Fears grow that dam across Mekong River in Laos could harm World Heritage site of Luang Prabang

LUANG PRABANG, Laos — Landlocked Laos doesn’t have the famous beaches of its neighbors to attract tourists, but instead relies on the pristine beauty of its mountains and rivers and historical sites to bring in visitors. “When the Luang Prabang Dam is complete, and it’s already well under construction, the river is going to trickle into a dead body of water,” said Brian Eyler, director of the Washington-based Stimson Center’s Southeast Asia Program and its Energy, Water and Sustainability Program. “The people going to Luang Prabang as tourists to see the mighty Mekong and see how the Lao people interact with the river, all those interactions are going to be gone — all the fishing, meaningful local boating and commerce done by locals on relatively small boats will end.” The dam is also being built near an active fault line, and though studies of the design conclude it could withstand an earthquake, local residents are worried. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 for its “unique, remarkably well-preserved townscape” combined with its “natural spaces located in the heart of the city and along the riverbanks and wetlands.” The Luang Prabang dam is one of nine that Laos plans across the Mekong. “This dam won’t generate a lot of power for Laos, it’s going to power new shopping malls in Bangkok,” Eyler said of the Luang Prabang project.