A Japanese who marked the starting point of development assistance
NISHIKAWA Megumi / Journalist
March 20, 2018
I recently traveled to Laos, the landlocked country on the Indochinese Peninsula. It has earned the name of the “Battery of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)” for its 100% self-sufficiency in hydroelectric power and its export of surplus power to its neighboring countries such as Thailand and China. This puts Laos at a huge advantage over its neighbors that are driven to thermal or nuclear power generation. It is a Japanese who launched the country on the path to natural energy sufficiency.
Nam Ngum Dam is situated 65 km north of the capital Vientiane. It is filled to the brim with water, extending all the way to the horizon, fading into the sky. This was the first dam in Laos, built by Japan in 1971. Its surface area is as wide as Fukuoka City, with numerous islands floating on the surface. It is a place of great scenic beauty resembling Matsushima, one of the canonical Three Views of Japan. Its water storage capacity is approximately 7 billion m3, a daunting number when compared to the 600 million m3 of Okutadami Dam in Fukushima Prefecture, one of the largest dams in Japan.
Since the dam’s construction, the No.1 to No.5 generators have been installed in succession. Now the No.6 generator is being installed by Japan. This involves a highly complicated construction work whereby a hole is dug through the concrete dam while the dam is in operation and the generator is installed through the penstock. Mr. Hiroki Hori, the 68-year old team leader of Nippon Koei, the engineering consultant headquartered in Tokyo, says, “It is an engineering method designed to minimize the impact on the environment. It is done without using explosives, to avoid the disastrous consequences of causing fissures in the embankment. It is a technology developed by Japan over many years.”
The Nam Ngum project started in 1958. Prince Souphanouvong, who was then the minister for national planning and later became the head of state, approached Mr. Yutaka Kubota, President of Nippon Koei, who was visiting Laos, and asked him for ideas about resolving the problem of electric power shortage. At that time, the capital often suffered from power blackouts, and there were talks about building coal-fired power plants.
Mr. Kubota recommended the option of hydroelectric power plants for Laos given its mountainous geography and abundance of water resources. With the Prince’s approval, he went ahead to do his own survey. At the advanced age of 68, he went on reconnaissance trips along the Mekong and conducted aerial surveys aboard a small airplane, with a view to identifying the location for the dam. Mr. Hori recounts, “At first, he had his eye on a nearby tributary area. But then, he felt that perhaps another area might be better and surveyed it just to make sure, and found the present location. The ground was solid sandstone, not soft clay deposit, and was ideally suited for dam construction. Topographically as well, we could not have found a better terrain.” The waterway is narrow in width near the dam and becomes wider beyond, thus creating a huge water storage capacity with a small dam volume. The concrete dam volume of Nam Gnum is one fifth and its water storage capacity is 11 times respectively of Okutadami Dam. This shows how efficient Nam Ngum Dam is.
Mr. Kubota energetically sought funding for the project, and secured a loan from the World Bank. Laos was in a civil war at the time, but the government forces and the insurgents agreed to a truce around the construction site in view of the importance of the project for Laos as a nation. When the first dam in Laos was completed, Mr. Kubota was 81 years old.
Since then, Laos has concentrated its efforts on dam construction, and has built 90 dams to date. Today, it exports 80% of its electric power supply to its neighbors such as Thailand and China.
Dams contribute to the development of fisheries and tourism resources as well as to the development of remote areas. Mr. Kubota set an example for development assistance by his empathy to the Lao people, his recommendation on how to shape the nation’s future and his leadership in opening the door to its natural energy sufficiency. As huge projects such as China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” are being launched and the logic and interests of the donors tend to dominate the world of development assistance, Mr. Kubota shows us the starting point to which we should return. The value brought to Laos by that one dam is immeasurable. The Laotians are among the friendliest people towards Japan, and there is a very good reason for it.
Megumi Nishikawa is Contributing Editor for the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper.
Nam Ngum Dam is situated 65 km north of the capital Vientiane. It is filled to the brim with water, extending all the way to the horizon, fading into the sky. This was the first dam in Laos, built by Japan in 1971. Its surface area is as wide as Fukuoka City, with numerous islands floating on the surface. It is a place of great scenic beauty resembling Matsushima, one of the canonical Three Views of Japan. Its water storage capacity is approximately 7 billion m3, a daunting number when compared to the 600 million m3 of Okutadami Dam in Fukushima Prefecture, one of the largest dams in Japan.
