Presented by: Amphai Dalasouk
Department of Environmental Management
Faculty of Environmental Science
National University of Lao
2011
Environmental and Social Impact of Hydro
power Development
in Lao PDR
Present outline
Introduction to Hydropower Development in Lao PDR
Example of Environment and Social Impact of Hydropower Project
Conclusion
Introduction to Hydropower Development in Lao PDR
The Lao Government’s plans and policies for the power sector involve rapid and simultaneous development on several fronts with a view to:
Expanding the generation, transmission, distribution and off-grid development to increase the domestic electrification ratio for the country from the current level of about 60% (in early 2008) to a target of above 90% by 2020;
Increasing government revenues from Independent Power Plant (IPP) export investments and honoring power export commitments with neighboring countries by promoting a producer development carried out by private sector;
Promoting 500kV grid development within the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) to integrate the power systems of Lao PDR and its neighbors.
Existing and Planned Lao Hydropower
Projects
Projects in Operation: 10. Total 1,976 MW installed capacity
Projects officially under construction: 4. Total 1,265 installed capacity
Projects at planning stage: 23 Yotal 6,540 installed capacity
Projects at feasibility stage: 42. Total 6346 installed capacity
General Benefit from Hydropower Project
Expand government’s revenues
Opportunities for local and national
employment
Increase income
Improve public infrastructure
Improve livelihood conditions
Main Negative Impact Environment
- Lost of forest to road, reservoir and other infrastructures
- Inundate a wide variety of terrestrial and river habitat types including considerable tropical forest habitat.
- Increase d access to forest leads to increased resource extraction
- Block fish migration
- Change to flow regime, which may affect tributaries
- Change to flow regime and sediment load, lead to riverbank erosion and decline in water quality
- Change in fish species composition and fish abundance
Social impact
Lost of property: house and other constructions, agriculture land (paddy fields, gardens, upland rice cultivation, grassing land, fish pone, economic trees, fruit trees and crops).
Lost of opportunity to natural resources use such as: fish and aquatic resource, water resource and forest resource.
Lost of income
Relocate and resettle to another place which limited of natural resources, limited land use (areas and fertilities)
Example of Hydropower Project in Laos
1. Theun-Hinboun Power Plant
2. Theun-Hinboun Expansion Project
3. 3 Hydropower Projects Proposed in Nam Gniep
Theun-Hinboun Hydropower Project Background
The Theun-Hiboun Power Plant is the first one of the several large hydropower Project in central part of Laos
Is a 210 MW trans-basin hydropower project
Located on the Nam Theun River
Diverts water of 110m3/s out of the Nam Theun River into the Nam Hai River
The project was launched in 1994
The THPP completed an EIA in 1996
Opened on April 4, 1998
T – H Powerhouse
T – H Dam
Nam Hai
Nam Hinboun
Mekong
Nam Ngouang
Nam Theun
Study Area
PhakonkoVillage
Nasakong Village
Khen Village Kengkhot Village
Access road
Environmental Impact from THPP There are 3 impact zone:
1. Nam Theun and Nam Gnouang above the dam site
2. Nam Kading below the dam site
3. Nam Hai and Nam Hinboun receiving the diverted flow
The main impact are:
1. Increase water level in upstream and in recipient river
2. Flow regime alteration
3. Aggravation of flooding
4. Fish and aquatic resources decline
5. Changes in domestic water quality and availability
6. Riverbank erosion and sedimentation.
Riverbank erosion
Increase number and duration flooding
Fish and aquatic decline
Destruction of biodiversity do to access road, dam site and camp construction
Main Social Impact There are 71 villages and increased from 26 villages of EIA . The main
social impacts are:
1. Loss of dry season riverbank garden, which were an important
source of food and income
2. Loss of access to traditional fishing and fish breeding areas.
3. Loss of property and livestock by frequency flood
4. Loss of wet season rice crops, leading to widespread paddy field
abandonment
5. Loss of access to clean water due to effected from water discharge
from Theun-Hinboun powerhouse
6. Loss of income by villagers due to delays by the company in taking
action to solve the problems cause by the project.
