mekong-dams-in-the-drama-of-development

An article analysing the ‘drama’ of development that plays out in the justifications for hydroelectric and irrigation schemes. The author uses the examples of the Nam Theun 2 dam, the Huay Mong irrigation scheme, the Nam Oon irrigation and the Pak Mun dam. He uses the metaphor of a three-act play to explore the philosophy behind these projects and the way development unfolds. Act I features the heroes’ attempts to impose a simple technical fantasy on a complex landscape. In Act II, these attempts are opposed by the peoples and landscapes concerned. Act III -- the climax -- sees attempts to contain this resistance through increasingly convoluted excursions in manipulation, enclosure, compensation and seduction, each of which initiates a fresh dramatic plot.