SALWEEN WATCH HOTMAILOUT
March 24, 2000, Volume 5
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[Introduction]
(1)
TERRA: A Dam For Burma's Generals
(2)
PANYA CONSULTANTS: Hydropower Potential And Water Diversion
Form The Salween Basin
(3)
SHAN: The Salween Dam Mineral Survey Continues
(4)
SHAN: Wa's Applying for
Logging Concession In The Salween Dam Area
(5)
THE NATION: GMS Power to Kick-Start Laos Dam Project
(6)
IRN DAY OF ACTION - MARCH 14
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Dear
Friends,
Included
in this mailing are several documents that add to the growing material we are
collecting about the proposed Ta Sang Dam on the Salween River in Shan State, Burma. The TERRA article provides a good overview of
the situation and concrete reasons why the dam is a bad idea and should be
opposed. Panya
Consultants presented the paper that is included here at a conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand in September of last
year.
Unfortunately,
the organizers did not invite NGO's or people who are affected by the dams to
the conference. The paper is included
here to give insight into the builders' perspectives on the perceived benefits
of the dams and the plans under consideration for water diversion. The information included also confirms that a
German company, Lahmeyer International, conducted the
pre-feasibility study on the Ta Sang Dam.
The
Shan Herald Agency for News contributes two articles to this volume of the Salween Watch Hotmailout,
providing updated information on the logging and mining in the Dam area. In the article from The Nation, GMS Power
honorary adviser, Subin Pinkayan,
is cited, confirming that GMS is working directly with the Burmese on dam
projects. This mailing ends with the
announcement of our virtual protest against the Ta Sang Dam, a part of the
International Rivers' Network Day of Action earlier this month.
Check
out the IRN web site for a reminder that we have many allies who support our
fight for human rights and a sound environment.
Look for the announcement about the Salween
Watch's own website in the next Hotmailout. As always, if you have information you would
like to share with us or if you have any questions, we can be reached at
salweenwatch@hotmail.com.
Salween Watch 24 March, 2000
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(1) TERRA: A Dam For Burma's Generals
(From
Watershed: People's Forum on Ecology, Burma, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, Vietnam. Vol. 5 No. 2
November 1999 - February 2000, published by Towards Ecological
Recovery and Regional Alliance - TERRA)
A
Thai dam-building company is proposing the construction of a massive
hydroelectric dam on the Salween River in northeastern Burma. Tens of thousands of
local people have already been forcibly relocated from the site of the proposed
TA Sarong dam and its reservoir, by order of Burma's military
dictatorship.
"Recognising that there exist vast potential for joint
utilization of energy resources, particularly hydropower and petroleum
resources in the Union of Myanmar; for the mutual benefits of the peoples of
the Kingdom of Thailand and the Union of Myanmar...
"The
Government of the Kingdom of Thailand hereby agrees to cooperate with the
Government of the Union of Myanmar in the implementation of the policy to sell
power to Thailand, and would encourage the purchase of power by the Electricity
Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) or other agencies designated by the
Government of the Kingdom of Thailand to buy up to I,500
Megawatt [sic] of electricity power from projects in Myanmar by the year
2010. (Memorandum of Understanding
between the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Government or the
Union of Myanmar on the Power Purchase Program from the Union of Myanmar, 4
July 1997)
Two
months after the Thai government and Burma's military
dictatorship, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), signed this
Memorandum of Understanding, GMS Power Public Co. Ltd. signed a
contract with the SLORC's Myanmar Economic
Corporation to study the feasibility of building the Ta Sarng
hydroelectric dam on the Salween River.
With
a proposed dam height of 188 meters, Ta Sarng would
be the tallest dam in mainland Southeast Asia.* If built, it would be the first
dam to be built on the 2,400 kilometre-long
mainstream of the Salween River, the only remaining
free-flowing major river in the region. The 320,000 square kilometre
Salween River Basin is also the least
dammed of the region's major river basins. However, since the late 1970s,
Australian and Japanese consulting companies and Burmese and Thai state
agencies have produced seven major studies examining the possibility of
constructing large dams on the Salween.
GMS
Power is a subsidiary of Thailand's MDX Group of
companies. Through GMS, MDX is involved in dam projects in Cambodia, Lao PDR and China's Yunnan province. GMS contracted
Lahmeyer International, a German consulting firm, to
coordinate the prefeasibility study for the Ta Sarng project (completed April 1998) and the Electric Power
Corporation of Japan to oversee the project's feasibility study (completed
March 1999). The final stage of study has been described by a GMS spokesperson
as the "definite plan", presumably the detailed engineering design of
the project, which is scheduled to begin in December 1999.
Lahmeyer's prefeasibility study
indicates that the concretefaced rockfill
Ta Sarng dam, with an installed generation capacity
of 3,300 megawatts, would be located on the Salween River in the southern area
of central Shan State in northeastern Burma. GMS engineers claim
that the project's reservoir would flood an area of at least 640 square
kilometers, storing 36,100 million cubic meters of water -- approximately
one-third of the Salween's average annual flow
volume of 119,037 cubic metres.
