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Foreign direct investment and hydropower in Lao PDR: the Theun‐Hinboun hydropower project
Author(s) -
Virtanen Maarit
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
corporate social responsibility and environmental management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.519
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1535-3966
pISSN - 1535-3958
DOI - 10.1002/csr.95
Subject(s) - hydropower , livelihood , subsistence agriculture , business , poverty , resource (disambiguation) , social impact assessment , investment (military) , natural resource , environmental resource management , environmental planning , natural resource economics , economics , economic growth , engineering , political science , geography , agriculture , computer network , archaeology , politics , computer science , law , electrical engineering
This paper examines the impact of foreign direct investment and especially the role of hydropower projects in achieving national development goals in the Lao PDR. It focuses on the environmental and social impacts of large‐scale projects by using the Theun‐Hinboun hydropower project as an example of controversies related to development interventions affecting livelihoods dependent on the natural resource base. Findings suggest that even though the Theun‐Hinboun hydropower project has evolved into a kind of model project, several questions related to the final impact on poverty reduction, mitigation of environmental and social impacts and the participation of project affected people remain open. The relative success of Theun‐Hinboun may not be easily repeated, especially as planned new hydropower schemes cause even more profound impacts on still largely subsistence based livelihoods and the environment. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.