Sambor Hydropower Dam Alternatives Assessment, Final Report

The Sambor Hydropower Dam Alternatives Assessment was conducted by an international team of experts directed by the Natural Heritage Institute (NHI) under a formal agreement (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Ministry of Mines and Energy of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC), executed on October 20, 2014. The MoU charged the NHI Team to assess siting, design and operational alternatives to the originally proposed Sambor Hydropower Dam on the mainstream of the Mekong River and also a no-dam alternative for power generation. The 2600 MW project would be the largest hydropower dam constructed on the Lower Mekong and it would create a complete barrier to migratory fish that are a valuable source of protein and income to people in Cambodia, and block sediment that replenishes the Mekong Delta and nourishes the food chain of the Tonle Sap Great Lake. This exacerbates climate change impacts, such as sea-level rise, and reduces the region’s ability to build resiliency. NHI’s Sambor Alternatives Assessment developed a set of environmental performance standards (e.g. max fish survival and sediment passage) selected to maintain the natural functions of the Mekong river system, and then considered how a major hydropower facility could be sited, designed and operated to achieve those standards while maximizing power production and maintaining economic viability.

The process behind and the key findings of the Sambor Alternatives Assessment are presented in the attached resources along with the full reports for download.