The building of a planned hydropower plant near Khone Phapheng waterfall in southern Laos is being hotly debated by developers and local tourism developers and local tourism officials, with the government expressing concern the plant will have a negative impact on tourism. One of the largest waterfalls in Asia, the Khone Phapheng is located on the Mekong River in Khong district, Champassak province, and is a perennial tourist draw. The Ministry of Energy and Mines kicked off a consultation workshop yesterday, aiming to allow developers of the Thakho hydropower project and tourism officials to discuss the possibility of developing both the power plant and local tourism. But the government also wants to develop Khone Phapheng waterfall and the surrounding area as one of the top tourist destinations in Laos. The developers of the Thakho Hydropower Project are Electricite du Laos, one of the largest state owned enterprises in Laos, and the French company CNR (Companie du Rhone). The two companies signed an agreement from a partnership for the Thakho hydropower project in September 2008 after gaining support from Champassak authorities to conduct a feasibility study and subsequently develop the project. The partners then signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Lao government at the end of 2009, obtaining legal backing to spend 18 months conducting the feasibility study and assessing the environmental impacts of the project in Khong district.
Source: Vientiane Times
