THE DEATH AND LIFE OF THE NAM OU: A PLACE-ORIENTED GEOGRAPHY OF WATER IN NORTHERN LAOS

Abstract

With multiple stretches of the Mekong planned or already dammed for energy production, there is an increasing need to understand better the localised implications of and responses to anthropogenic riverine transformations ongoing across the basin. In contribution to such scholarly efforts, this dissertation investigates the socio-spatial politics of the Nam Ou, a key tributary of the transboundary Mekong, as the river is transformed from a multi-functional place of subsistence and income to a (trans)national resource for hydroelectric generation. The research underpinning this dissertation combines ethnographically informed qualitative inquiry with critical discourse and visual analysis of archival, media, and policy materials. This dissertation's conceptual and empirical discussions highlight the significance of grounded experiences and tacit knowledge in challenging dominant imaginaries of water and dams that continue to shape river basin planning and development in Laos and the broader Mekong.