As rapid economic development continues in Southeast Asia and the lower Mekong basin, demands for both food and energy will continue to rise. The Lao government is also keen to utilize its water resources to pursue irrigation expansion and more hydropower projects. This development is seen as critically important for meeting current and future energy demand in the rapidly growing cities and towns throughout the lower Mekong in Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. With these rising demands come the challenges of regional management of water resources and increased pressure upon surrounding ecosystems. Within this context, the implications of the Nam Ngam Dam, and other projects like it, are a matter of some controversy. Whether or not hydropower-based economic development is consistent with other socioeconomic and environmental objectives in the Lao PDR (irrigation, fisheries, flood control) has scarcely been explored.