The
Thai-Burma Memorandum of Understanding attempts to justify the construction of
large hydroelectric dams and other large-scale projects for electricity
generation in Burma "for the mutual
benefits of the peoples of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Union of
Myanmar". If nothing else, this statement ignores the experience with
large-scale energy sector-related infrastructure in both Thailand and Burma
(e.g., the Thai-Burma Yadana gas pipeline project,
which involved forced labour, extrajudicial murder and forced relocation
extensively documented and criticised intentionally)
and the destruction and human rights violations that go hand-in-hand with these
"development" projects. And that the promise of large-scale projects
to provide the State and its agents with the opportunity for enrichment occurs
at the expense of the citizens of these countries. The constant repetition of
the promises of "mutual benefit" derived from, for example, large
dams, therefore requires detailed examination.
How
to destroy a river
A
natural river ecosystem and its watershed have evolved together over thousands
of years, created by the natural flows of water, bio-mass and sediment through
the watershed and river. The construction of Ta Sarng
would destroy the delicate balance between the Salween, its tributaries and
watersheds. The Ta Sarng dam would also result in a
large, deep reservoir. The dam's blocking of the river and impoundment of water
in the reservoir would radically alter the natural flow and the ecological,
chemical and biological characteristics of the Salween River.
In
the project area, the reservoir would transform the free flowing Salween River into a deep, slow
moving or still water system, up to several hundred kilometers or more in
length. Decaying organic matter can create eutrophic
conditions in the reservoir leading to algae blooms, oxygen depletion and
massive fish kills. Water from the reservoir and directly downstream of the
reservoir is often unfit for human or animal consumption. The conditions of the
reservoir produces changes in the physical and chemical characteristics of the
water, including pH balance, turbidity, oxygen levels, and temperature both in
the reservoir and downstream of the dam when water is released through the
dam's turbines.
The
fishes of the Salween River Basin have evolved in a riverine system. If the river were transformed into a
reservoir, most of these fish species would be extirpated by the reservoir, as
will many of the fish species living downstream of the dam due to the
ecological impacts of altered water flow and the poor quality of water released
from the reservoir.
Seasonal
fish migrations in the area of the Salween River Basin affected by the
project would be prevented by the dam and the non-river habitat of the
reservoir, while there would be severe impact on fish migrations and
populations downstream of the dam, potentially along a stretch of the river
hundreds of kilometres downstream of the dam.
Forests
and fertile lowlands along the Salween River and in the tributary
valleys would be permanently submerged by the reservoir. Many of these areas
are used for seasonal cultivation of crops which serve the needs of local
families and communities. The reservoir will destroy the aquatic and
terrestrial animal habitat of the river and its valley, and radically alter
habitats downstream of the dam.
In
the reservoir, species of the riverine ecosystem are
likely to be replaced by other aquatic and water-dependent species able to
survive, and even
thrive, in the degraded habitats of the reservoir area. Along the edges of the
Ta Samg dam's reservoir, stagnant pools of water in a
large expanse of bare, moist land will be exposed in the area where the
reservoir water levels rise and fall on a periodic basis. Known as the
"draw-down" area, this new habitat is an ideal breeding ground for
malarial mosquitoes. Several forms of the world's most virulent,
treatment-resistant malaria are already endemic in areas of the Salween River Basin, including the
proposed site of the Ta Sarng project.
All
of these impacts would severely affect the means of livelihood security of
communities living along the Salween River. Evidence from large
dams built in Thailand indicates that the impacts of large dams on the means of
livelihood security of communities living upstream and downstream of large dams
is in many ways negative, reducing food supplies and opportunities to generate
income from farming and fishing and resulting in serious impacts on the health
of local people, particularly women, children and the elderly. Inevitably,
these same impacts will occur if the proposed Ta Sarng
hydroelectric dam is built on the Slween River.
How
to violate human rights
In
the Shan culture, the Salween is called the
"Nam Khong". The importance of the river
for the Shan people is illustrated by a popular Shan song by writer Sai Khorn Fah
which includes the phrase, "As long as the Nam Khong
flows, we will have Shan State."**
The
site of the proposed Ta Sarng dam and the lower area
of the reservoir are located within an 18,000 square kilometre
area of central Shan State in which more than 300,000 people have been forcibly
relocated by SLORC's [recently renamed the State
Peace and Development Council] army. While the forced removal of local
communities from their homelands in a proposed reservoir area is required by
the construction of large dam, only the proposal, and project studies for Ta Sarng have provided the SLORC/SPDC with the incentive to
forcibly relocate tens of thousands of families living along the Salween River where the dam and reservoir may be located.
A
recent interview with an ethnic Shan village person forcibly relocated from the
proposed reservoir area illustrates the close relations between local people
and their natural environment in the Salween basin and the
connection between forced relocation and the Ta Sarng
project.
Question:
Did many people in the area of your village catch fish in the river?
Answer:
Everyone fishes in the river! At least one person from every house goes out to
catch fish to eat and to sell in Kali [a nearby market town)...There are so
many fish in the Nam Pang! [tributary of the Salween There are lots of "ba
moong". These are big fish which people like to
eat. It is so easy to catch fish. In one day you can easily fill your canoe
with fish.
Q.
Have you heard that the Burmese government is planning to build a dam on the Salween River at Ta Sarng?
A.
Yes, I have heard of this. People in Kunhing
[relocation site] are saying it will definitely happen. The authorities have
said so. Everyone from Kengkham [township] is so
worried.
Q.
How would you feel about your village being underwater?
A.
I can't express what I feel. It would be worse than the death of my mother and
father.
