2 December 2004
Critics point out dam proposal violates six of seven recommendations made by the IUCN-commissioned World Commission on Dams report.
Source: The Nation (Thailand), November 19, 2004
Environmental activists from six Mekong River countries in mid-November attacked the World Conservation Union (IUCN) for "striking an illegitimate bargain" with the proponents of the Nam Theun 2 dam project in Laos. IUCN has expressed support for NT2 project due to the revenue it would generate that could help conserve the remaining forests.
The proposed dam is expected to flood 450 square kilometers of the Nakai-Nam Theun National Biodiversity Conservation Area, which IUCN has been managing for the past decade. In addition to the nearly 400 Asian elephants at risk, the project would affect a number of species on the IUCN's endangered "Red List", including the rare white-winged wood duck.
Critics point out that the dam proposal violates six out of seven recommendations made by the 2000 World Commission on Dams report, commissioned by the IUCN and the World Bank to guide the evaluation of future proposals regarding large dams.