Efforts of Coordinating Joint Development of Hydropower Projects Within the Salween Basin
| Geolocation: | 23° 41' 43.6214", 98° 49' 42.4409" |
|---|---|
| Total Population | 66,000,000 millionmillion |
| Total Area | 320,000320,000 km² 123,552 mi² km2 |
| Climate Descriptors | Moist tropical (Köppen A-type), Humid mid-latitude (Köppen C-type), Continental (Köppen D-type), Moist, Monsoon |
| Predominent Land Use Descriptors | agricultural- cropland and pasture, industrial use, forest land, urban, urban- high density |
| Important Uses of Water | Agriculture or Irrigation, Fisheries - wild, Fisheries - farmed, Hydropower Generation, Livestock |
Contents
Summary
The Salween River (known as the Nu in Chinese) originates in the Tibetan plateau and drains an area of 320,000 km2 in China, Myanmar, and Thailand before it flows into the Gulf of Martaban. Totaling 2,413 kilometers, it is the longest undammed river in mainland Southeast Asia. More than 10 million people from at least 13 different ethnic groups depend on the Salween watershed for their livelihoods: fisheries are a major source of dietary protein, and the river's nutrients nourish vegetable gardens in the dry season and fertilize farmland. Despite the fact that studies since the 1950s have identified tremendous hydropower potential, the Salween is a relatively undeveloped basin-with only one major hydro-electric project at Baluchaung. However, it is likely that with economic development and more political integration in the region, development pressure in the river basin will increase, and there will be more demands to use the waters for irrigation, urban and industrial uses, and navigation. China, Myanmar, and Thailand do not yet have an agreement on the use of the Salween, thus allowing each of them free use of the river. Each of these countries has unilateral plans to construct dams and development projects along the Salween, but these sets of plans are not compatible.
Natural, Historic, Economic, Regional, and Political Framework
Figure 1. Map of the Salween River Basin. [1]
The Salween River (known as the Nu in Chinese) originates in the Tibetan plateau and drains an area of 320,000 km 2 in China, Myanmar, and Thailand before it flows into the Gulf of Martaban. Totaling 2,413 kilometers, it is the longest undammed river in mainland Southeast Asia. More than 10 million people from at least 13 different ethnic groups depend on the Salween watershed for their livelihoods: fisheries are a major source of dietary protein, and the river's nutrients nourish vegetable gardens in the dry season and fertilize farmland. The Nujiang, the section of the Salween that flows through China, is found in the Three Parallel Rivers area, a rich center of biodiversity recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Despite the fact that studies since the 1950s have identified tremendous hydropower potential, the Salween is a relatively undeveloped basin-with only one major hydro-electric project at Baluchaung. However, it is likely that with economic development and more political integration in the region, development pressure in the river basin will increase, and there will be more demands to use the waters for irrigation, urban and industrial uses, and navigation.
China, Myanmar, and Thailand do not yet have an agreement on the use of the Salween, thus allowing each of them free use of the river. Each of these countries has unilateral plans to construct dams and development projects along the Salween, but these sets of plans are not compatible. Since December 2002, the Myanmar Military and the Electricity Generation Authority of Thailand (EGAT) have been discussing the possibility of constructing large dam projects on the Salween. Thai and Myanmar officials have been working together discretely in an insurgent area where the Myanmar army has persecuted the Shan civilian population. This part of the Shan state is the operational base of the armed Shan nationalist resistance movement, which is opposed to the junta in Rangoon.
With an already large number of Shan people being forced from the region, environmental groups and local populations are worried that the dam project will only exacerbate the problem. But, as Myanmar has a serious need for energy and has also felt the effects of drought, the junta has been willing to cooperate with Thailand. Environmental groups expressed concerns about the ecological effects of the projects, and human rights advocates warned against co-investing with a military junta that is oppressive, unpredictable, and might not respect benefit-sharing agreements. Nonetheless, in August 2004, Thailand and Myanmar agreed to set up a joint venture to construct five hydro-powered dams in the Salween river basin, beginning with Tasang dam.
Meanwhile, in 2003 China announced plans to build a 13 hydropower projects on the Nujiang River in China. More than 80 environmental and human rights groups in Thailand and Myanmar petitioned China to consult downstream countries before proceeding with the project. In April 2004, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao purportedly suspended plans for the massive dam system, and ordered officials to conduct a review of the hydropower project and an environment impact assessment. However, Li Yunfei, the director of the Nu River Power Bureau, said he had not heard of any changes and was still working on the project. According to Chinese media, the 13 dams would have a total generating capacity of 21.32 million kilowatts. Since electricity shortages forced some factories to close this past summer, the promise of a new power facility capable of generating this much electricity is very tempting. China is relying heavily on hydropower to meet its soaring demand for electricity, and officials plan to triple installed hydroelectric capacity to 270,000 MW by 2020.
Issues and Stakeholders
Promoting and coordinating joint development of hydropower projects within the Salween Basin between the countries of Myanmar, Thailand, and China.
NSPD: Water Quantity, Water Quality, Governance, Assets
Stakeholder Types: Sovereign state/national/federal government, Environmental interest, Industry/Corporate Interest, Community or organized citizens
Analysis, Synthesis, and Insight
Individuals may add their own Analysis, Synthesis, and Insight (ASI) to a case. ASI sub-articles are protected, so that each contributor retains authorship and control of their own content. Edit the case to add your own ASI.
Learn moreASI:Joint Hydropower in the Salween Basin: insights from the Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database
Contributed by: Aaron T. Wolf, Joshua T. Newton, Matthew Pritchard (last edit: 12 February 2013)
- ^ Product of the Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database, Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University. Additional information about the TFDD can be found at: http://www.transboundarywaters.orst.edu.
