Cheay Areng Dam
Proposed hydroelectric dam in Cambodia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cheay Areng Dam was a proposed 108 MW hydroelectric dam on Areng river in Koh Kong Province in the southwest part of Cambodia (coordinate: 11°37′11″N 103°30′46″E).
China Guodian Corporation once intended to build the dam.[1] Sinohydro Resources Ltd, a holding company for Sinohydro Group, was granted approval in February 2014 for six months of extensive drilling, geological mapping and prospecting in the dam concession.[2]
The project was shelved in 2017 by Prime Minister Hun Sen due to a strong local opposition to the dam.[3] A new coal plant will be constructed in Preah Sihanouk as a compensation.[4]
Environmental and social concerns
Cheay Areng Dam was to be built in the Central Cardamom Protected Forest (CCPF), largest unbroken tract of woodland in Southeast Asia, covering 4,013 km2.[1] This area, made up of a series of adjoining national parks, hosts a high biodiversity including 31 endangered animal species, among which the world’s second-largest population of wild Siamese crocodile.[5]
Furthermore, the dam would flow a 20 km2 area from which 1500 Chong people indigenous people would have to be relocated.[6] Buddhist monks and villagers are against the project.[1] As of 2014[update], local residents continue to oppose construction of the dam, which would provide power principally to neighboring countries.[7]