Socio-economic impacts of THPP
100 100 100
61.7 61.7
47 40
35
25 18.3
Morefrequencyand long
duration offlood
loss of wetseason ricecrop and
production
Fish andaquaticdecline
Loss of accessto cleanwater
Loss of accessto good
location forriverbankgardens
Abandonedpaddy land
Insufficientrice
consumptionevery year
since THPPoperation
lost livestock Lostriverbankgardens
Lost assets
Percent of respondent
Food security
44.4
35.7
11.8
21.7
44.4
64.3
58.8
48.3
11.1
0
29.4 30
Nasakong Phakonko Kengkhot Khen
Percent of respondent
Sufficient
Insufficient rice consumption some years since THPP operation
Insufficient rice consumption every years since THPP operation
Percent of responses who lost assets, livestock, and abandoned paddy land
0 0
29.4 30
11.1 9
52.9
40
11.1
29
41
80
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Nasakong Phakonko Kengkhot Khen
Lost assets Lost livestock Abandoned paddy land
THPC Compensation packages
1. Dry season rice practice
2. Cash crop production
3. Drinking water supply
4. Protein replacement
5. Health care
6. Credit fund
7. Provided textbook for primary school
8. Improved access road
Dry Season Rice practices
Diesel pump in Nam Hinboun River
24
88
52
77
52 55
120 110
208
118
1.64 3.52 1.92 3.31 1.52
2004-2005 2005-2005 2006-2007 2004-2005 2005-2006
Kengkhot Khen
Dry season rice practice
Theun-Hinboun Garden Provision
Gardening practice THPC subsidies
46 48
75
19.2
32.2
57.6
Nasakong Kengkhot Kehen
Dry season garden practice in 2007-2008
HH practice(%) Area
Diesel pump
2. Diesel
3. Seed
4. Fruit tree seedling
Drinking water supply
Dug wells for every village
Nasakong still in use
Phakonko only one in new hamlet
Kengkhot 2 , 1 still use
Khen 2, but could not use few days after duged
Protein replacement
THPC provided: 1 pig, 10 chickens per village for Kengkhot and Khen villages.
The Improved livestock management program including:
• trained representative villagers of Veterinarians,
• supply veterinary equipment,
• supply vaccination and treatment livestock nutrition
Health Care Saving and Credit Fund
The program includes:
• free health checks,
• child health care
• training local give birth care
• providing mosquito net
• medicine cabinet for village
• birth control program
• child nutrition check
52%
3%
45%
Persent of total
Participant Not participant In dept
Others compensations
Improved access road in dry season
Provided textbooks for primary schools in academic
year 2005-2006
Theun Hinboun Expansion Project Since 2004, after 6 years THHP operation THPC has
proposed a new scheme to enlarge the hydropower
potential of the project (THXP)
The construction period for this expansion project is scheduled for 2009-2011 .
THPC has completed the final draft EIA, EMMP and RAP studies in 2007 to address the environmental and socio-economic issues arising from the cumulative impacts of THPP and THXP
One reason for proposing the expansion is that the impending completion of the Nam Theun 2 dam upstream on the Nam Theun will reduce the power generation at Theun Hinboun
THXP Location
THXP is composed of two main part:
A storage reservoir and a power
plant on the Nam Gnouang
upstream of Then Hinboun
Headpond
The dam side is located on the
Nam Gnouang arm of the Theun
Hinboun Headpond about 27 km
upstream of the existing THPP
diversion weir
The Roller Compacted Concrete
dam is high 65 m. The reservoir
will cover an area of about105 km2
THXP impact zone There are 6 zones
1. Reservoir 11 villages,
2. Head pond 6 villages
3. Recipient Rivers 69 village
4. Project Construction lands 50 villages
5. Upstream Areas 48 villages
6. Resettlement Areas 6 village
Total 190 villages, 9,011 families and 52,627 people.
The main potential impacts of THXP to
recipient rivers communities Environmental Impact:
1. Increased risk flood damage
2. Riverbank erosion
3. Increased sediment transport
4. Impact on water use and riverbank gardens
5. Water logging and degrading of floodplain vegetation
6. Loss of bottom fauna and fish species
7. Loss of riverine aquatic habitats and fish biodiversity
Social impact:
There are 69 village, 4,138 families, 24,154 people. 4
villages were relocated to Phoumakneng in 2009,
and another 5 villages relocated in Phousat last
year, and more12 villages will be relocated in 2
relocation sides in 2013 and 2014. The relocated
communities are:
Improve infrastructure
Loss of ancient villages, agriculture lands, and
other property due to relocation to higher places
Loss of opportunities to natural resources
THXP Compensation Packages for Relocation Communities THXP compensation packages plan
The compensation packages are included: relocation, infrastructure development and livelihood improvement
Relocation part: the THCP will support to relocation: relocation site planning, provide at least 500 m2 per HH, dismantling, compensate for non-salvageable materials, transport and technical assistance.
