Rescaling and Reordering Nature–Society Relations: The Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Dam and Laos–Thailand Electricity Networks

Abstract

In 2010, the largest hydropower dam ever constructed in Laos, the Nam Theun 2 (NT2) Power Project, was completed with crucial—indeed, deal-making—support from the World Bank. Although the vast majority of the electricity produced by the project is exported to neighboring Thailand, the most important negative social and environmental impacts have occurred in Laos. While much attention has focused on the dam reservoir, there have been significant effects downstream from the project along the Xe Bang Fai (XBF) River, a major tributary of the mainstream Mekong River. In this article we examine the complex relationships between energy produced by NT2 and energy consumption patterns in Thailand. We link varying electricity demand in Thai air conditioning, fluctuating water releases from the NT2 dam, and downstream changes in XBF hydrology. Taking a political ecology approach, we emphasize how NT2 is part of rescaling electricity production and consumption networks, changes to their modes of ordering, and the reworking of nature–society relations. Although NT2 involves a complex array of social and environmental civil society concerns for Thailand, Laos, and global society, this was largely obscured by the commercial and technical orientation of its novel governance systems.

2010 年，寮国有史以来建造的最大水力发电大坝——南屯二号（NT2）发电计画，在促成交易的世界银行的关键支持下完工。儘管该计画所生产的电力中的绝大部份，都出口至邻近的泰国，但最重大的负面社会及环境冲击，却发生在寮国。虽然大多数的关注皆聚焦于大坝水库本身，但该计画沿着湄公河主线的重要支流邦非河（XBF）下游，却产生显着的影响。我们于本文中，检视 NT2 能源生产和泰国能源消费模式之间的复杂关係。我们连结泰国空气调节中不同的电力需求、NT2 大坝的波动泄水，以及XBF水文在下游的改变。我们採取政治生态学方法，强调NT2如何成为再尺度化电力生产及消费网络、此般模式安排的改变、以及自然—社会关係重组的一部分。儘管NT2涉及泰国、寮国以及全球社会的一系列复杂社会及环境的公民社会考量，但此一议题却被该计画的创新治理系统的商业及科技导向所蒙蔽。

La más grande represa hidroeléctrica jamás construida en Laos, el Proyecto Energético Nam Theun 2 (NT2), se completó en 2010 con el apoyo crucial—en verdad, el que lo hizo posible—del Banco Mundial. Aunque un vasto porcentaje de la energía generada por el proyecto es exportada a la vecina Tailandia, los impactos negativos más importante de tipo social y ambiental se han presentado en Laos. Si bien mucha atención se ha concentrado en el reservorio de la presa, efectos significativos se han detectado aguas abajo del proyecto a lo largo del Río Xe Bang Fai (XBF), uno de los tributarios mayores de la arteria principal, el Río Mekong. En este artículo examinamos las complejas relaciones que se presentan entre la energía generada por el NT2 y los patrones de consumo energético de Tailandia. Ligamos la variada demanda de electricidad para aire acondicionado de Tailandia, las fluctuantes liberaciones de agua de la represa de NT2, y los cambios aguas abajo en la hidrología del XBF. Adoptando un enfoque de ecología política, enfatizamos que el NT2 hace parte del re-escalamiento de las cadenas de producción y consumo de electricidad, cambios en los modos de ordenar y en la reelaboración de las relaciones naturaleza-sociedad. Aunque el NT2 implica un complejo surtido de preocupaciones de la sociedad civil para Tailandia, Laos y la comunidad global, de naturaleza social y ambiental, esto en gran medida resultó opacado por la orientación comercial y técnica de sus sistemas novedosos de gobernanza.

Key Words:

• air conditioning
• electricity
• energy
• nature–society
• political ecology

关键词：:

• 空气调节，电力，能源，自然—社会，政治生态学。

Palabras clave:

• aire acondicionado, electricidad, energía, naturaleza-sociedad, ecología política

Acknowledgments

Thanks go to Bruce Shoemaker and Kanokwan Manorom who worked with the first author on field work in the XBF River Basin in Laos. Witoon Permpongsacharoen of MEE Net and Chris and Cheunchom Greacen gave time and information and Laura Poplett (Figure 1) and Jonathan Koser (Figure 3) from the Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin–Madison prepared the maps. The article also benefited from comments provided by Bruce Shoemaker and Chris Greacen, as well as two anonymous reviewers for the Annals of the Association of American Geographers. Any remaining deficiencies are our own. The research was coordinated through the Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin–Madison. However, the views of the authors do not necessarily represent those of these supporting institutions.

Note

Funding

Funding was provided by the McKnight Foundation, the Blue Moon Foundation, and Open Society Foundations.

Notes

1. A smaller amount of water is also released into the Kathang River, which runs into the Nyom, and then finally into the XBF.