Since the dam’s construction, the No.1 to No.5 generators have been installed in succession. Now the No.6 generator is being installed by Japan. This involves a highly complicated construction work whereby a hole is dug through the concrete dam while the dam is in operation and the generator is installed through the penstock. Mr. Hiroki Hori, the 68-year old team leader of Nippon Koei, the engineering consultant headquartered in Tokyo, says, “It is an engineering method designed to minimize the impact on the environment. It is done without using explosives, to avoid the disastrous consequences of causing fissures in the embankment. It is a technology developed by Japan over many years.”
The Nam Ngum project started in 1958. Prince Souphanouvong, who was then the minister for national planning and later became the head of state, approached Mr. Yutaka Kubota, President of Nippon Koei, who was visiting Laos, and asked him for ideas about resolving the problem of electric power shortage. At that time, the capital often suffered from power blackouts, and there were talks about building coal-fired power plants.
Mr. Kubota recommended the option of hydroelectric power plants for Laos given its mountainous geography and abundance of water resources. With the Prince’s approval, he went ahead to do his own survey. At the advanced age of 68, he went on reconnaissance trips along the Mekong and conducted aerial surveys aboard a small airplane, with a view to identifying the location for the dam. Mr. Hori recounts, “At first, he had his eye on a nearby tributary area. But then, he felt that perhaps another area might be better and surveyed it just to make sure, and found the present location. The ground was solid sandstone, not soft clay deposit, and was ideally suited for dam construction. Topographically as well, we could not have found a better terrain.” The waterway is narrow in width near the dam and becomes wider beyond, thus creating a huge water storage capacity with a small dam volume. The concrete dam volume of Nam Gnum is one fifth and its water storage capacity is 11 times respectively of Okutadami Dam. This shows how efficient Nam Ngum Dam is.
Mr. Kubota energetically sought funding for the project, and secured a loan from the World Bank. Laos was in a civil war at the time, but the government forces and the insurgents agreed to a truce around the construction site in view of the importance of the project for Laos as a nation. When the first dam in Laos was completed, Mr. Kubota was 81 years old.
Since then, Laos has concentrated its efforts on dam construction, and has built 90 dams to date. Today, it exports 80% of its electric power supply to its neighbors such as Thailand and China.
Dams contribute to the development of fisheries and tourism resources as well as to the development of remote areas. Mr. Kubota set an example for development assistance by his empathy to the Lao people, his recommendation on how to shape the nation’s future and his leadership in opening the door to its natural energy sufficiency. As huge projects such as China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” are being launched and the logic and interests of the donors tend to dominate the world of development assistance, Mr. Kubota shows us the starting point to which we should return. The value brought to Laos by that one dam is immeasurable. The Laotians are among the friendliest people towards Japan, and there is a very good reason for it.
