Pak Man Dam Case Study

Question 1

Location

Answer 1

The Mun River, 5.5km upstream from its confluence with the Mekong, in the province of Ubon Ratchathani, in Northeast Thailand.

Question 2

Rivers

Answer 2

Mun

Mekong

Question 3

Timeline

Answer 3

Construction began - 1989
Opening date - 1994

Aims
Before construction of the plant it was estimated that:
- The cost of the project would be $144 million
- The dam would produce 136mw of electricity
- 248 households would be displaced
In reality:
- Cost was $260 million dollars, a cost overrun of 68%
- Dam average power generation is 21mw
- 1700 households were displaced

Question 4

Description

Answer 4

Height: 17 m
Length: 300 m
Width: 7.5 m

Question 5

Power Capacity

Answer 5

Turbines: 4
Installed capacity: 136 MW
Annual generation: 290 GWh

Question 6

Social Impacts

Answer 6

• The immediate impact of the dam was to flood 117 square kilometres of land and displace (move from home) around 3,000 families.
• In all around 25,000 villagers claim to have been affected by the dam.
• Protests were staged at the dam site and outside
• Government House in Bangkok. EGAT has paid out
• US$44.24 million in relocation compensation, plus US$15.8 million for loss of fisheries.
• The Mun River was once rich with all kinds of fish which supported the villagers’ way of life as freshwater fishermen.
• Since the dam’s completion nearly 2/3 of the fish have disappeared from the river because fish migration from the Mekong has been virtually blocked.

Question 7

Economic Impacts

Answer 7

• The dam has not reliably produced the expected amount of electricity, making it economically unprofitable.
• Its target capacity of power generation was 136 megawatts (MW), which is enough to supply power for 5 large department stores.
• Due to insufficient water (the river suffers from droughts) the actual output of the dam has been less than half of its expected capacity.
• EGAT responded that such consistent electricity production was unnecessary, and that the dam was a useful source of electricity.

Question 8

Environmental Impacts

Answer 8

• The dam blocked up the river and sediment, run off of pesticides, chemical fertilisers and industrial waste collected behind the dam creating a stagnant and toxic pool.
• In these conditions of the reservoir, few species of fish are able to survive, due to their high tolerance for pollution.
• The closing of the dam gates also raises water levels, flooding riverbank vegetation and preventing many plant species from growing

Question 9

Political Impacts

Answer 9

• There were various organised protests after the construction of the dam
• In 1995, some of the protestors created the Assembly for the Poor, a non-governmental organization created with the goal of opening the Pak Mun dam. This organization became vital in organising protests around the dam and in Bangkok.
• In 2000, the Assembly for the Poor concerted a large series of protests that brought the issue of the dam to the world’s attention.

Question 10

Outcomes of Protests of Pak Mun Dam

Answer 10

• Protests ultimately led to a decision by the government in 2001 to open the gates of the dam for 4 months of each year, with the goal of rebuilding the ecosystem of the river during that time and letting the villagers fish
• FAILURE!!! Damage to ecosystem
• It has been suggested that the failure of the Pak Mun dam and the ensuing protests are the main reason for new dams not being constructed in Thailand.
• Although this was not a goal of the protests, it can also be seen as a partial victory
• Overall, the government has paid out almost 500 million baht in compensation for the loss of fisheries livelihood
• If the question is on renewable energy - you can talk about how it influenced Thailand’s energy mix

Question 11

Views of Different Groups on the construction of Pak Mun Dam

Answer 11

Local residents
- Overwhelmingly negative, creating decades of resentment and a complete disruption of lives

EGAT and the World Bank
- Capable of fulfilling additional energy demand in the region at peak times, therefore the scheme is justified

World Commision on Dams
- If all benefits and costs were assessed, it is unlikely that the project would have been built in the current context

Government
- Negative - overseas bad perception of Thailand, because of all the protests

Question 12

Evaluation of the successes and failures of the dam.

Answer 12

Positives
- It brought a renewable supply of energy to Thailand.

Negatives

• There were delays in the construction of the dam and the price overran by a couple billion baht this cost the government more money which could be better spent in other sectors.
• No participation of locals in decision making process
• A poor Environmental Impact Assessment which did not forsee the impact on fisheries
• Careless decision-making from The World Bank
• Destruction of the livelihood of local residents