The New York Times
July 28, 2014
In southwest
Cambodia, at the foot of the Cardamom Mountains, is a single dirt road that
meanders through the heart of the pristine Areng valley. Ten miles down this
road, villagers have set up an encampment to stop a hydroelectric dam project
that they fear will destroy their forests, livelihood and heritage.
The Chong
people, who are considered Khmer Daem (or original Khmers), have lived in this
valley for over 600 years. They grow rice, forage for roots and mushrooms, and
fish in the streams and river. In March, a group of young monks traveled over
150 miles from Phnom Penh, the capital, to help them in their campaign to
protect the forest, which they consider sacred.
The
Cambodian government intends to build a network of 17 dams, hoping that they
will generate enough electricity to meet domestic demand, reduce energy costs
and export surplus energy abroad. This goal of transforming Cambodia into the
power plant of Southeast Asia may promise economic gain, but as this Op-Doc
video shows, it also entails significant costs.
The Areng
dam would be built by Sinohydro, China’s largest hydropower company. It would
flood at least 26,000 acres – displacing over 1,500 people (whom the government
plans to relocate to an undetermined area). The area is recognized as being
rich in biodiversity; the dam would threaten the habitats of 31 endangered
animals.
This dam can
still be stopped. Two Chinese companies have already pulled out of the project,
citing it as economically unviable. If Sinohydro is held accountable to World
Bank environmental standards, which it has adopted, it might pull out, too.
Sinohydro and the Cambodian government are currently assessing the viability of
the dam; results are expected later this year.
As a
Cambodian-American, I am deeply concerned for the future of the Chong and their
forest. I fear this David and Goliath battle will end tragically, unless
significant pressure is placed on Sinohydro and the Cambodian government to
either abandon the project or make good-faith efforts to involve threatened
communities and conservation groups in the planning process. While development
is essential to the future of Cambodia, the destruction of national treasures
like the Areng valley will make that future far bleaker. May the country’s
leaders choose their priorities wisely.
END.
Mother Nature is an organization that fights for the protection of the sacred Cardamom Mountains of South West Cambodia, the nation's last major forest, while also ensuring the preservation and promotion of the indigenous communities living in the Areng Valley.
END.
Above is a news article from the Cambodia Daily.
