COMPENSATION AND RESETTLEMENT FOR ETHNIC MINORITY HMONG ON NAM NGIEP 1 HYDROPOWER PROJECT IN LAOS

Abstract

 The Nam Ngiep 1 Hydropower Project in Lao PDR has been under construction of 2 dams and 2 powerhouses with total installed capacity of 290 MW. Once the 167 m high RCC dam is completed across the Nam Ngiep River, a large reservoir of 67 square kilometer in area will be created upstream. In the reservoir area there existed 5 villages and 3,500 Project Affected Peoples resided. Almost all the villagers are ethnic minority Hmong with their unique culture that includes such as paternity and animism, and they lived in the mountainous and remote areas far from modern conveniences by gathering and collecting from the rain forest and keeping their traditional culture. A new village of Houay Soup with the area of 60 square kilometer close to dams and powerhouses construction site was curentlly established. Infrastructure such as access roads, power distribution lines, a water supply system, paddy fields with irrigation system, houses and community buildings were constructed on the relatively flat area by suiting their variety of rules and customs, through communication and participation with them. This paper presents the process of compensation and development of the Houay Soup Resettlement for ethnic minority Hmong.