As
the project proponent, GMS Power apparently hopes that the Electricity
Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) would purchase most or all of the
predicted 23,000 gigawatt hours (GWh,
23,000 billion kilowatt hours) that the Ta Sarng
project could generate. However, EGAT is not in a position to justify the
signing of a power purchase agreement (PPA) for Ta Sarng
as more than 30 per cent of its generating capacity (hydroelectric dams,
natural gas-fuelled plants, ete.) is presently unused
due to major reductions in the country's demand for electricity. In the absence
of a PPA, it is unlikely that GMS will convince international commercial banks
to provide the financing for the US$3.5 billion dam in the near future.
Nevertheless,
with feasibility studies completed and detailed design planning soon to begin,
a delay in the commencement of constructing Ta Sarng
as a result of reduced electricity demand in Thailand promises only to be
temporary. Successive Thai governments and State agencies have consistently
proven their willingness to do business with private-sector companies investing
in Burma and to attempt to
appease the SLORC/SPDC with the profits of large-scale infrastructure. Only
time will tell if Thai society will refuse to allow Thai governments, State
agencies and private companies to do business with the brutal military
dictatorship of the SLORC/SPDC and to condone the human rights violations and
environmental destruction caused by "development" projects like the
proposed Ta Sarng hydroelectric dam in Burma.
Endnotes
*For comparison, Thailand's tallest dam is the 154 meter Bhumibol
dam, while Vietnam's Hoa Binh
dam is 128 metres in height. ** SWAN, Shan Women's
Action Network Newsletter, No.1, September 1999.
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(2) PANYA CONSULTANTS:
Hydropower Potential And Water Diversion Form The Salween Basin
by Mr. Choolit Vatcharasinthu and Dr. M.S. Babel (September, 1999)
Workshop
on Trans-Boundary Waters: The Salween Basin
Organized
by AIT Regional Environmental Management Center - Oregon State University and University of Victoria
Sponsored
by United Nations University and International Water Resources Association Chiang Mai, Thailand 13-16 September, 1999
Hydropower
potential and water diversion from The Salween Basin
Mr. Choolit Vatcharasinthu
and Dr. M. S. Babel
[Some
sections of this paper have been omitted because of space and formatting
considerations. You will be able to read
the entire paper on the Salween Watch web site,
available in April, 2000 -- Salween Watch.]
1.
Introduction
2.The Salween Basin 2.1
Basic characteristics 2.2 Water resources
3.
Hydropower potential and development in Salween Basin
3.1 Main Salween River 3.1.1 Past studies 3.1.2
Recent work 3.2 Tributaries of Salween River
4.
The Chao Phraya Basin 4.1
Water resources 4.2 Water budget 4.3 Water demand and shortage
5.
Water diversion from Salween Basin 5.1 Water
diversion schemes 5.2 Benefit areas 5.3 Project impacts
6.
Conclusions and recommendations
References
Abstract:
This
chapter briefly describes the characteristics and water resources of the Salween Basin and reviews the work
that has been carried out to assess the hydropower development potential in the
basin. The article then presents an account of the water supply and demand
situation in the Chao Phraya
Basin of Thailand and emphasizes the need of water diversion from the Salween basin to meet a part
of water shortage in the Chao Phraya Basin. Several =water
diversion routes to bring water from the Salween
Basin to the Chao Phraya
Basin are described based on the recently concluded studies. The impacts of the
water diversion projects are also discussed. Some recommendations are made with
regard to water resources development in the Salween Basin.
Keywords:
Chao Phraya basin, hydropower
potential, Salween basin, water
resources, water diversion.
1.
Introduction
The
Salween River, an Asian
international river, originates from the Great Himalayas in Tibet. During its course,
the river travels through the south of the China, the east of Myanmar, the west of Thailand, and along the border
of Thailand and Myanmar. From the Thai
border, the river again flows in the territory of Myanmar before discharging
into the Andaman Sea. The Salween Basin has huge water
resources potential, which can be developed for hydroelectric power generation
and water use for different purposes within the basin or nearby basins. The
basin, therefore, can serve as a major source of water and energy for the
social and economic development of Myanmar and Thailand in the future. The
paper focuses on two aspects of water resources development: (i) the hydropower
potential/development in th
basin and (ii) the water diversion from the Salween Basin to the Chao Phraya Basin of Thailand.
2.
The Salween Basin
2.1
Basin characteristics
The
Salween River, also known as the
Than Lwin River is one of the major international
rivers in Southeast Asia. The main stem of the Salween river
originates in The Tangula Mountain in Tibetan plateau
in China. It traverses
southward through Yunnan Province of China, Shan and Kayah States of Myanmar, along The Myanmar-Thai border and
then through The Kayin State of Myanmar before
draining into the Gulf of Moattama (Martaban) of Andaman Sea at Moulmein.
The entire length of the river is about 2,400 km and the total drainage area of
the basin is about 320,000 km2. The watershed area is located in China (53 per cent), Myanmar (42 per cent) and Thailand (5 per cent) as shown
in figure 1.
In
the upper stretch of the river in Yunnan Province of
China, the river flows into the deep gorges with rugged and steep mountains.
The width of the river basin is just about 20 km at some places in the Yunnan Province.
Numerous
major tributaries, including Pang, Teng, Pawn, Hka and Hsim Rivers join the Salween River in Myanmar. At about 320 km from
the mouth, the river forms the boundary between Myanmar and Thailand for a distance of
about 120 km and then the Moei River (also named as Thaungyin), another important tributary which runs toward
northwest meets the Salween River. The Moei River also forms The
Thai-Myanmar border from its origin to the confluence with The Salween River.
