On July 25, the MoNRE issued an impact assessment of the Lao hydroelectric dam collapse on Vietnam.
Villagers seek refuge on roofs of submerged homes in Laos (photo by Reuters)
According to the ministry, the water from the dam’s reservoir would cause the upper reaches of the Mekong River to increase by 5-10cm in the next four or five days.
By July 31, the highest water level of Tien River would 3.2 metres at Tan Chau area, while it would be 2.6 metres. This, however, still remains lower than warning levels.
According to the MoNRE’s initial forecast, the Lao dam collapse would not significantly affect the Mekong Delta region.
The MoNRE will continue updating the information about the case.
The construction of USD1-2 billion XePian XeNamnoy hydroelectric project was started in 2013 and finished early this year. The breached reservoir held around 500 million cubic metres of water.
