Whereas the Mekong River is the
world’s 12th longest river, originating on the Tibetan Plateau and flowing
nearly 3,000 miles down through China into Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and
Vietnam;
Whereas the Lower Mekong River in
Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam is a source of fresh water, food, and
economic opportunity for more than 60,000,000 people;
Whereas the Mekong River is second
in biodiversity only to the Amazon River, with an estimated 1,500 different
species of fish, of which at least a third migrate up the river and tributaries
in their life cycle, including the majority of the commercial fish
catch;
Whereas the Mekong River supports
the world’s two largest rice exporters, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as the
world’s largest inland fishery of 4,000,000 tons of freshwater fish per year,
providing up to $9,000,000,000 annual income and approximately 80 percent of
the animal protein consumed in the Lower Mekong Basin;
Whereas China is constructing a
cascade of up to 15 dams along the mainstream of the Upper Mekong River, and
Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam are planning to construct or finance the
construction of up to 11 dams on the lower half of the river’s
mainstream;
Whereas scientific studies have
cautioned that mainstream dam construction will negatively affect the river’s
water flow, fish population, and wildlife;
Whereas the Mekong River
Commission is a river basin management organization including the Governments
of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam that have signed the Agreement on the
Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin, done at
Chiang Rai, Thailand, April 5, 1995, and agreed to cooperate on management of
the river and development of the full potential of sustainable benefits
to all riparian States
;
Whereas the members of the
Commission have also agreed to make every effort to avoid, minimize and
mitigate harmful effects that might occur to the environment, especially the
water quantity and quality, the aquatic (eco-system) conditions, and ecological
balance of the river system, from the development and use of the Mekong River
Basin water resources or discharge of wastes and return flows
;
Whereas the Mekong River
Commission sponsored a Strategic Environmental Assessment of the proposed
series of mainstream dams along the Lower Mekong River, concluding that the
decision to move forward with even one dam would result in permanent and
irreversible changes to the river’s productivity and regional
environment;
Whereas such changes could
threaten the region’s food security, block fish migration routes, increase
risks to aquatic biodiversity, reduce sediment flows, increase saline
intrusion, reduce agricultural production, and destabilize the river channels
and coastline along the Mekong Delta;
Whereas the United States has
significant economic and strategic interests in the Mekong River subregion that
may be jeopardized if the construction of mainstream dams places the region’s
stability at risk;
Whereas the Department of State
initiated the Lower Mekong Initiative in July 2009 to engage Thailand, Laos,
Cambodia, and Vietnam on water security issues, to build regional capacity, and
to facilitate multilateral cooperation on effective water resources
management;
Whereas funding for the Lower
Mekong Initiative has primarily focused on the environment, health, and
education, leaving the fourth pillar—infrastructure—largely unfunded;
Whereas attention to
infrastructure development is a critical element of promoting the sustainable,
coordinated construction of hydropower dams in the region;
Whereas, on September 22, 2010,
Laos submitted for review to the Mekong River Commission the proposal for the
Xayaburi Dam, the first of nine mainstream dams planned by Laos along the Lower
Mekong River;
Whereas, on April 19, 2011, the
Mekong River Commission’s Joint Committee representatives met to discuss the
Xayaburi project without reaching consensus on whether the project should
proceed, but agreed during the meeting to table the decision and consider it at
a later date at a higher, ministerial level; and
Whereas, on May 8, 2011, the
Government of Laos agreed to temporarily suspend work on the Xayaburi dam and
announced plans to conduct further environmental assessments on the project in
response to regional concerns: Now, therefore, be it
Whereas the Mekong River is the world's
12th longest river, originating on the Tibetan Plateau and flowing nearly 3,000
miles down through China into Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and
Vietnam;
Whereas the Lower Mekong River in
Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam is a source of fresh water, food, and
economic opportunity for more than 60,000,000 people;
Whereas the Mekong River is second in
biodiversity only to the Amazon River, with an estimated 1,500 different
species of fish, of which at least a third migrate up the river and tributaries
in their life cycle, including the majority of the commercial fish
catch;
Whereas the Mekong River supports the
world's two largest rice exporters, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as the
world's largest inland fishery of 4,000,000 tons of freshwater fish per year,
providing up to $9,000,000,000 annual income and approximately 80 percent of
the animal protein consumed in the Lower Mekong Basin;
Whereas China is constructing up to 15
dams along the mainstream of the Upper Mekong River, and Thailand, Laos,
Cambodia, and Vietnam are planning to construct or finance the construction of
up to 11 dams on the lower half of the river's mainstream;
Whereas scientific studies have cautioned
that mainstream dam construction on the Mekong River will negatively affect the
river's water flow, fish population, and wildlife;
Whereas the Mekong River Commission is a
river basin management organization including the Governments of Thailand,
Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam that have signed the Agreement on the Cooperation
for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin, done at Chiang Rai,
Thailand, April 5, 1995, and agreed to cooperate on management of the river and
development of the full potential of sustainable benefits to all
riparian States
;
Whereas the members of the Commission
have also agreed to make every effort to avoid, minimize and mitigate
harmful effects that might occur to the environment, especially the water
quantity and quality, the aquatic (eco-system) conditions, and ecological
balance of the river system, from the development and use of the Mekong River
Basin water resources or discharge of wastes and return flows
;
Whereas the Mekong River Commission
sponsored a Strategic Environmental Assessment of the proposed series of