Megumi Nishikawa is Contributing Editor for the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
開発援助の原点を示す１人の日本人
西川恵 / ジャーナリスト
2018年 3月 20日
最近、インドシナ半島の内陸国ラオスを旅行したが、同国は「東南アジア諸国連合（ＡＳＥＡＮ）のバッテリー」と呼ばれる。電力を１００％水力発電で賄い、余剰電力をタイ、中国などの周辺国になどに輸出しているからだ。周辺国が火力発電や原発に走る中、ラオスの大きな優位性だが、自然エネルギー立国へと導いたのは一人の日本人である。
首都ビエンチャンから北方６５キロのナムグムダム。水平線まで満々と水をたたえ、奥行きは見えない。日本が１９７１年に建設したラオスのダム第一号。面積は福岡市に相当し、湖面に無数に島が浮かぶ。日本の三大風景の1つ、松島に似た美しい光景だ。貯水量約７０億立方メートルで、日本では最大級の福島県の奥只見ダム（約６億立方メートル）と比べその大きさが分かる。
ダムは建設以来、発電機が５号機まで順次据え付けられてきた。現在、６号機の設置工事が日本によって進められている。ダムを稼働したままコンクリートのダム本体に穴を開け、水圧管を通して発電機を据える難工事である。チームリーダーの日本工営（本社・東京）の堀洋喜氏（６８）は「環境に影響を与えない工法ですが、堤体にひびを入れては大変なので爆薬を使わないで行います。日本が長年蓄積した技術です」と語る。
ナムグムダム計画の始まりは１９５８年。スファヌボン殿下（当時は国家計画相、後に国家元首）はラオスに来ていた日本工営社長の久保田豊氏に「電力不足解消にアイデアはないか」と相談した。首都では停電が頻繁に起き、石炭火力発電所建設の話も出ていた。
久保田氏は山が多く、水も豊富なラオスには水力発電がいいと進言。殿下の了解を得て調査に乗り出した。当時６８歳の高齢ながら、自らメコン川流域を踏査し、小型飛行機で上空から調べ、場所を特定した。「最初、この近くの支流域に目星をつけたのですが、久保田氏が『もしかしてあちらの方がいいかも知れない』と現在の場所を念のため調べて、見つけました。地盤は脆弱な粘土層ではなく硬い砂岩で、ダム建設にもってこい。地形的にもよくこんな理想的な場所を見つけたものだと思います」と堀氏。ダム付近は狭く奥行きは広いから、小さな堤体積で巨大な水をためられる。
ナムグムダムのコンクリートのダム体積は奥只見ダムの５分の１、貯水量は１１倍強。いかに効率的か分かる。久保田氏は資金集めにも奔走し、世銀からも融資を取り付けた。当時、ラオスは内戦状態だったが、政府軍と反政府軍は「国にとって大切なプロジェクト」と建設現場一帯を停戦地帯にした。７１年にラオス最初のダムが完成した時、久保田氏は８１歳になっていた。
これ以後、ラオスはダム建設に注力し、現在約９０カ所。現在、総発電量の８０％をタイ、中国など周辺国に輸出している。
ダムは水産資源や観光資源開発、へき地振興にもつながっている。相手に寄り添い、国の将来を見据えて進言し、先頭に立って自然エネルギー立国への扉を開いた久保田氏は、開発援助の在り方で一つのモデルを示している。「一帯一路」などで巨大プロジェクトが打ち上げられ、援助する側の論理や利益が優先されがちな援助にあって、久保田氏は立ち戻るべき原点である。一つのダムがラオスにもたらした意味は計り知れない。ラオスの人々は世界でも屈指の親日だが、それも故あることである。
筆者は毎日新聞客員編集委員
首都ビエンチャンから北方６５キロのナムグムダム。水平線まで満々と水をたたえ、奥行きは見えない。日本が１９７１年に建設したラオスのダム第一号。面積は福岡市に相当し、湖面に無数に島が浮かぶ。日本の三大風景の1つ、松島に似た美しい光景だ。貯水量約７０億立方メートルで、日本では最大級の福島県の奥只見ダム（約６億立方メートル）と比べその大きさが分かる。
ダムは建設以来、発電機が５号機まで順次据え付けられてきた。現在、６号機の設置工事が日本によって進められている。ダムを稼働したままコンクリートのダム本体に穴を開け、水圧管を通して発電機を据える難工事である。チームリーダーの日本工営（本社・東京）の堀洋喜氏（６８）は「環境に影響を与えない工法ですが、堤体にひびを入れては大変なので爆薬を使わないで行います。日本が長年蓄積した技術です」と語る。
ナムグムダム計画の始まりは１９５８年。スファヌボン殿下（当時は国家計画相、後に国家元首）はラオスに来ていた日本工営社長の久保田豊氏に「電力不足解消にアイデアはないか」と相談した。首都では停電が頻繁に起き、石炭火力発電所建設の話も出ていた。
久保田氏は山が多く、水も豊富なラオスには水力発電がいいと進言。殿下の了解を得て調査に乗り出した。当時６８歳の高齢ながら、自らメコン川流域を踏査し、小型飛行機で上空から調べ、場所を特定した。「最初、この近くの支流域に目星をつけたのですが、久保田氏が『もしかしてあちらの方がいいかも知れない』と現在の場所を念のため調べて、見つけました。地盤は脆弱な粘土層ではなく硬い砂岩で、ダム建設にもってこい。地形的にもよくこんな理想的な場所を見つけたものだと思います」と堀氏。ダム付近は狭く奥行きは広いから、小さな堤体積で巨大な水をためられる。
ナムグムダムのコンクリートのダム体積は奥只見ダムの５分の１、貯水量は１１倍強。いかに効率的か分かる。久保田氏は資金集めにも奔走し、世銀からも融資を取り付けた。当時、ラオスは内戦状態だったが、政府軍と反政府軍は「国にとって大切なプロジェクト」と建設現場一帯を停戦地帯にした。７１年にラオス最初のダムが完成した時、久保田氏は８１歳になっていた。
これ以後、ラオスはダム建設に注力し、現在約９０カ所。現在、総発電量の８０％をタイ、中国など周辺国に輸出している。
ダムは水産資源や観光資源開発、へき地振興にもつながっている。相手に寄り添い、国の将来を見据えて進言し、先頭に立って自然エネルギー立国への扉を開いた久保田氏は、開発援助の在り方で一つのモデルを示している。「一帯一路」などで巨大プロジェクトが打ち上げられ、援助する側の論理や利益が優先されがちな援助にあって、久保田氏は立ち戻るべき原点である。一つのダムがラオスにもたらした意味は計り知れない。ラオスの人々は世界でも屈指の親日だが、それも故あることである。
筆者は毎日新聞客員編集委員
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