A billboard showing the finished Nam Ou Cascade Hydropower Project Dam 5, Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR. In the Nam Ou river valley the first phase of construction on the Nam Ou Cascade Hydropower Project by Chinese corporation Sinohydro has begun, the project will generate electricity, 90% of which will be exported to other countries in the region. The project will directly affect several districts in Phongsaly province through construction, reservoir impoundment and back flooding resulting in loss of land and assets and village relocation. The 425 km long Nam Ou river is a major tributary of the Mekong and is the lifeline of rural communities and local economies.