mainstream dams along the Lower Mekong River, concluding that the mainstream
projects are likely to result in serious and irreversible environmental damage,
losses in long-term health and productivity of natural systems, and losses in
biological diversity and ecological integrity;
Whereas such changes could threaten the
region's food security, block fish migration routes, increase risks to aquatic
biodiversity, reduce sediment flows, increase saline intrusion, reduce
agricultural production, and destabilize the river channels and coastline along
the Mekong Delta;
Whereas the United States has significant
economic and strategic interests in the Mekong River subregion that may be
jeopardized if the construction of mainstream dams places the region's
political stability at risk;
Whereas the Department of State initiated
the Lower Mekong Initiative in July 2009 to engage Thailand, Laos, Cambodia,
and Vietnam on water security issues, to build regional capacity, and to
facilitate multilateral cooperation on effective water resources
management;
Whereas funding for the Lower Mekong
Initiative has primarily focused on the environment, health, and education,
leaving the fourth pillar—infrastructure—largely unfunded;
Whereas attention to infrastructure
development is a critical element of promoting the coordinated construction of
hydropower dams in the region;
Whereas, on September 22, 2010, Laos
submitted for review to the Mekong River Commission the proposal for the
Xayaburi Dam, the first of nine mainstream dams planned by Laos along the Lower
Mekong River;
Whereas, on April 19, 2011, the Mekong
River Commission's Joint Committee representatives met to discuss the Xayaburi
project without reaching consensus on whether the project should proceed, but
agreed during the meeting to table the decision and consider it at a later date
at a higher, ministerial level; and
Whereas, on May 8, 2011, the Government
of Laos agreed to temporarily suspend work on the Xayaburi dam and announced
plans to conduct further environmental assessments on the project in response
to regional concerns: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
(1)calls on United
States representatives at multilateral development banks to use the voice and
vote of the United States to support strict adherence to international
environmental standards for any financial assistance to hydropower dam projects
on the mainstream of the Mekong River;
(2)encourages greater
United States engagement with the Mekong River countries through the Lower
Mekong Initiative and increased support for sustainable infrastructure and
water security in Southeast Asia;
(3)calls on the
United States Government in leading the Lower Mekong Initiative to devote
greater attention to and funding for capacity building projects on
infrastructure and to assist in identifying sustainable economic, water, and
energy alternatives to mainstream hydropower dams on the Mekong River;
(4)applauds the
decision of the Mekong River Commission to delay endorsement of the Xayaburi
Dam;
(5)supports further
delay of the construction of mainstream hydropower dams along the Mekong River
until the studies by the Government of Laos have been completed and adequate
planning and multilateral coordination can be guaranteed;
(6)encourages members
of the Mekong River Commission to adhere to the prior consultation process for
dam construction under the Commission’s Procedures for Notification, Prior
Consultation and Agreement;
(7)calls on all
riparian States along the Mekong River, including China, to respect the rights
of other river basin countries and take into account any objection or concerns
regarding the construction of hydropower dams;
(8)calls on the
Governments of Burma and China to improve cooperation with the Mekong River
Commission and information sharing on water flows and engage in regional
decisionmaking processes on the development and use of the Mekong River;
and
(9)supports
assistance to the Lower Mekong River riparian States to gather data and analyze
the impacts of proposed development along the river.
That
the Senate—
(1)calls on the United
States Government to recognize different national circumstances of riparian
states along the Mekong River, including their energy and natural resource
profiles, and to support the development of cost-effective base load power that
meets electricity generations needs, promotes economic growth, and alleviates
poverty;
(2)calls on United States
representatives at multilateral development banks to use the voice and vote of
the United States to oppose financial assistance to hydropower dam projects on
the mainstream of the Mekong River that have not been adequately coordinated
within the region and would impose significant adverse effects on the
environment, population, and economic growth along the river and its
basin;
(3)encourages greater United
States engagement with the Mekong River countries through the Lower Mekong
Initiative and increased support for energy and water security in Southeast
Asia;
(4)calls on the United
States Government in leading the Lower Mekong Initiative to devote greater
attention to capacity building projects on energy and water
infrastructure;
(5)applauds the decision of
the Government of Laos to temporarily suspend work on the Xayaburi Dam in
response to regional concerns;
(6)supports delay of the
construction of mainstream hydropower dams along the Mekong River until the
comprehensive environmental assessments have been completed and adequate
planning and multilateral coordination has been achieved;
(7)calls on all riparian
states along the Mekong River, including China, to respect the rights of other
river basin countries and take into account any objection or concerns regarding
the construction of hydropower dams;
(8)encourages members of the
Mekong River Commission to adhere to the prior consultation process for dam
construction under the Commission's Procedures for Notification, Prior
Consultation and Agreement;
(9)calls on the Governments
of Burma and China to improve cooperation with the Mekong River Commission and
information sharing on water flows and engage in regional decision-making
processes on the development and use of the Mekong River; and
(10)supports assistance to
the Lower Mekong River riparian states to gather data and analyze the impacts
of proposed development along the river.
Amend the title so as to read:
A resolution calling for states in the Mekong River Basin, including
China, to respect the rights of all riparian states along the Mekong River and
for increased United States engagement in promoting the resolution of
multilateral water sovereignty disputes.
.
December 1, 2011
Reported with an amendment, an amendment to the preamble,
and an amendment to the title