The workshop will be held in the first week of September, 2014, at Moulmein (Mawlamyaing) University, Moulmein, Mon State, for the purpose of educating and raising awareness of the local people to the negative effects caused by dam construction. According to workshop organizer U Min Min Nwe, the workshop will be led by experts from China, Thailand and Burma.
“Because [the] dam is built on [the] Salween River, people residing along the river will face negative impacts, and that is what the workshop [is] for, to point out for them to see the [whole] picture,’ said U Min Min Nwe.
The workshop will focus on an exchange of education and discussion about negative impacts from dam construction between academic experts and local residents, according to Nai Virawat Dheeraprasert, chairman of the Foundation for Ecological Recovery (FER).
“If any dam is constructed on the Salween River, not only does it impact the ecology at the area of dam construction, but also the ecology around Moulmein City, as [the city] lays at the mouth of the river. Concerned with this impact, we have studied environments in China and Thailand, and in Burma’s Karen State and Moulmein City,” said Nai Virawat Dheeraprasert, in an interview with IMNA.
According to Nai Virawat Dheeraprasert, he plans to discuss “the value concerned with Salween River Ecosystem and the projects of Salween River’s future development”, at the Salween River Ecosystem and Resource Sharing Workshop.
The FER Thailand has invited environmental organizations, scholars, victims of negative effects due to dam construction, and other interested persons in Thailand to participate in the workshop.
On August 4th, Mr. Montri of Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University, along with partner groups, was meeting with civil society organizations based in Moulmein City and leading environment activities, when discussion arose to hold the workshop.
Salween River, running from China through Shan, Karenni, Karen, and Mon states, is one of the world’s longest rivers. The river’s mouth is sheltered by Bilugyun Island, close to Moulmein Capital, and enters into the gulf of Martaban and the Andaman Sea from the mouth of the Kyaikkami River.