From
the confluence with The Moei River, the river again
enters the territory of Myanmar in the Kayin State. Before discharging
into the Gulf of Moattama, several more
tributaries join The Salween River. The river passes
through the alluvial plain for a stretch of about 100-km from the mouth.
For
an approximate total distance of 2,400 km, the bed elevation of the Salween River drops by about 1,600
m. The average width of the basin, calculated as the catchment
area divided by the length, is 133.3 km. This makes the length-width ratio of
18. Only a few rivers in the world have such a high length-width ratio.
2.2
Water resources
The
climate of the basin is influenced by both southwest monsoon in summer (May to
October) and northeast monsoon (November to April) in winter. The middle and
downstream reaches of the Salween River and the Moei River basins belong to a typical
tropical monsoon. The annual precipitation within the Salween River basin ranges widely from
around 1,200 mm in the midstream area to over 2,000 mm in the upstream and
downstream areas. But, in the coastal areas of the basin, the annual rainfall
is as high as 4,000 to 5,000 mm.
Stream
flow data for the Salween River are very sparse.
There are only two gauging stations, namely, SWNl4 in Thailand and Hpa-An in Myanmar, on the main stream
of the Salween River. However, several
gauging stations have been established on the tributaries in the territories of
Thailand.
Table
1 [omitted] provides the summary of hydrologic data recorded at the selected
gauging stations in the basin. [ ... ]
Since most of the basin area is mountainous, the specific yield is
relatively high and varies from 0.014 to 0.081 m3/s/km2
in the wet season (June-November) and from 0.003 to 0.010 m3/s/km2 in the dry
season (December-May).
[
... ]
An
examination of table 1 clearly illustrates that the basin has abundant water
resources, which can be exploited for utilization within the basin for
irrigation development or by diverting water to the nearby basins in Thailand where the water
shortages are being faced due to extensive agricultural development and
increased demand of water from non-agricultural sectors. The topography of the
basin and longitudinal profiles along the Salween River and its tributaries
imply that there is a huge hydropower potential to be tapped for meeting the
ever increasing energy demand of Thailand and Myanmar.
3.
Hydropower potential and development in Salween Basin
3.1
Main Salween River
3.1.1
Past studies
In
the past, several studies of hydropower development on the Salween River were carried out by
the Governments of Myanmar and Thailand or by the
international consultants. Due to non-availability of hydrologic, topographic
and other necessary data, the earlier studies were mainly based on the very
limited data, information collected during the field reconnaissance. The
studies conducted in the past are listed below:
1.
"Desk Study on the Possibility of Development of a Hydroelectric Project
on Salween River" in 1979 by the
National Energy Administration (NEA). Thailand. 2. "Salween Multipurpose
Project" for EGAT in 1980 by Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation
(SMEC), Australia. 3. "Salween Multipurpose Project:
Conceptual Plan" in 1981 by the Energy Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT). 4.
"Report on Possible Development Plan of Salween River" in 1981 by
Nippon Koei Co., Ltd. (NK), Japan. 5. "Desk Study
on Possible Hydropower Projects on Salween River" in 1990 by the Myanmar Electric Power
Entries (MEPE), Myanmar. 6. "Preliminary
Study on Hydropower Projects on River Bordering Thailand -Myanmar" in 1992 by the
Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. (EPDC), Japan. 7. "Preliminary Study
of Hydroelectric Power Development Project in the Middle Reaches of the Salween River" in 1993 by
Nippon Koei Co.. Ltd. (NK), Japan.
Studies
Nos. 1, 2, 3 and part of 5 were preliminary investigations carried out with the
main objective of assessing the hydroelectric power and irrigation development
potentials in the lower reaches of the Salween River along the boundary
between Myanmar and Thailand or near the
confluence with the Moei River. Studies Nos. 4 and 6
provided the overall development plan of the Salween River, downstream of the
boundary between Myanmar and China. Study No. 7 dealt
with the hydroelectric power development scheme for the middle reaches of the Salween River in Myanmar.
The
hydropower projects recommended by these desk studies are located in the plan
and profile of the Salween River in figures 2 and 3,
respectively. The summary of the past hydropower development studies on the Salween River is provided in table
2. As of now, there is no hydropower plant on the Salween River. The proposed dam
locations are nearer to each other in some of the studies, which were conducted
independently and at different times. According to an estimate, a total of
about 12,000 MW can be installed along the Salween River.
3.1.2
Recent work
The
preliminary studies for two hydropower development projects on the Salween River have recently been
completed for the Union of Myanmar. They are the Hutgyi
hydropower project and the Ta Sang hydropower project.
The
study of Hutgyi hydropower project was completed in
August 1998 (MEPE, 1998). The dam is located at about 33 km downstream of the Moei confluence. It covers a watershed area of 311,093 km2
with a mean discharge of 4,105 m3/s. The project is
designed as a run-of river type power plant to utilize the available high
discharge. The pondage will be created with the help
of a concrete gravity dam 37 m high at the crest elevation of 51 m MSL. The
normal high water level (NHWL) is set at 48 m MSL to avoid any influence to the
Thai border. The firm discharge of 1,420 m3/s and a design head of 24.2 m will
utilize a total installed capacity of 300 MW (8 units of 37.5 MW) to generate
an annual energy of 2.148 GWh. The transmission line
of 230 kV from the Hutgyi power station to Thaton in Myanmar is about 70 km and to
the Tak 2 substation in Thailand is about 250 km.
