We are concerned about possible effects on the natural habitats of the Nakai Plateau and throughout the wider project area—which is why the private sector developers, the Lao government, the international financial institutions, and international NGOs have been actively involved in studying the possible impacts and developing programs to offset any negative effects of the reservoir construction.

The Asian elephant has been recognized by all parties as requiring special attention.

To better understand the potential impacts of the project on the elephant populations, the government and the private-sector project developer—the Nam Theun Power Company (NTPC)—are working directly with a leading international conservation NGO, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), on a study that involves direct observations of the elephant families, tracking their daily lives and seasonal movements, documenting location of migration routes, location of mineral licks in order to move away from conjecture towards formulation of a science-based management plan for the elephants. The Lao government and the project sponsors will use the results of this study to develop and implement a program to manage impacts of Nam Theun 2 on the elephant population.

With respect to other wildlife in the project area, all indications are that the part of the Nakai Plateau that will be inundated is not a critical natural habitat as defined under World Bank policy. During fish surveys conducted for the project (probably the most thorough in Lao PDR’s history), it was found that only one species of fish, the Nam Theun stiff-jaw Scaphognathops theunensis, might have been restricted to the inundation area. It was first recorded in 1996 from the NT2 project area, but in 2002 it was demonstrated that it lived outside the project area in the Nam Gnouang above the Theun-Hinboun dam.

The other main species of concern, the White-winged duck, which has not been seen on the Nakai Plateau for over five years, while certainly losing some of the habitat where it was previously found, could actually benefit from the forest-fringed embayments that would be formed on the north of the reservoir. The developers have allocated considerable sum in the environmental management plan that would allow the necessary surveys on this bird to be conducted.

To ensure the mitigation of all potential environmental risks, detailed environmental and social impact assessments and development action plans for all aspects of the project are being finalized. These assessments and action plans have been developed in close collaboration with concerned stakeholders and affected communities. The advanced drafts are posted for public review on www.namtheun2.com and are available at the World Bank’s InfoShop.

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