History
The dam was a product of the Committee for Coordination on the Lower Mekong Basin, otherwise known as the Mekong Committee, the predecessor to today's Mekong River Commission. Its development trajectory was similar to many of the dams developed in northeastern Thailand during this time, part and parcel of US Government efforts to inject development into the Mekong Region, and dissuade impoverished countries from embracing communism. Nevertheless, the dam was constructed during a time of very significant political turmoil in Laos, which eventually resulted in the overthrow of the US-backed royalist government, and the coming to power of a communist government.
The dam was developed in three phases:
Read more about this topic: Nam Ngum Dam
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