| Mobye Dam | |
|---|---|
 Mobye Reservoir | |
  Mobye Dam Location of Mobye Dam in Myanmar | |
| Country | Myanmar |
| Location | Pekon Township, Shan State |
| Coordinates | 19°46′57″N 97°05′23″E / 19.78250°N 97.08972°E |
| Purpose | Power, Irrigation |
| Construction began | 1962[1] |
| Opening date | 1970[1] |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Pilu River |
| Height (foundation) | 11 metres (36 ft)[1] |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Mobye Reservoir |
| Surface area | 207 km2 (80 sq mi)[1] |
| Lawpita Hydropower Plant No.1[1] | |
| Installed capacity | 196MW (for the whole Lawpita Project)[1] |
Mobye Dam (also Moe Bye Dam or Mongpai Dam) is a dam near the village of Mobye in Shan State, Myanmar. The dam is part of the Lawpita hydropower project and is located in the valley of the Pilu River (also called the Baluchaung River), south of Inle lake.[2]
History
[edit]The Lawpita project was the first large scale hydropower project constructed in Myanmar, it was initiated following the Second World War with support from Japan as part of a war repatation agreement[3] and was built by Kajima and Nippon Koei.[2]
Construction of the two most important components (Mobye Dam and No.2 power station) began in 1960 and were completed in the 1970s and are still operational today.[3]
The project has received a large amount of criticism, the construction of the dam resulted in the destruction of the local ecosystem as well as a farmland used by the local Karenni population. Over 12000 people have had to be displaced to make way for the project.[1][4] The area was militarized to protect the infrastructure with over 18000 landmines placed along the route of the transmission lines[4] and the military perpetrating a number of human rights abuses with the benefits of the dam being diverted away from the local region.[3][5]
As the dam is the only drainage point for the water at Inle Lake, torrential rains have the potential to cause flooding both above the dam due to slow drainage[6][7][8] as well as below the dam due to the abrupt releases of water by the military.[9][10] During the Myanmar civil war the dam was breached by Tatmadaw forces during combat with the local People's Defence Force.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g "Lawpita Hydropower Project". burmariversnetwork.org. Archived from the original on 19 January 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ^ a b Karenni Development Research Group (2006). Dammed by Burma's Generals: The Karenni Experience with Hydropower Development - from Lawpita to the Salween. University of California, Berkeley. ISBN 9781899235964.
- ^ a b c "Lawpita and Mobye dam, Balu Chaung River, Karenni state, Myanmar". ejatlas.org. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ^ a b "Briefing: Current Status of Dam Projects on Burma's Salween River". International Rivers Resource Hub. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ^ Yain Tai. "Seven village-tracts near Mobye Dam have no electricity until now". Burma News International. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
- ^ "More than 170 Villages Around Inle Lake Flooded". Burma News International. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
- ^ Wei, Brian (17 September 2024). "Eight IDPs Killed as Floods Submerge Villages in Myanmar's Inle Lake Region". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ^ "Myanmar: Flood Situation Report, 16 September 2024 | OCHA". www.unocha.org. 16 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
- ^ "Mobye Dam water release floods over 1,000 acres of farmland". Burma News International. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ^ "Over a Thousand Residents Affected by Flash Floods Following Junta's Sudden Water Release from Mongpai Dam". Burma News International. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
- ^ "Junta intensifies airlifts of weapons and ammunition to 422nd Light Infantry Battalion near Karenni-Shan border". Burma News International. 13 August 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2025.