Infrastructure development included: water supply for domestic use to every HH, electricity connection to every HH, improve all season access road, small clinic, temple, and primary school with six rooms.
Livelihood improvement package: income targets average HH annual is 14,200,000 kip. (1) Forage Production and improved ruminant husbandry, (2) Pig and feed production and improved raising, (3) Poultry production for consumption and sale, (3) Fish and frog raising in ponds, (4) Cash crop production, (5) Cottage industry development, (6) Mixed Orchard/Plantations, (7) Rice production, and training program for villagers. In additional there are rubber plantation for villagers, mushroom training, organic fertilize production, and food distribution to the vulnerable
Concerns of the relocation issue
85% 81.70%
68.30% 67.30% 66.70%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Relocation assistance Agriculture land Relocation Facility Natural resource Loss of Property inpresent village
Percent
Percent
Villagers attitude of THXP compensation for relocation communities
Agree with compensation
from THXP 42%
Do not agree with THXP
compensation 58%
Chart Title
Conclusions Main socio-economic impact of THPP to recipient river
communities.
Loss wet season rice crop due to more frequency and long duration of flood.
Fish and aquatic declined
Loss of access to clean water due to effected from water discharge from Theun-Hinboun powerhouse
Loss of access to riverbank gardens practice due to Hinboun riverbank erosion
THPC compensation packages are:
No direct compensation
The PAPs livelihood restoration were unsuccessful
Conclusions (cont’)
Main socio-economic impact potential of THXP to recipient river communities
1. Loss of houses and structures
2. Impacts on agriculture land
3. Impacts on fishing
4. Health impacts
THXP compensation packages 1. Appear to be beneficial for livelihood improvement
2. The infrastructure improvement was delayed
3. There is no agriculture land available for relocated communities
Further studies can be evaluated of THXP compensation packages whether these can make the relocated communities live worst off or better off than before relocation .
3 Hydropower Projects Proposed in Nam Ngiep
Location of Nam Ngiep Hydropower Project.
Location of Nam Ngiep 1 The Nam Ngiep 1 Hydropower (NNHP 1) Project is located
on the Nam Ngiep River in central Lao PDR.
The main facilities of the project, the dam, re-regulating dam, and power generating plants, are planned to be located in Bolikhan District of Bolikhamxay . The main reservoir will cover parts of Xiang Khouang and Vientiane Provinces
The Project will create 2 dams; a main dam and a re-regulating dam with a combined capacity to produce 282.1 MW or 1508 GWh of electricity in total.
Dam height 163 m and 540 m length
Potential Impact Zone Zone 1: Upstream area 8 villages
Zone 2: Reservoir area 7 villages, 4 villages have to resettled
Zone 3: Construction area is one village
Zone 4: Downstream area 11 villages
Zone 5: Resettlement area 2 villages
Access road villages, 20.9 km
Transmission line 230 Kv, 130 km length trough 24 villages
Nam Ngiep 2 Hydropower Project location.
Main Features of the NN2 HPP Features Details
Installed capacity 180 MW(2X90 MW)
Annual average energy output 723GWh
Total reservoir volume 163Mm3
Regulation reservoir volume 119Mm3
Height of main dam 70.5m
Length of main dam axis 421.5m
NG 2 Impact Zone Zone 1: The area that upstream of the reservoir. There
are 2 villages, about 163 household and 1,111 populations.
Zone 2: The area reservoir. About 3 villages to be resettled from the NN2 Hp project development. There are about 106 household and 592 people in the area
Zone 3: The area that downstream of the reservoir. There are 5 villages, 292 household and about about 1,750 people
Zone 4: The potential resettlement site. 1 village 69 household and 384 people.
ຫາດຍ ື້ ນ
Conclusion Main Environmental Impact of Hydropower Development in
Laos
1. Forest cover declining
2. Change in river flow regime
3. Fish and aquatic declining
4. Water quality
Main Social Impact of Hydropower Development in Laos
1. Limitation of agriculture land
2. Limitation of natural resources: forest, fish and other aquatic resource
Thank you very much for your kind attention