The Political Ecology of Chinese Large Dams in Cambodia: Implications, Challenges and Lessons Learnt from the Kamchay Dam

Abstract

Given the opportunities offered by foreign investment in energy infrastructure mostly by Chinese firms, the Government of Cambodia is giving high priority to developing hydropower resources for reducing energy poverty and powering economic growth. Using a "Political ecology of the Asian drivers" framework, this paper assesses China's involvement in the development of large dams' in Cambodia and its impacts on the access of natural resources such as water and energy by dam builders, local communities and the government. This analysis is based on 61 interviews and 10 focus group discussions with affected communities, institutional actors, Chinese dam builders and financiers in relation to the first large Chinese dam built in Cambodia, the Kamchay dam. Based on the results of the analysis this paper makes recommendations on how to improve the governance of large dams to ensure that the dams' benefits are shared more equally.

More dams, more violence? A global analysis on resistances and repression around conflictive dams through co-produced knowledge

“…Scholars warn that this short-sighted approach becomes legally relevant as it misrecognizes the planning and designing stage (Plummer Braeckman and Guthrie, 2016), or even politically and strategically sensitive when hydro plants are located close to international borders (Kuenzer et al, 2013;Middleton, 2012). Lastly, several scholarly reviews have found the governance of many hydro projects inadequate, leading to conflictive outcomes (Buechler et al, 2016;Kuenzer et al, 2013;Siciliano et al, 2016;Urban, 2014;Urban et al, 2015).…”

The geopolitics of South–South infrastructure development: Chinese-financed energy projects in the global South

“…Our research (Siciliano et al, 2016) showed the livelihoods of these villagers was negatively affected by the dam and that no compensation was paid. Crucially, the driving of the project by top levels of the Cambodian leadership resulted in due process often being sacrificed in pursuit of project completion.…”

China’s dam-builders: their role in transboundary river management in South-East Asia

“…This research uses a conceptual framework we term Political Ecology of the Asian Drivers (Siciliano & Urban, 2017 ; Siciliano, Urban, Tan-Mullins, Lonn, & Kim, 2016 ), which combines the theories and approaches of political ecology with those of the Asian Drivers. The Political Ecology of the Asian Drivers framework is a hybrid approach that seeks to elucidate three broad research aims, analyzing the actors driving the internationalization of dam-building; the channels through which they engage; and the environmental, social, economic and political impacts on the ground.…”

“…We also conducted 22 individual semi-structured interviews with community members and village chiefs. See also Siciliano et al ( 2016 ) for parts of the fieldwork.…”

“…The interviews and FGDs were coded according to themes and sub-themes. The broad themes were divided into social, environmental, economic, political and technological perspectives (see also Siciliano et al, 2016 ).…”