Stung Cheay Areng Hydropower Dam: Brief
Overview
The Stung Cheay Areng Hydropower Project is proposed for the Cheay Areng River in the Areng Valley of Koh Kong
Province, Cambodia. Stung Cheay Areng is one of 11 major rivers that flows on the Southern Cardamom slopes,
stretching from the Central Cardamoms to the Gulf of Thailand. The Cardamom Mountains are the largest
remaining continuous block of tropical forest in mainland Southeast Asia. 1 The feasibility study for the Cheay Areng
Hydropower Project reports that when complete, the dam will have a production capacity of 108MW, with a total
cost of USD $327 million.
The Areng Valley forms a distinctive ecosystem of evergreen forest, grasslands, swamps and lakes. 2 The area is
extremely rich in biodiversity, home to a number of rare and endangered species including Siamese crocodiles,
Royal Turtles and Asian tigers. It houses one of Southeast Asia’s last remaining elephant corridors. 3 Over 2,000
plant species have been identified in the Southern Cardamoms, including a number of formerly unknown species.
The Areng River contains unique fish species not found in other rivers in Cambodia. The Areng Valley is home to
approximately 1500 people, the majority of whom consider the area their ancestral homeland. The people are
identified as indigenous Chorng and Khmer Daeum (‘old Khmer’)4 and have existed in the area for at least 600
years.5 UNESCO has reported three indigenous languages as spoken in area: Paeric, Samrae and Samre.6
Involvement of Chinese companies
The lead developer for the project has changed several times, involving several Chinese companies since the
project was initiated. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to conduct a project feasibility study was originally
concluded in October 2006 between China Southern Power Grid Co. (CSG) and the Cambodian Ministry of Industry,
Mines and Energy (MIME). A subsidiary of CSG, Guangxi Electric Power Industry Investigation Design and Research
Institute carried out the feasibility study. An Initial Environmental and Social Impact Assessment was completed in
2008 by SAWAC Consultants for Development Company, however this document was not released to the public.
In November 2011, CSG announced its withdrawal from the project, with Guodian Corporation taking over.
Guodian announced completion of the project feasibility study in November 2011 and the environmental impact
assessment (EIA) report in May 2012. The EIA study was carried out by Research and Development Enterprise SBK
and again the document was not made publicly available. In late 2013, Guodian withdrew from the project, stating
that it was not economically viable.7 In January 2014, Sinohydro Corporation acquired the concession to develop
the Stung Cheay Areng Hydropower Project through a local affiliate, Sinohydro (Cambodia) United Ltd. In March
Sinohydro announced plans to undertake a new project EIA.8
Environmental impacts
As the site of the Cheay Areng Dam project is the ecologically rich Areng Valley, surrounded by the Cardamom
Mountain ranges and forest, the project is anticipated to cause catastrophic and irremediable harm to the area’s
fragile ecosystems and environment. It will undermine various longstanding conservation efforts in place in the
Cardamom forest area which are currently being implemented through joint national and international initiatives. 9
1
Wildlife Alliance, Stung Cheay Areng Hydropower Project: Impact Assessment Report’, March 2014, Wildlife Alliance, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
at 2 [Confidential Report].
2 Ibid, at 4.
3 Ibid, at 2.
4 International Rivers, ‘Cheay Areng Dam’, available at: <www.internationalrivers.org/campaigns/cheay-areng-dam>.
5
Wildlife Alliance (2014), at 6.
6 United Nations Economic, Social and Cultural Organization (UNECSO), cited in Wildlife Alliance (2014) at 6.
7 International Rivers, ‘Cheay Areng Dam’, available at: <www.internationalrivers.org/campaigns/cheay-areng-dam>.
8 Walker, B., ‘Protests Halt Chinese Backed Dams in Cambodia’, China Dialogue, 19 March 2014.
9
Wildlife Alliance (2014), at 8.
The project will cause severe loss of forest cover and deforestation. 8,730 ha. of dense, evergreen forest will be
completely cleared for the project dam and reservoir as well as access roads and buildings. 10 A further 2,835 ha. of
forest land will be cleared for the relocation sites. It is also expected that significant further forest will be lost due
to extensive and organized illegal logging outside of the project areas (estimates place forest losses due to the
project at approximately 20,000 ha. in total).11 Extensive illegal logging has already been seen with previous
hydropower projects constructed in the Central Cardamom region, including the Stung Atay, Stung Tatay, Stung
Lower Russey Chrum and Kirirorm III projects. In each project, illegal loggers and logging syndicates have worked
closely with companies developing the projects to facilitate massive grabbing of luxury timber.12 Further forest loss
is also expected through land grabbing by local authorities and land speculators, together with settlements by
opportunistic migrants and workers who will move to the area when dam construction commences. Land has
reportedly already been set aside for speculation by the district authorities. 13 The cumulative deforestation from
all hydropower projects in the Central Cardamom area will also seriously hamper rainfall in the watershed area. 14
The Areng River is the most significant and secure site for Siamese crocodiles with the largest known breeding
population in the world, constituting 40-50 crocodiles.15 If the Cheay Areng project is built, this population will
likely be destroyed as a result of damage to crucial habitat and breeding areas. The Areng Valley forms part of the
home range for several herds of endangered Asian elephants and houses one of the last remaining Southeast Asian
elephant corridors. The Cheay Areng project will inundate elephant herd range areas and disrupt important annual
migratory pathways. If built, the destruction of habitat caused by the dam is likely to put critical strain on 31 other
vulnerable and endangered species found in the Areng Valley, including the White Winged Duck, the Asian
Arowana, and six threatened species of tortoise and turtle found in the wetlands.16 Further, threatened species
downstream will also be affected by the changes to the river’s flow regime, leading to the possible extinction of
species including the Smooth-coated Otter and Yellow-headed Temple Turtle.17
Social and cultural impacts
The Areng Valley is home to 1500 indigenous peoples, including Chorng and Khmer Daeum, who currently manage
the river, forest and its resources sustainably18 and whose lives, beliefs and traditions are intricately connected
with the surrounding land and forests. The communities’ social and cultural identities are closely-knit and tied to
the spirit deities and spirit forests of the area, such as ‘Neck Ta’, who inhabits the forest, waterways and wildlife in
the area.19 Forced relocation due to the project threatens to destroy the longstanding belief systems and unique
cultures of the people of the Areng Valley. The project will flood 1500 – 2000 hectares of indigenous lands and
sacred forests and displace 1,037 indigenous people from 9 villages in 3 communes. 20 Those people relocated will
be forced to adapt to new livelihoods and ways of life, losing their traditional practices and customs and the
spiritual ties that go with them. The project is likely to create further conflicts over resources between workers and
migrants to the area, land speculators, authorities and indigenous communities over access to natural resources.
