Champassak is a province in southwestern Laos, near the borders with Thailand and  Cambodia. The capital is Pakse. Champasak is bordered by Salavan Province to the north, Sekong Province to the northeast, Attapeu Province to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the west. The Mekong River forms part of the border with neighboring Thailand and contains Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands) in the south of the province, on the border with Cambodia. Champasak Province covers an area of 15,415 square kilometres.

Xe Pian National Biodiversity Conservation Area (NBCA) lies in the southeastern part of the province, while the Dong Hua Sao National Protected Area is in the eastern area. Freshwater dolphins are known locally as “Pakha” in Lao, and are found only on this particular stretch of the Mekong River. However, these Freshwater dolphins are endanger and under the threat water infrastructure development. 

The Mekong Channel from Phou Xiang Thong to Siphandon Important Bird Area (IBA) is 34,200 hectares (85,000 acres) in size. A portion of the IBA (10,000 hectares) overlaps with the 120,000 hectares (300,000 acres) Phou Xieng Thong National Protected Area. The IBA encompasses two provinces, Champasak and Salavan. Its topography consists of earth banks, rocky banks, rocky islands, sandbars, low vegetated islands, rocky islets, and sandy beaches.

The 36,650 hectares (90,600 acres) Phou Xiang Thong IBA is also in the Phou Xiengthong NBCA. This IBA spans two provinces, Champasak and Salavan. The topography consists of low hills, lowlands, rivers, and seasonal streams.

The Jhai Coffee Farmers Cooperative, headquartered at the provincial capital, operates on the Bolaven Plateau. 

The Don Sahong is a hydroelectric dam under construction on the Mekong River in Siphandone area of Champasak Province. It is less than two kilometers upstream of the Laos–Cambodia border. Developers suggest that the project would have “no significant impact” on the local environment, however both the governments of Cambodia and Vietnam, and a variety of civil society groups have raised concerns over uncertain or likely impacts, especially on fisheries. Independent fisheries experts contend that the dam would have a serious impact on fish migration as the channel is the only one within the Khone Falls complex that is passable to migratory fishes in the dry season, and the major migration channel year-round.

The Special Economic Zones (SEZ) are also being established in the province. Pakse-Japan SME Speical Economic Zone covers 195 ha in Patoumphone district and Maha Nathi Sithandone Special Economic Zone”, covers an area of 9,846 hectares on the islands of Khong district.

However, there are no information for the land loss and compensation for affected people by those SEZ projects.   

References:

1. Wikipedia ‘Champasak province’: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champasak_Province
2. IPD ‘Champasak’: http://bit.ly/2Md2uL0
3. ANN ‘Lao govt, investors ink deal on Maha Nathi Sithandone development’: http://bit.ly/2Md2NWa
4. Wikipedia ‘Don Sahong Dam’: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Sahong_Dam