World Politics Review
Choked by Dams and Climate Change, the Mekong River Is on ‘Life Support’
As societies around the world focus on containing the spread of the novel coronavirus, millions of people in Southeast Asia have another worry on their minds: How to put food on their table amid a devastating drought. In Thailand, historically low levels of rainfall since last summer have ...
Elliot Waldman
The Promise and Pitfalls of Hydropower Development Along the Mekong River
The collapse of a dam this summer in southeastern Laos, which triggered massive flooding that killed dozens and displaced thousands of people, has brought a renewed focus on hydroelectric dams in mainland Southeast Asia. Proponents of hydroelectric dams argue they will bring benefits in the ...
China’s Influence Steadily Grows in Laos, Weathering Political Change
When Laos’ National Assembly ratified the appointment of a new president and prime minister to lead the closed, one-party communist state in early 2016, most analysts viewed the political changes in Vientiane as signaling a shift away from its much larger and influential neighbor, China. ...
Michael Hart
