Lower Sesan 2 (LS2) Hydropower Project

The Lower Sesan 2 (LS2) Hydropower Project will be located on the Sesan River in Sesan District, Stung Treng Province, Cambodia, 1.5km downstream from its confluence with the Srepok River and 25km from where the two rivers meet the Mekong River mainstream. The project was approved by Cambodia's Council of Ministers in November 2012, despite its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report failing to meet international best practice.

Key Exsisting and Proposed Dams in the 3S River Basins (Grimsditch 2012)

Basic features of LS2
Installed capacity: 400MW
Height: about 40m (from river bed)
Length: 8km
Reservoir size: 7,500ha
Estimated cost: 816 million USD

LS2 is a build-operate-transfer (BOT) project. The project’s construction is expected to take five years. After 40 years of operation, its ownership will be transferred to RGC. According to the government’s announcement, generated power will be sold to the Electricite du Cambodge (EDC), but it may still be exported to Vietnam.

Developers:The Hydro Power Lower Sesan 2 Co. Ltd., a joint venture between Cambodia’s Royal Group (39%) and China’s Hydrolancang International Energy (51%) and EVN International Joint Stock Company (EVNI), a subsidiary of the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) (10%).

Financers: The Hydro Power Lower Sesan 2 Company's capital (30%) and an undisclosed bank loan (70%), most likely from China.

Life at waterside(left) 　　　　Villagers' protest march(right)

Although technically a tributary dam, LS2, if built, will have significant negative impacts on the fisheries and biodiversity of the entire Lower Mekong Basin. A 2012 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences points out that the dam will cause a 9.3% drop in fish stocks basin-wide, putting more than 50 fish species into extinction. Experts have also warned that LS2 will contribute to the changing of hydrology of the Mekong River and Tonle Sap Lake, as well as reducing sediment flows by approximately 6.0 to 8.0%. The dam will have the largest impact on fish biomass amongst planned tributary dams in the Lower Mekong Basin. Its impacts will be felt as far downstream as the Mekong Delta in Vietnam and as far upstream as Laos and Thailand.

Tens of thousands of villagers living along the Mekong River, as well as its tributaries, will experience negative impacts on their livelihoods, food security, and lives because of LS2.

View LS2 Factsheet in various languages:
LS2 Factsheet in Japanese (April 23, 2018)
LS2 Factsheet in English (November 10, 2015)
LS2 Factsheet in Khmer (November 10, 2015)
LS2 Factsheet in Chinese (September 18, 2014)
LS2 Factsheet in Vietnamese (August 05, 2013)

Briefing Paper in various languages:
LS2 Briefing Paper in English (November 12, 2015)
LS2 Briefing Paper in Khmer (November 12, 2015)

A scenery of Sesan River

Reports
Baird, Ian G. 2009. Best Practices in Compensation and Resettlement for Large Dams: The Case of the Planned Lower Sesan 2 Hydropower Project in Northeastern Cambodia. Rivers Coalition Cambodia.
http://www.3spn.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Baird-2009-Compensation-and-Resettlement-EN.pdf

Vicheka S. 2012. Lower Sesan 2 Hydropower Dam: Current Livelihoods of Local Communities (A Baseline Study). The NGO Forum of Cambodia.
http://www.ngoforum.org.kh/docs/publications/RAN_2013_01_23_Lower%20Sesan2_English_Final.pdf

Ziv, G., Baran, E., Nam, S., Rodríguez-Iturbe, I., and Levin, S. 2012. “Trading-off Fish Biodiversity, Food Security and Hydropower in the Mekong River Basin,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
http://www.pnas.org/content/109/15/5609.full.pdf+html

Field Notes
Mekong Watch 2015. Interview at Affected Village in February 2015 Regarding Asset Survey Held on Lower Sesan 2 Dam (Field Note).
http://www.mekongwatch.org/PDF/LS2_FieldNoteRegardingAssetSurvey.pdf

Mekong Watch 2015. Lower Sesan 2 Dam Compensation and Resettlement Program Implementation Impacts on Indigenous Communities (Notes made from interviews in July 2015).
http://www.mekongwatch.org/PDF/LS2_NotesCompensationResettlement.pdf

Videos
The tragedy of the Lower Sesan 2 Dam (Mekong Watch 2016)
Khmer (with English subtitles) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpmlKSxAI-E
Japanese https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l30tIzb0tyY

Andeng Flower - Kbal Romeas Village (Mekong Watch 2016)
Khmer (with English subtitles) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEkIYWejOxU
Fishing -Kbal Romeas Village (Mekong Watch 2016)
Khmer (with English subtitles) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WROGviHk1g
A Villager's Voice on the Lower Sesan 2 Dam; Andoung Meas District (Mekong Watch 2016)
Khmer (with English subtitles) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXdj-Rr2L1s
A Villager's Voice on the Lower Sesan 2 Dam; Vernsai District (Part 1) (Mekong Watch 2016)
Khmer (with English subtitles) https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=hEkIYWejOxU
A Villager's Voice on the Lower Sesan 2 Dam; Vernsai District (Part 2) (Mekong Watch 2016)
Khmer (with English subtitles) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFR0ggEe904
Forest - Kbal Romeas Village Cambodia (Mekong Watch 2016)
Khmer (with English subtitles) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIk9yKmFdws

Related Links
3S (Sesan-Srepok-Sekong) Rivers Protection Network (3SPN)
www.3spn.org

International River (IR): Lower Sesan 2 Dam
http://www.internationalrivers.org/campaigns/lower-sesan-2-dam

Statements by LS2 Affected Communities

Apr.30, 2015
To the Commission on Planning, Investment, Agriculture, Rural Development at Cambodia National Assembly; A Follow-up Letter on An Investigation of the Lower Sesan 2 Hydropower Project by the Commission
Cambodian(Original)
English
Nov.23, 2014
To the Cambodia National Assembly; Intervene to immediately cancel the project
Cambodian(Original)
English
Chinese
Japanese
Press Release in English
Oct.16, 2014
NGO Public Statement; Call for release of information on project redesign and a new EIA
Cambodian(Original)
English
Chinese
Oct.3, 2014
To the ministries; Cancel LS2 immediately and compensate for the loss of trees from reservoir clearance activity
Cambodian(Original)
English
Japanese
Sep.29, 2014
To the Committee for Solving Impacts of LS2; We refuse to leave our village (by Srekor Villages)
Cambodian(Original)
English
Sep.29, 2014
To the Committee for Solving Impacts of LS2; We refuse to leave our village (by Kbal Romeas Village)
Cambodian(Original)
English
Japanese
Feb.11, 2014
To the Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy; We reject Compensation and Resettlement Policy of LS2 signed in January 2014 by the government
Cambodian(Original)
English
Chinese
Dec.12, 2013
To the Chinese Ambassador; Withdraw China’s involvement in the LS2
Cambodian(Original)
English
Chinese