Economics

How a Frenzied Race to Harness the Mekong Turned Deadly

Laos dam collapse shows risks to region’s hydroelectric boom
Extreme weather and lax regulation set stage for human tragedy

A villager takes refuge on a rooftop above flood waters from a collapsed dam on July 24, 2018.Photographer: Attapeu Today via AP

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By Jason Koutsoukis and Stephen Stapczynski

July 25, 2018 at 9:22 AM UTC

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Stretching from its headwaters in the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau to its endpoint in the delta marshes of Vietnam, the mighty Mekong River is one of the world’s great ecosystems. For Laos, it represents so much more: the energy source behind an ambitious hydro-power buildout and decades of potential economic growth.

Now the landlocked nation’s dream of becoming the “battery of Asia” fueled by scores of hydro-power projects has suffered a catastrophic setback, following the collapse Monday of a dam connected to a $1 billion project backed by its Communist government as well as Thai and South Korean companies.