[
... ]
The
pre-feasibility study of Ta Sang hydropower project was prepared by LAHMEYER
INTERNATIONAL for the Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), The Union of Myanmar
(MEC, 1998). The Ta Sang dam on Salween is in the
southern part of the Shan State in the Union of Myanmar near the Ta Sang ferry
crossing 370 km east of Taunggyi on National Road No.
45 and 130 km from the check point BP-I on the Thai border, about 150 km north
of Chiang Mai in Thailand. The dam catchment area is
207,000 km2. The concrete-faced rockfill dam with a
maximum height of 188 m and a total storage volume of 36,100 MCM at the full
supply level of 350 m MSL has been proposed. The design discharge of 2583 m3/s
and the rated head of 142 m with an installed capacity of 3500 MW will generate
an annual energy of 23,006 GWh. The transmission line
of 500 kV from the project to the Myanmar substation at Pyimnana will be 350 km whereas it will be only 130 km to
the substation at Chiangmai in Thailand. The Ta Sang project
is being studied for its feasibility by the Electric Power Development Co.,
Ltd. (EPDC), Japan for the Government of
Myanmar.
3.2
Tributaries of Salween River
Throughout
its length in Myanmar, a number of large
tributaries enter the Salween River with steep slopes or
sizable cascades. Consequently, there exists a large hydropower potential on
the tributary rivers. However, in most of the cases, the proper locations of
the hydropower projects are in the remote areas of the country, which are far
from the existing power markets. This makes the hydropower development a
relatively economically less attractive as an energy source at this point of
time. However, it is expected that with relatively less adverse environmental
impacts of hydropower projects compared to the thermal power projects and the hydro-energy
being renewable source, these isolated projects will be implemented in the near
future.
Table
3 lists the status of hydropower development projects/studies on the
tributaries of the Salween River. So far only two
hydropower stations with a total installed capacity of 196 MW have been
constructed on the Pawn River, a major tributary of
the Salween River on the right hand
side. One more hydropower-project on the Pawn River is presently under
feasibility study. In the lower basin, thee hydropower projects
have been studied and proposed on the Moei River
(EPDC, 1992).
Table 3. Status of hydropower development on tributaries
of Salween River
1. (Project Name) Baluchaung
No. 1, (Sub-basin) Pawn, (Installed capacity) 28 MW, (Annual energy) 177 GWh, (Remarks) Operational since 1998 2. Baluchaung No.2, Pawn, 168 MW, 1080
GWh, Operational since 1962 3. Baluchaung No.3, Pawn, 48 MW, 327 GWh,
Feasibility study 4. Yunzalin, Yunzalin,
530 MW, 1540 GWh, Desk study 5. Teng Falls, Teng, 123 MW, - , Desk
study 6. Moei 1, Moei River, 110 MW, 244, GWh,
Preliminary study 7. Moei 2, Moei River, 230 MW, 523 GWh, Preliminary study 8. Moei 3,
Moei River, 288 MW, 630 GWh,
Preliminary study
The
map studies have indicated a huge potential of hydropower development on the
other tributaries as well as in the middle reaches of the Salween River. However, there has
been no systematic study taken up till now jointly or independently by any of
the parties concerned. It is, therefore, recommended that a comprehensive and
systematic master plan study for the hydropower development in the basin be
taken up which will be useful for the development and management of energy resources
in China. Myanmar and
Thailand.
4.
The Chao Phraya Basin
The
most important and largest river basin in Thailand is the Chao Phraya Basin. The basin is the
heart of the agricultural and economic activities in the country. The demand of
water for agricultural and nonagricultural sectors has increased rapidly in
recent years and the basin often faces acute shortages of water, especially in
the dry season.
[ omitted ]
5.
Water diversion from Salween Basin
The
Government of Thailand has realized the problem of water shortage in the Chao Phraya Basin and has taken
necessary steps to overcome the problem. The department of Energy Development
and Promotion (DEDP), Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of the
Government of Thailand, has initiated a project to examine the possibility of
diverting water from the Salween River and its tributaries,
mainly the Moei River to augment the flow
into the Bhumibol Reservoir. The pre-feasibility of
the "Moei - Salween - Chao
Phraya Diversion Project" was prepared by Panya Consultants Co., Ltd. (DEDP. 1995). Several
alternative diversion routes have been considered and analyzed to bring water
from the Salween River and from the Moei River to the Bhumibol Reservoir. Another route from the Moei River to Bhumibol Reservoir via die Mae Song Dam was recently
studied for its feasibility by Aggie Consult Co., Ltd. (DEDP, 1996).
5.1
Water diversion schemes
Based
on these studies, the four promising water diversion routes, two from the Salween River and two from the Moei River to the Bhumibol Reservoir are as follows:
Route
1: Salween - Upper Yuam - Bhumibol Reservoir Route 2: Salween
- Mae Lama Luang - Bhumibol
Reservoir Route 3: Moei - Huai
Khanaeng Dam - Bhumibol
Reservoir Route 4: Moei - Mae Song Dam - Bhumibol Reservoir
These
four diversion routes are depicted in figure 4.
