Hydropower dam impacts could larger than you expected
One of the main problems of Myanmar is Natural resources exploitation. Myanmar is one of the rich natural resources countries in Southeast Asia. That is why we are facing a lot of problem related natural resources. A lot of foreign investments are coming along the country as well. Not surprisingly, most of them from China. Most of them are invest in hydropower sector. The government is also focus on energy and electricity production in order to country development. There are so many dams built in the previous twenty years for irrigation and electricity purposes. At the present, there are more than 10 mega hydropower dam will be build at the end of the 2030. One noticing thing is most of the mega projects are located in ethnic areas and conflict zones. Many propose dams are exist on the mainstream. The government and investors only talk about the development but lack of community benefit, rights and environmental degradation. Some people say that hydropower is clean and green energy but my personal believe is hydropower can cause the most damage not only environment but also culture.
There are so many impacts people have been suffering in the previous years because of dams. In 2015, there was happened recorded serious flood. When we find out the curse of the problem, it start from dams. The climate is changing, it is different from last twenty years. Nowadays, we got a lot of heavy rain during rainy season but very drought in dry season. The government even say dams are prevent flooding but 2015 flood in Myanmar was happened because of dam. So many dam received a lot of water and it cannot control the water level. Therefore, dam opens the water gate without any announcement to public. Official record, 103 people death and more than 1,000,000 people effected by flood. So many houses, schools, farm landa, religious buildings, roads and bridges were destroyed. People did not get immediate support from the government. Later on, a lot of unaffected people involved to support flood victims because the government support is not enough. Another specific one is about Upper Paung Laung Hydro power dam. It is located in northern Shan state. When the Upper Paung Laung dam construction complete, (24) villages, (2524) household, 10,000 people, (2147) acres were relocated and so many religious building, cultural place and thick and rich ecological forests were flooded. So many trees are also cut down upstream. When rainy season arrive, people are start to worry about flood now. This is not natural disaster, it is human made disaster. This is a consequence of the country development as well.
This hydropower dams issues is happening all over the ethnic regions. I live in Karenni state and there is a proposed mega hydropower dam on the Salween River. Salween is one of the international rivers and the last free flowing river in South East Asia and passes through ethnic regions in Myanmar. Salween River is under threatened. Government planning to build series of hydropower dams on the Salween River. The total proposed installed capacity will be over 15,000 MW. All hydropower dams are large scale and located in ethnic people regions. On the other hand, those ethnic people regions are not peaceful. There are still ongoing civil wars. So many villages and forests will be flooded. People have to relocate and abandon their ancestor lands and biodiversity will be destroyed. Human rights violations will happen. Some indigenous groups will disappear. Salween basin is large source of people living in the areas. Currently I am working on this issue and connecting with Mekong dams issue as well. I have seen a lot of people are suffering because of the development projects in Mekong Region. Those reasons make me devoted myself in this problem.
Environmental policies and politics is the one I want to learn more the most. I believe that if we want to change something, we need to go to the policy level. On the other hand I would like to know more about the green politics. Myanmar need green politicians nowadays while country is focusing on it development. I am sure that meeting with youth leader from Southeast Asia is a very great chance to discuss about the specific issue. Hydropower issue is not only happen in Myanmar but also in other Asian countries. Therefore the program will make a space to address the issue collaboratively by the youth leader. Not only word to address the problem, it will come out but also with the actions.