[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 100 (Thursday, July 7, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4454-S4455]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 227--CALLING FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE MEKONG RIVER 
BASIN AND INCREASED UNITED STATES SUPPORT FOR DELAYING THE CONSTRUCTION 
               OF MAINSTREAM DAMS ALONG THE MEKONG RIVER

  Mr. WEBB (for himself, Mr. Inhofe, and Mr. Lugar) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations:

                              S. Res. 227

       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
       Resolved, 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 decision making 
     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.

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