Pak Man Dam Case Study Flashcards
Location
The Mun River, 5.5km upstream from its confluence with the Mekong, in the province of Ubon Ratchathani, in Northeast Thailand.
Rivers
Mun
Mekong
Timeline
Construction began - 1989
Opening date - 1994
Aims
Before construction of the plant it was estimated that:
- The cost of the project would be $144 million
- The dam would produce 136mw of electricity
- 248 households would be displaced
In reality:
- Cost was $260 million dollars, a cost overrun of 68%
- Dam average power generation is 21mw
- 1700 households were displaced
Description
Height: 17 m
Length: 300 m
Width: 7.5 m
Power Capacity
Turbines: 4
Installed capacity: 136 MW
Annual generation: 290 GWh
Social Impacts
- The immediate impact of the dam was to flood 117 square kilometres of land and displace (move from home) around 3,000 families.
- In all around 25,000 villagers claim to have been affected by the dam.
- Protests were staged at the dam site and outside
- Government House in Bangkok. EGAT has paid out
- US$44.24 million in relocation compensation, plus US$15.8 million for loss of fisheries.
- The Mun River was once rich with all kinds of fish which supported the villagers’ way of life as freshwater fishermen.
- Since the dam’s completion nearly 2/3 of the fish have disappeared from the river because fish migration from the Mekong has been virtually blocked.
Economic Impacts
- The dam has not reliably produced the expected amount of electricity, making it economically unprofitable.
- Its target capacity of power generation was 136 megawatts (MW), which is enough to supply power for 5 large department stores.
- Due to insufficient water (the river suffers from droughts) the actual output of the dam has been less than half of its expected capacity.
- EGAT responded that such consistent electricity production was unnecessary, and that the dam was a useful source of electricity.
Environmental Impacts
- The dam blocked up the river and sediment, run off of pesticides, chemical fertilisers and industrial waste collected behind the dam creating a stagnant and toxic pool.
- In these conditions of the reservoir, few species of fish are able to survive, due to their high tolerance for pollution.
- The closing of the dam gates also raises water levels, flooding riverbank vegetation and preventing many plant species from growing
Political Impacts
- There were various organised protests after the construction of the dam
- In 1995, some of the protestors created the Assembly for the Poor, a non-governmental organization created with the goal of opening the Pak Mun dam. This organization became vital in organising protests around the dam and in Bangkok.
- In 2000, the Assembly for the Poor concerted a large series of protests that brought the issue of the dam to the world’s attention.
Outcomes of Protests of Pak Mun Dam
- Protests ultimately led to a decision by the government in 2001 to open the gates of the dam for 4 months of each year, with the goal of rebuilding the ecosystem of the river during that time and letting the villagers fish
- FAILURE!!! Damage to ecosystem
- It has been suggested that the failure of the Pak Mun dam and the ensuing protests are the main reason for new dams not being constructed in Thailand.
- Although this was not a goal of the protests, it can also be seen as a partial victory
- Overall, the government has paid out almost 500 million baht in compensation for the loss of fisheries livelihood
- If the question is on renewable energy - you can talk about how it influenced Thailand’s energy mix
Views of Different Groups on the construction of Pak Mun Dam
Local residents
- Overwhelmingly negative, creating decades of resentment and a complete disruption of lives
EGAT and the World Bank
- Capable of fulfilling additional energy demand in the region at peak times, therefore the scheme is justified
World Commision on Dams
- If all benefits and costs were assessed, it is unlikely that the project would have been built in the current context
Government
- Negative - overseas bad perception of Thailand, because of all the protests
Evaluation of the successes and failures of the dam.
Positives
- It brought a renewable supply of energy to Thailand.
Negatives
- There were delays in the construction of the dam and the price overran by a couple billion baht this cost the government more money which could be better spent in other sectors.
- No participation of locals in decision making process
- A poor Environmental Impact Assessment which did not forsee the impact on fisheries
- Careless decision-making from The World Bank
- Destruction of the livelihood of local residents
