Controversial dam project in Laos

Laos has approved a controversial dam project to dam the Mekong River near Xayaburi - even though the project has been widely criticized by environmentalists, neighboring countries, especially Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam who fear that the dam will negatively affect downstream riverside communities and their livelihoods.

Laos project is the first one to dam the lower Mekong River. China put already 4 dams in place in the upper Mekong River area.

There are 10 more dams planned so far on the lower Mekong River basin. The Mekong River is Southeast Asia's longest river and a rich source of fish, a cultural inspiration, way of transportation and source of life.

My own blog entries on the Mekong River:
Nong Khai's aquarium - a closup look at the Mekong River fish
Going Upriver and Back in Time in Laos
Mekong Sunset... in Pak Khat
Khonephapheng waterfall in Southern Laos Sipandone area
Lush river life... some impressions...
Mekong Sunset... Luang Prabang
Mekong River bank erosion in Vientiane
Sunrise over the Mekong
Naga Fireballs in Laos and Isaan along the Mekong...
Mekong "Mae Nam Khong" - the Mother Khong

Article on Bangkok Post from 06/11/2012

Khonephapheng waterfall in Southern Laos Sipandone area

The Khonephapheng waterfall (Lao: ຂກົກນເກະ ຜກະ ຜເກະງ) is located on the Laotian part of the Mekong River in the Southernmost province of Lao PDR - Champassak.

The Khonephapheng waterfall are closed to the border of Cambodia.

The Khonephapheng waterfall is the main reason, why the Mekong river is not navigable into Thailand, Burma and China.
The French colonialists made in the late 19th century several efforts to make the falls navigable but all failed.
The only successful attempt by the French was made possible by building two ports, one in the South of Khone Island (below the falls) and one in the Eastern shore of Det island (above the falls), linking the two islands with a bridge and connecting the two ports with a small railway. By doing so, the French were able to circumvent the steepest rapids and allow trans-Mekong-shipment.

The total height of the Khonephapheng falls is 21 meters in several cascades stretching over 10 kilometers of the Mekong river's length. The average discharge of the cataract is nearly 11,000 cubic meters per second, making the Khonephapheng falls the largest waterfall in terms of volume in Southeast Asia.