Like all large infrastructure projects, Nam Ngiep 1 will have effects on the environment and people located around the plant. The project has been designed to avoid or minimise negative impacts where possible, and where effects are still expected, mitigation and compensation programmes will be put into place. These initiatives are described in the social and environmental pages of this website.

The main anticipated impacts on communities are as follows:

• Around 3,000 people will require resettlement: four villages in the lower reservoir area will be completely inundated, losing their housing, infrastructure and most of their agricultural land
• In the upper reservoir area three villages will lose farmland for parts of the year.
• In the Construction Area, Hatsaykham hamlet will require resettlement, while two other ‘host’ villages will be disturbed both by construction activities and by the establishment of the resettlement area.
• Minor impacts are expected downstream through potential changes in water quality and water flow.
• Some households living along the Transmission Lines and along the Access Road will lose land or other assets to the Project.

The expected environmental impacts are:

Construction period (six years)

• Temporary flow regime fluctuations can be expected in the Ngiep River
• Increased traffic, noise, dust and vibration
• Increased erosion and sediment loads
• Disturbance to wildlife

Inundation period (three years)

• Increased sedimentation
• Eutrophication and proliferation of exotic aquatic weeds
• Changes in downstream water quality and hydrological regime

Operation period (27 years)

• Loss of habitat for certain terrestrial and aquatic wildlife species
• Changes in river folwo distribution between wet and dry seasons
• Changes in river morphology down and upstream and along tributaries