Koh, N. S., Wong, G. Y., & Hahn, T. (2024). Radical incrementalism: hydropolitics and environmental discourses in Laos. Environmental Politics, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2024.2372236

Abstract

The Nam Theun 2 dam is an influential case of applying safeguards to mitigate social and environmental impacts from hydropower, being used as a model for large dams globally. However, these safeguards have produced mixed results. We examine the role of safeguards in hydropower, and how stakeholders have discussed its use. Based on a literature review and stakeholder interviews, we conduct a discourse analysis of narratives used to frame hydropower. We find four discourses being used for different purposes: Green Neoliberalism to legitimize, Ecological Modernization to operationalize, Green Radicalism to criticize, and Radical Incrementalism to repurpose hydropower. Whereas green radicalism in high-income countries challenges over-consumption, we find that green radicalism in low-income countries highlights environmental justice and shortcomings of conventional development models. We argue for a broader understanding of discourses to include Radical Incrementalism as one strategy for change of careful and considered actions over time.

Author Niak Sian Koh talks about some key messages from this study, and the implications for environmental justice. To read this interview in Environmental Politics, click here