VietNamNet Bridge – The impacts of hydropower plants on the virgin forest in Cat Tien National Park, Dong Nai River and over ten of million of people in the downstream area are real. But the truth has not been checked thoroughly.


The Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Dong Nai province invited some scientists to the workshop on October 26, which analyzed Dong Nai 6 and 6A hydropower plants’ impacts on Cat Tien National Park and Dong Nai River’s downstream area.

“We do not need salon scientists!” a local official explained why Dong Nai only invited some scientists. However, the list of guests did not have representatives of Lam Dong, Binh Phuoc and Dak Nong provinces, which also host the Cat Tien National Park nor representatives of the Vietnam Association of Conservation of Nature and Environment (Vacne), the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

An official from the Dong Nai Department of Natural Resources and Environment said: “The province authorities only aimed at scientists who had made surveys and field-trips to Cat Tien National Park. We are located in the Dong Nai River’s downstream area and we want to know how would our people be affected by hydropower projects.”

Earlier, the investor of Dong Nai 6 and 6A projects, Duc Long-Gia Lai group, did not consult Dong Nai province’s opinions about the impacts of hydropower projects on this province. Dong Nai authorities asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade to request the government and the National Assembly to reconsider the two projects for their adverse impacts on Cat Tien National Park and people in the downstream area.

Duong Trung Quoc, National Assembly deputy of Dong Nai province, said that he met many local people and they only worried about their short-term lives, not hydropower projects. However, the provincial administration protests hydropower projects that may harm the nature because local residents may not see the future consequences but the authorities could not neglect.

Not all people are fully provided with information about the two above projects. When they are supplied with information, they do not need information from scientists who only make research work at their offices.

Deputy Duong Trung Quoc said that while the Vietnam River Network (VRN) protests hydropower projects to protect the forest, the Vacne supports these projects.

Quoc suggested inviting the Vietnam Union of Scientific and Technological Associations (Vusta) to be the intermediate and organize a meeting where all related agencies and provinces consider these projects together.

While waiting for Vusta’s participation, Vacne, which supported the two power projects, has an equal rival when Dong Nai authorities invited VRN’s scientists to join its workshop.

VRN’s scientists have visited Cat Tien National Park many times to make research on forest, river and impacts of hydropower projects. VRN’s scientists are also highly appreciated for their expertise.

However, the workshop was not a place for scientists of Vacne and VRN to argue.

The public is waiting for further developments.

TVN