Mar 24, 2005 - Emergency Action: World Bank should not finance dam in Laos
Dear Members of Global Response’s “Quick Response Network Please join Laotian communities and our partner organizations International Rivers Network and Environmental Defense in this campaign to stop World Bank funding for a new dam in Laos. A model letter and email address follow the alert. Note: emails must be sent this week to influence the World Bank decision, due March 31. Thanks for supporting this campaign. ***************************************************************************** Laotian Farmers and Fishermen Threatened by World Bank Scheme -
Stop Nam Theun 2 Dam!
In the next month, the World Bank Board of Directors will decide on whether or not to support the controversial Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Project in Laos. You can influence that World Bank’s support for Nam Theun 2 by asking the US government to oppose the project when it comes to the Board for approval. The Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Project would displace 6,200 indigenous people living on the Nakai Plateau and would destroy the livelihoods of another 100,000 people living downstream of the dam. The reservoir would flood the habitats of numerous endangered species, including one of the last wild herds of Asian elephants. The experience with hydropower projects in Laos has shown that Lao government lacks the capacity and the political will to manage a project as large and risky as Nam Theun 2. As a result of dams built over the past 8 years, tens of thousands of Laotians lack sufficient food to eat, clean water to drink and income to meet basic needs. These people have never been compensated for their losses. There is no guarantee that those affected by Nam Theun 2 would not meet the same fate. Laos is a one-party state that has no independent media or civil society organizations and no freedom of expression rights. Lao citizens are unable to openly oppose Nam Theun 2 for fear of government reprisal. That’s why your involvement is so important! Take action today to stop Nam Theun 2: - Send a message to US Treasury Secretary John Snow urging the US government to oppose the project at the World Bank Board of Directors.
For more information on Nam Theun 2, go to: http://www.irn.org/programs/mekong/namtheun.html LETTER: To: Secretary John Snow, US Treasury Secretary, john.snow@do.treas.gov.
Dear Secretary Snow
Stop Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Project
I am writing to express my opposition to World Bank financing for the billion-dollar Nam Theun 2 hydropower project in Laos. I urge the US government to vote no on Nam Theun 2 at the World Bank Board of Directors.
Profits would flow to French and Thai shareholders while six thousand indigenous people will be forced to move onto land that is infertile and unfit for farming. Fisheries in two rivers would be disrupted by the dam's operations, destroying the livelihoods of another 60,000 to 100,000 people. And dozens of endangered species, including one of the last wild herds of Asian elephants, would be pushed closer to the brink of extinction.
The Lao government has not proven it is able to handle the risks of the project, and the World Bank has published only vague details for how the revenues from the project would be managed to alleviate poverty in Laos.
The Bank claims that the dam is necessary for reducing poverty and saving wildlife. But ending poverty does not begin by destroying people's land and livelihoods.
Please learn from history and stop the World Bank from promoting such destructive projects.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
***************************** Paula Palmer, Executive Director Global Response PO Box 7490 Boulder CO 80306 USA Tel +303/444-0306 Global Response organizes effective international letter-writing campaigns to protect the environment and the rights of indigenous peoples. See action alerts for adults, teens and children at www.globalresponse.org.
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