Stung Treng – Cambodian premier Hun Sen on Monday opened the country’s largest hydropower scheme, swatting aside dire warnings about the environmental impact of the US$780 million project and its effect on local communities.
Backed by Chinese funding, the impoverished Southeast Asian nation has embarked on a dam-building spree in recent years, as it tries to boost its energy capacity and jump-start its economy.
But the 400 megawatt Lower Sesan 2 is one of several dams criticised by environmentalists for threatening crucial fish stocks along Mekong River waterways.