The summary of main project features of the water diversion schemes from
the Salween River are given in table 9
and from the Moei River are given in table
10. These alternative water diversion routes are briefly described below.
[ omitted ]
5.2
Benefit areas
Any
one or more of the alternative diversion schemes presented above, if
implemented, will benefit the Chao Phraya Basin of Thailand as a whole to a great extent in
solving the frequently faced water shortage problem in the basin. Figure 5
[omitted] shows the location of existing large dams and irrigation projects in
the Chao Pluaya Basin. The direct benefit
in terms of water use for irrigation purposes, however, should concentrate in the
Ping River Basin and the Chao Phraya Delta area where the
water scarcity is critical, especially in the dry
season (see Table 8).
The
preliminary simulation study was conducted with one diversion from Salween (Route 2) and one
from Moei (Route 3) to Bhumibol
to estimate additional area which can be irrigated. The results indicate that
with the total diversion volume of about 3,500 MCM, an additional area of about
0.27 million ha (1.7 million rai) can be irrigated in
the Chao Phraya Basin in the dry season
(RID. 1999).
The
diversion schemes 2 and 3 will only partly meet the estimated water shortage of
6,164 MCM in Chao Phraya in
20 years from now (see Table 8). The Government of Thailand has to identify
other sources to further increase the water supply in the basin from other
nearby basins or reduce the water demand within the basin by improved water
resources management.
5.2.1
Upper and lower Ping areas
[ omitted ]
5.
2. 2 Chao Phraya Delta
[ omitted ]
5.3
Project impacts
The
water diversion project will have both positive and negative impacts. The major
positive impact of the project would be the increased and assured water availability
in the Chao Phraya Basin, especially in the
dry season. However, the construction of project facilities will adversely
affect the environment surrounding them.
The
increased water availability will benefit die dry season cultivation, domestic
water supply, salinity control, navigation and industrial uses in the Chao Phraya Basin. The incremental
volume of water flowing into the Bhumibol Reservoir
because of water from the Routes 2 and 3 will be in the order of 3,500 MCM per
year. This amount is only about three per cent of the average annual flow in
the Salween River. Figure 6 depicts the
water level in Bhumibol without and with combined
diversion from the Salween River (Route 2) and the Moei River (Route 3). Moreover,
the diversion schemes 2 and 3 will generate additional energy of 1,152.0 GWh at the Bhumibol power plants.
The
benefit in terms of improved water availability will, however, occur at a
certain cost of environmental degradation. Undesirable environmental impacts of
the water diversion projects will mainly be due to the construction of dam and
appurtenant structures, reservoir area, diversion tunnel, and transmission
line. These development activities will have impact on people, reserved forest
and watershed area. More in-depth study on environmental impact assessment is
required to evaluate and quantify the project impacts and to suggest
appropriate mitigation measures to minimize the adverse environmental impacts.
6.
Conclusions and recommendations
The
Salween River is a virgin river
with plenty of water resources. The available high flows in the river and its
tributaries suggest tremendous potential of water resources development in the
basin. The topography of the basin favors hydroelectric power development along
the river and its tributaries. It is estimated that there is a total hydropower
potential of about 12,000 MW on the Salween River alone. The basin can
play a major role in supplying hydro-energy to serve the demand of electricity
in Thailand and Myanmar in the future. Therefore,
a systematic master planning study to come up with a realistic hydropower
development plan for the Salween Basin is urgently required.
The
Salween River and its tributaries
can provide water to the nearby basins where severe water shortage will occur
due to increased economic development activities. From Thailand's perspective, an
annual water diversion of about 3,500 MCM from the Salween and Moei Rivers together to the Chao Phraya River will help improve the
water supply situation, especially during the dry season. About 0.27 million ha
(1.7 million rai) of additional area can be irrigated
in the dry season in the Chao Phraya Basin with the diverted
water. It is worth mentioning that the diversion volume of 3,500 MCM is only
about three per cent of the total annual flow in the Salween River and hence the
diversion projects will not affect the flow regime and downstream demand in the
Salween Basin. The feasibility
study of the water diversion schemes, however, should consider pumping from the
Salween and Moei Rivers only in the wet
season so that the dry season flows in the rivers are not affected. Moreover,
the ratio of amount of pumping to the flow in the Salween River or Moei River should be in
proportion to its catchment area lying in Thailand to the total catchment area.
Since
the catchment area of the Salween Basin encompasses three
countries. viz., China, Myanmar and Thailand, the water resource
development in the basin should be based on mutual benefit and exchange of
information among the parties concerned. A sound basin-wide approach should be
adopted for planning, development and management of water resources for
sustainable development and to tackle all possible environmental problems. Due
consideration should be given to the social and environmental impacts,
trans-boundary water issues, and water rights, laws, legislation and policies
of these countries. An institutional framework should be developed at different
levels in order to meet the long-term objectives of water resources development
and management.
Acknowledgements
The
authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to the Department of
Energy Promotion and Development (DEDP), Ministry of Science, Technology. and Environment, Royal Thai Government for permitting us to
use some of the data and information from the pre-feasibility study of
"The Moei Salween -Chao Phraya Diversion
Project" in the paper. Sincere appreciation is also expressed to Prof. Ashim Das Gupta of the Asian
Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand for providing
valuable comments to improve the quality of the article.
