Construction of a dam on the Yom RiverThe proposed Kaeng Sua Ten dam project has sparked controversy for over a decade. Due to strong objections from local people, the government's goals to build dams in Phrae's Tambon Sa-Iab province may never leave the drawing board. The government said the dam was essential. This would reduce flooding, alleviate seasonal drought areas and lead to agricultural development. Dams are a crucial element for industry and hydropower and attract many local and international investors. On the other hand, residents, who fiercely resisted the project, claimed that the project was ineffective and unsustainable. Furthermore, it would harm the ecosystem and the livelihood of the villagers. They demanded effective haste in decision-making and conservation of Mae Yom National Park (Wongruang, 2012). I strongly believed that the construction of the Kaeng Sua Ten Dam should be stopped as it is inefficient and unsustainable, harming the forest ecosystem, forest biodiversity and villagers' livelihoods, while leaving little room for to social justice. Above all, Kaeng Sua Ten Dam fails to mitigate flooding, reduce drought or even generate electricity. For the dam to be able to control flooding, it must be able to store a large volume of water. The reservoir must therefore be empty to store sufficient flood water. However, this is not possible. Kaeng Sua Ten is a medium-sized dam, with a capacity of approximately one billion cubic meters of water. It permanently has a certain quantity of water to produce electricity (Eamwiwatkit, 1996). This means that the dam is not able to help the local population during the drought period. Water is not provided...... middle of paper......, December 7). A UN report concludes that the dam project, which lacks flood control value, is in question. Retrieved April 15, 2014 from oocities: http://www.oocities.org/yosemite/rapids/8429/kstnfloods.htmlLocal participation and counterroversyl of the Kaeng Sua TEn dam. (nd). Accessed April 15, 2014 from mekonginfo: http://www.mekonginfo.org/assets/midocs/0002761-planning-cadastre-local-participation-and-the-kaeng-sua-ten-dam-controversy.pdf Panyawai, S (October 7, 2012). Smaller dams, better than Kaeng Sua Ten, locals say. Retrieved April 15, 2014 from nationalmultimedia: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Smaller-dams-better-than-Kaeng-Sua-Ten-say-locals-30191844.html Wongruang, P. (November 4, 2012). ). The villagers swear they will not abandon their homes to build a dam. Accessed April 15, 2014 from Bangkokpost: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/investigation/319469/villagers-vow-they-won-t-give-up-homes-for-dam