Vientianne Times–27 Oct 2017
Laos and France agreed to enhance cooperation in the energy sector and improve the management of water resources on the Mekong River by building a new Coordination and Monitoring Centre (CMC).
The center will be equipped to monitor hydroelectric power project (HPP) development on the Mekong River in Laos.
The CMC will play a role in coordinating “run-of-the-river” HPPs developed by different Independent power producers on the Lao stretch of the Mekong River.
An agreement to build the new centre was signed in Vientiane this week between the Director General of the Department of Energy Policy Planning, Ministry of Energy and Mines, Dr Chansaveng Boungnong, and chairwoman and CEO of CNR Engineering, Ms Elisabeth Ayrault.
Under the agreement, the two parties will implement feasibility studies for an 18-month period from January 2018 to June 2019.
The CMC’s planned scope of action covers five main areas: governance and capacity building, dialogue and coordinated management, water resources management and climate change adaptation, environmental and social management, dam management and safety.
It seeks to develop and share reference databases regarding all water used for hydroelectric power production, navigation, irrigation, tourism, flood and low water forecasting, sediment management, the protection of biodiversity, fish migration monitoring and more.
