Laos hydro-power plans threaten the Mekong
Updated
Laos plans to become a regional energy superpower by using the Mekong River.
The government of Laos plans to capitalize on 55 hydro-electric dams built on the Mekong and other rivers that crisscross Laos, to turn itself into what the Commerce minister calls "the battery of Asia". But, as well as a source of foreign currency, the dams are a source of tension with Laos's downstream neighbours. And they are also a source of criticism from environmentalists worried about their effects on the mighty Mekong river.
Presenter: Sen Lam
Speaker: Zoe Daniel, Southeast Asia correspondent
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