Dam Nation A short film by Sara Schaumburg

Dam Nation A short film by Sara Schaumburg

Learn why this doesn’t have to happen again.

To hear the story told by academics, researchers, and the villagers themselves, visit:
www.engagetheworld.org

Daeng Khawee, a fisherman in northeastern Thailand, is worried. The Hua Na Dam, built but not yet operating, towers over the Mun River and threatens to destroy the fertile ecosystem surrounding it. As history can attest, Khawee has good reason to be concerned.

One hundred kilometers away and 12 years ago, the gates of the Pak Mun Dam closed, the fish disappeared, and the livelihoods of the villagers disintegrated. Samkiat Phanphai is from Pak Mun and can speak to the devastation the dam wrought on his village. “Fish are a gift that strengthens relationships between villagers. When the river teemed with fish, we could trade what we did not eat. This brought people together.” All that has now changed.This story does not just belong to the villagers of Pak Mun, and the problems are not unique to Thailand. Around the world top-down development projects, guided by the philosophy that progress requires winners and losers, derail millions of lives.

This documentary, Dam Nation explores what occurs when those who manage local resources do not use them, and those who do are not in control. Development is not inherently bad, but when pursued without public participation, without adequate research and for all the wrong reasons, it has the potential to be disastrous.