Hydropower development within the Mekong basin is one of the national priorities for economic development of the Lao Peoples’ Democratic Republic, despite critical environmental and social concerns expressed primarily by international organisations and neighbouring countries. Multilateral development institutions which have provided major funding for dam construction projects until recently, are increasingly replaced by investment from state-owned banks and the private sector. With her Master’s Thesis entitled The role of the private sector in sustainable hydropower development in Lao PDR Ms. Veda Sayakoummane helps to create a better understanding of the private sector which has become an important player in this field.
In close collaboration with the Sustainable Hydropower Development department of the International Finance Corporation in Vientiane, the thesis pursues an exploratory approach. The results shed light on how private sector developers view their actions, values and capacity towards more sustainable hydropower development. This knowledge might be applied to further meaningful cooperation and engagement between private sector developers, the Laotian government and other stakeholders. The thesis provides an excellent and comprehensive insight into a complex issue that is highly relevant and pressing for the development of mainland Southeast Asia. Furthermore, Ms. Sayakoummane has identified the opportunities and plausible pathways for improvement on how the private sector most effectively can contribute in making hydropower development more sustainable.
Each year the Audi Environmental Foundation honours graduates in the Masters’ programme Sustainable Resource Management for outstanding achievements in their Master’s Thesis.