Disruption to downstream wet season flows and flooding cycles will upset the balance of nutrients and salinity in
the river, impacting delicate ecosystems downstream, including mangrove forests. Fishery production downstream
will also be severely affected.21 In addition to those relocated from the dam site, the project will destroy the
livelihoods and well-being of 2500 people downstream in Trapeang Rung commune, who are reliant on seasonal
flooding to irrigate over 1500 ha of riverbank rice paddies, and depend on the river fishery for protein security. 22
10
Ibid, at 9.
Walker, B., ‘Protests Halt Chinese Backed Dams in Cambodia’, China Dialogue, 19 March 2014.
12 Wildlife Alliance (2014), at 9–10.
13 Ibid, at 10.
14 Ibid, at 12.
15 International Rivers, ‘Cheay Areng Dam’, available at: <www.internationalrivers.org/campaigns/cheay-areng-dam>.
16 Wildlife Alliance (2014), 5-6.
17 Ibid, at 14.
18
Seangly, P., & Pye, D., ‘Standoff in the Areng Valley Continues’, Phnom Penh Post, 18 March 2014.
19 Notes from community consultations.
20 Wildlife Alliance (2014), at 16.
21 Ibid, at 14.
22
Ibid, at 17.
11
2
In addition to loss of living indigenous cultures, the Areng Valley contains a number of important historical and
archeological sites that have not yet been subject to detailed study. Surveys conducted between 2002 and 2012
located eleven ancient and culturally unique Khmer burial sites, one of the only identified historical remains from
Khmer ethnic minorities, an extremely rare find in the Cambodian highlands.23
Opaque and secretive planning process; communities clash with project developers
Due to the absence of any information transparency regarding the Cheay Areng project, key details of the project
such as the proposed layout and size of the dam remain unknown. The project environmental impact studies
conducted to date have not been made publically available. No information has been provided to affected
communities regarding the impacts of the project on their lives, livelihoods and well-being, as well as the local
environment. No attempts have been made to consult with affected indigenous groups, to enable their
participation in decision-making24 or to obtain their free, prior and informed consent to the project and proposed
resettlement, as required by the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which Cambodia has
endorsed.25 Further, there has been no consultation regarding the proposed resettlement and communities assert
that the land proposed for resettlement is far too small to accommodate their needs.26
In February 2014, staff of consulting firm SBK arrived in the valley to conduct an asset survey amongst
communities to be relocated for the project. Villagers assert that SBK personnel provided no information and
misrepresented the objective of the survey in order to acquire villager’s thumbprints as evidencing consent to the
project and relocation, when in fact villagers did not understand the purpose of the survey document. 27 In midMarch 2014, a short time after Sinohydro’s acquisition of the project concession, affected villagers from the Cheay
Areng Valley commenced a roadblock to prevent Sinohydro staff from entering and transporting machinery into
the valley to conduct feasibility and environmental impact studies. The roadblock remained in place as of mid-May
2014, with ongoing standoffs between villagers and company representatives. 28 The provincial government has
reportedly issued an order to Areng communities to allow access to the valley to Sinohydro and contracting
personnel; yet recent information indicates that the roadblock continues and companies have not been able to
access the site.
Overall, the Stung Cheay Areng Hydropower Project will have a very low electricity output of only 108 MW, with
extremely high environmental and social impacts. Cheay Areng alone is predicted to deforest an area of 11,565 ha,
which is 87% again of the total deforestation that has already occurred as a result of the four existing hydropower
projects in the Central Cardamoms.29 The main economic benefits from the project appear to be highly lucrative
illegal logging of luxury timber and land grabbing within a protected forest area.
***
23
Ibid, at 6.
Ham, O., ‘Fieldwork Report: The Potential Impacts of Araeng Hydro-power Project on the Central Cardamom Protected Forest of Koh Kong
Province, Cambodia’, EarthRights School Mekong, December 2013.
25 UN General Assembly, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly, 2
October 2007, A/RES/61/295.
26 Notes from community consultations.
27 Samreth Law Group, ‘Report from community consultations’ March 2014 [Confidential] .
28 Narim, K., ‘Chorng Villagers Block Chinese Engineers from Reaching Dam’, The Cambodia Daily, 17 May 2014.
29
Wildlife Alliance (2014), at 18.
24
3