Le Café du Savoir: Thesis Focus - Nina Cazin

Radio Germaine

Dear listeners,

We are happy to be back in the studio and welcome Nina, this week. Nina’s work dives into (pun intended) the political ecology of dams in Laos. She explores the factors which led to the adoption and proliferation of dams as key infrastructure in Laos, as well as the many consequences of their construction on social and environmental ecosystems.

In this episode, we discuss the impacts of dams on ecosystems and the historical factors leading to the multiplication of dams in the Mekong subregion, including Chinese external development policies. We then also get into the discursive framing of dams as catalysts for economic development, and the contrasting realities for local populations and biodiversity.

Here is Nina’s LinkedIn, if you want to connect with her.

And here are the resources she recommends on the topic:

• Mekong Dam Monitor and Mekong Infrastructure Center. Two tools developed by the Stimson Center to monitor the state of the river. (Link here)
• Phornchanok Souvannaseng’s PhD thesis « Loosing Ground » on dependency in Lao PDR
• Dicarlo’s PhD thesis « Grounding Global China in Northern Laos » on the China-Lao Railway

As always, stay curious and see you soon for more episodes!