References
Department of Energy Development and Promotion (DEDP). 1996. Feasibility
Study of Moei - Mae Song - Bhumibol
Reservoir Diversion Project, Final Report, prepared by Aggie Consult Co., Ltd.,
Bangkok. Thailand.
Department of Energy Development and Promotion (DEDP). 1995. The
Pre-feasibility Study of The Moei - Salween - Chao
Phraya Diversion Project, Final Report, prepared by Panya Consultants Co., Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand.
Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT). 1998. Personal
communication and supply of data by EGAT from their archive.
Electric
Power Development Co., Ltd. (EPDC). 1992. Preliminary Study on Hydropower
Projects on Rivers Bordering Thailand-Myanmar, Final Report. prepared
for NEA of Thailand and MEPE of Myanmar.
Myanmar
Economic Corporation (MEC). 1998. Pre-feasibility Study Ta Sang Hydropower Project
in the union of Myanmar, Final Report,
prepared by LAHMEYER INTERNATIONAL. Germany.
Myanmar
Electric Power Enterprise
(MEPE).
1998. Preliminary Feasibility Study of Hutgyi
Hydropower Project in the Union of Myanmar, Final Report, prepared by NEWJEC
INC., Japan.
Royal
Irrigation Department (RID). 1999. Chao Phraya Water Management Project, Draft Final Report,
prepared by Panya Consultants Co., Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand.
World
Resources Institute (WRI). 1996. World Resources 1996-97, a joint publication
by WRI, UNEP, UNDP, and WB, Oxford University Press.
List
and explanation of abbreviations and acronyms GWh Giga watt-hour ha Hectare km
Kilometer(s) km2 Square
kilometer(s) km3 Cubic kilometer(s)
kW Kilo-watt m Meter(s) m3
Cubic meter(s) m3/s Cubic meters
per second MCM Million cubic meters
MSL Mean Sea Level MW Mega watt(s) rai Thai unit of area measurement (1 ha = 6.25 rai) UNDP United
Nations Development Programme UNEP United Nations Environment Programme WB World
Bank WRI World
Resources Institute
********************************************
(3) SHAN HERALD AGENCY
FOR NEWS (SHAN): The Salween Dam Mineral Survey Continues
March 17, 2000
Since
November, a geological survey to ascertain mineral potential along the Salween basin has been going
on, said a S.H.A.N. source from the north.
Dr.
Min Sway from the Department of Geology, University of Rangoon, and his team went
into the Tasang area, between Mongton Township, eastern Shan State, and Mongpan Township, southern Shan State, on 8 November with
the drilling team of GMS Power from Bangkok.
The
team of 4 led by Dr. Min Sway was reported in Nawnglurh,
a village halfway between Tasang and Mongpan again on 18 February doing a survey under
protection from LIB 520 (Mongpan) commanded by Maj.
Myo Kyaw.
According
to the latest report, the team was up in the north in Loisang-Namlam,
south of Tangyan, under the escort of LIB 507 (Lashio) on 8 March.
Details
of their findings are not in the report.
The
Shan State is reported to be the
richest in natural resources in Burma. A GMS source told
S.H.A.N. that it would want to excavate all the marketable minerals in the
expected flood area before the dam is finished.
A
Thai team, led by Dr. Suphorn Khuttathep
from Chiangmai University, is expected to
conduct a socio-environmental impact assessment in the coming months.
The
dam project on the Salween has been facing
opposition both from the groups in the Shan State and environmental
organizations since the outset in late 1998.
///END\\\
For
further information, please contact S.H.A.N. at: Shan Herald Agency for News. P.O. Box. 15, Nonghoi P.O., 50007,
Chiangmai, Thailand e-mail: <shan@cm.ksc.co.th
S.H.A.N.
is a non-profit, independent Shan media group. It is not affiliated to any
political or armed organization.
********************************************
(4) SHAN HERALD AGENCY
FOR NEWS: Wa's Applying for
Logging Concession In the Salween Dam Area
March 17, 2000
It
was learned recently that the "Red Was" applied for logging
concession in the Tasang dam project area in return
for the cost incurred in road construction in eastern Shan State.
Wei Hsaitang, the commander of
the Wa Special Brigade in Monghsat,
on 25 November 1999, applied to Major
general Thein Sein, Triangle Regional Command (Kengtung), for permission to log the forest in Mongpulong, north of Tasang, the
projected Salween dam site, according
to a source close to the United Wa
State Army.
In
his application, Wei stated that his brigade had been
spending "considerable amount of funds" for the construction of Hsaikhao and Mongkied concrete
bridges, the rehabilitation of the Monghsat - Mongyang Nawngkhio -Mongpiang road and the preparation to build the Loikha - Mongpulong road.
He
also stated that the brigade would need to get back some of the funds in order
to use in the development of Loisarmsao (headquarters
of the southern command) and Banhoong (Wei Xuegarg's HQ) in Monghsat.
Accordingly,
he asked Gen Thein Sein to approve the logging of
10,000 tons of hard wood in Mongpulong.
According
to the documents in possession of S.H.A.N., the UWSA received permission on 20
February to cut 500 tons of hard wood.
Both
the local people and the environmentalists fear destruction of the remaining
forests and more forced relocations of the people in the area.
///END\\\
For
further information, please contact S.H.A.N. at: Shan Herald Agency for News
P.O. Box. 15 Nonghoi P.O., 50007, Chiangmai, Thailand e-mail: <shan@cm.ksc.co.th
S.H.A.N.
is a non-profit, independent Shan media group. It is not affiliated to any
political or armed organization.
