the mekong river flows through six countries. tension between countries closer to the mouth of the river and those closer to the source are already brewing. back in laos, we returned to thex -- we returned to the xayaburi dam. for years, laos has maintained that the dam is not yet under construction, but were not allowed on land. one news agency however did manage to take pictures. a show that large-scale construction has gone -- has been underway for some time. and meanwhile, construction has officially started. studies have reportedly confirmed the safety of the project, a claim disputed by conservationists. we headed back down the river, during that within a few years, we may no longer be able to behold its natural beauty. >> to tell us your views on the project, you can find us on facebook. so go ahead and join our global debate. and that's all we have time for this edition of global 3000. thanks for watching and don't forget to tune in again, same time, same place in one week from now. captioned by the national captioning in