Mekong countries’ chronic shortage of electricity which threatens to stymie economic growth, could be eased by pushing for acceleration of plans by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) for a regional power grid. Cross-border electricity swaps are growing as the 10-country bloc moves towards the goal of a single market by the end of 2015. And one of the planks of the closer regional economic integration platform is a borderless energy network. However, damming the Mekong River is causing widespread controversy in South East Asia. The Lower Sesan 2 dam on the Sesan River in Cambodia is a typical example. – (Video in Vietnamese with English subtitle)
This story was produced in collaboration with The Mekong Eye and Mekong Matters Journalism Network, with full editorial control to the journalist and their outlet.
Image: The Mekong Eye