********************************************
(5) THE NATION: Gms Power to Kick-Start Laos Dam Project
February 12, 2000
by Nareerat Wiriyapong
and Pichaya Changsorn
(from The BurmaNet News, Issue
#1464, February 16, 2000)
After
two years of delay, GMS Power Co aims to kick-start its Nam Ngum
III hydropower project in Laos and is looking for
foreign partners and financing with the hope of beginning construction early
next year.
Although
its parent company, the MDX Group, has not yet been able to solve its debt
problem, GMS Power is optimistic it can progress with the US$600-million
hydroelectric project.
GMS
Power honorary adviser Subin Pinkayan
said the project would be helped by the company's successful completion in
April 1998 of a previous dam in Laos - the Nam Theun Hinboun dam. He said the
210-megawatt dam had a good operating record and could generate some funding to
partially finance the new venture.
Laos had attracted a lot
of interest from Thai and international investors interested in hydro-electric
power development following a bilateral agreement under which Thailand has agreed to buy
3,000 megawatts (MW) of power by 2006. But the recent economic crisis severely
hit Thailand's electricity demand
and put a hold on several projects, including the Nam Ngum
III.
However,
deputy prime minister Supachai
Panitchpakdi, in his address to a Greater Mekong
Sub-region workshop held in Bangkok on Thursday, said Thailand should promote
regional co-operation by speeding up its negotiations on power-purchase
agreements with Laos concerning dam
projects.
Supachai also told reporters that he had just come back
from Laos, where he looked into
ways to expand bilateral co-operation.
"Laos was also hit hard by
the regional crisis as its currency has depreciated considerably. Therefore, we
should speed up the signing of power-purchase contracts. Wood is another
potential market worth exploring. Presently, Laos does not like to
export timber, but there is the possibility of it developing a wood-processing
industry, whose end products we could import to service our furniture
industry," Supachai said. Subin
said GMS Power, which hopes to complete the 450 MW Nam Ngum
III project by 2004, would soon open bidding for the project.
He
said the Asian Development Bank and Japan's Overseas Economic
Co-operation Fund would be approached to put up 70 per cent of the total cost.
For
the remainder, GMS Power would look for foreign partners to participate in the
project. Subin said that negotiations with a Japanese
power company were underway.
"Hydro-power
plants could become a major source of income for the Greater Mekong Sub-region
(GMS), which has vast resources when looking at hydro-electric power. Income
from the Theun Hinboun
plant, for example, accounts for roughly 8 per cent of Laos' gross domestic
product," he said.
Thailand would retain its
status as the main outlet for electricity produced from GMS countries as its
economic growth was now in the black again, Subin
said. Thailand, which saw a 13 per
cent per year growth in electricity consumption prior to the economic crisis,
has signed memorandums of understanding to purchase another 3,000 MW of
electricity from China, and 1,500 MW from Burma.
He
said apart from Laos, GMS Power also has a
1,500 MW Jinghong hydropower project in Yunnan, China, for which a
feasibility study has been completed. As For Burma, Subin
said the company was working with the Myanmar Electricity Planning Enterprise
and Myanmar Economic Corp to lay down the foundations for a successful
partnership concerning dam projects.
Burma has several potential
sites for hydropower projects on the Than Lwin River
and its tributaries.
The
GMS covers Burma, China's Yunnan province, Cambodia, Lao, Vietnam, and Thailand.
********************************************
(6) IRN DAY OF ACTION
- MARCH 14
On
March 14, Salween Watch participated in the
International Rivers Network International Day of Action with a virtual
protest. Below is the announcement:
On
March 14th, river activists from around the world unite for the International
Day of Action Against Dams and for Rivers, Water and
Life. The day was announced by the participants of the First International
Meeting of People Affected by Dams held in Curitiba, Brazil in 1997. March 14th
is the Brazilian Day of Struggles Against Dams.
By
acting together we: (1) Strengthen local groups by linking them to the global
network of dam fighters and river protectors; (2) Show the world a diverse,
world-wide movement dedicated to the health of rivers and the people that
depend on them; and (3) Discover equitable and sustainable ways to manage our
waterways.
For
more information, visit our web page at www.irn.org/dayofaction
"Don't
Dam the Salween" - A Virtual
Protest
Salween Watch is a coalition
of organizations and people affected by and concerned about the planned damming
of the Salween River in Burma. The coalition, which includes Shan, Karenni, and Karen people of Burma as well as NGO's
supporting these communities, is strongly opposed to the dam and its
accompanying environmental degradation.
We do not want our villages relocated to make room for the enrichment of
the illegitimate government of Burma and the Thai businesses. We do not want to endure the forced labor
that will surely come with such a large development project. We would also like to challenge the Thai
developer, GMS, regarding the ethics of building a dam in partnership with the
Burmese military government, whose track record of human rights abuses,
especially around development projects, is atrocious.
Unfortunately,
our participation in the May 14 Day of Action Against Dams can only consist of
a virtual protest through this forum because of severe repression by the State
Peace and Development Council, whose tactics against resistance typically
include torture, rape, imprisonment, and extrajudicial killings.
(For
more information, please contact salweenwatch@hotmail.com. A web site with more information on the
damming of the Salween River will be available
soon.)
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