not be seen as a clean and cheap source of energy to develop at any price, in any place, and that the country should revise its plan to develop hydroelectricity.

On average, about 16ha of forest was destroyed for every megawatt of hydroelectric power produced, said VRN expert Dao Trong Hung.

Its calls comes amid a massive push to build more hydroelectric power plants and already there is evidence this is hurting the environment.

Vietnam Irrigation Association chairman Vu Trong Hong said nearly 900 small- and medium-sized hydroelectric dams were now obstructing the character of Vietnam’s rivers, with the damage particularly severe in the Central Highland regions.

“Nearly all branches of every river in Vietnam have been obstructed, often times in multiple places, by hydroelectric dams. Localities are much less likely to experience socio-economic development when they cannot regulate and benefit from the use of their water resources,” Hong said.

Nguyen Ty Nien, a local expert who has worked for 50 years in the water sector, said that the uncontrolled construction of hydroelectric dams in Vietnam should raise red flags.

“Forest and ecosystem destruction and pollution of land and water can be seen anywhere where there are hydroelectric dams upstream. Every one of these dams has changed the course of that river and thrown out of balance numerous biological systems,” Nien said.

Furthermore, the central Quang Nam province’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment said 43 hydroelectric power dams in the province had caused destruction to 10,000 hectares of forests. Specifically, the 190MW Song Tranh hydroelectric power plant 2 and 62MW power plant 3 have eaten 2,600ha of forests.

Construction of the 210MW A Vuong hydroelectric power plant has caused 1,000ha of forests to disappear.

For more.