At Least 27 Rare Earth Mines Operating In Laos; Possible Threat To Multiple River Basins, But Hard Data Lacking

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Rare earth mining operations in Myanmar have sickened communities downstream in Thailand, prompted investigations and exposed the toxic consequences that such unregulated extractive activities have had on rivers. In Laos, where press freedoms and community organizing are heavily restricted and the nascent rare earth mining sector operates without much governmental oversight, no such outcry has happened. As such, the extent to which mines in Laos could be contaminating transboundary rivers with mining runoff remains unclear, but the risk is expanding in line with the proliferation of new mines. Testing supported by the Mekong River Commission in Laotian waters in July suggested that elevated levels of arsenic contamination originated from “possible sources beyond national boundaries” — likely a reference to the spillover of toxic wastewater from mines in Myanmar that has already contaminated the Kok, Sai and Ruak rivers that empty into the Mekong at the Thai-Laos border.

A spokesperson for the Mekong River Commission said it doesn’t independently conduct contamination assessments specifically linked to mining activities, but provides technical support and encourages member countries — Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam — to conduct regular testing throughout the lower Mekong Basin. “If unchecked, pollution from mining and other industrial activities, especially when contaminant levels exceed standard limits, could harm public health, reduce biodiversity, disrupt aquatic ecosystems, and threaten the livelihoods of people who depend on the Mekong River,” the Mekong River Commission’s spokesperson told Mongabay via email. “While pollution control is primarily the responsibility of national authorities, the [Mekong River Commission] continues to assist member countries through data sharing, technical advice, joint monitoring, and regional cooperation to promote sustainable and water resources management across borders.”

But whether Laos’s rivers are being polluted by mines in Myanmar or not, its own domestic mining sector has already created problems for riverine communities. In 2024, rare earth mining chemical spills and river pollution in Laos’s northeastern provinces of Houaphanh and in Luang Prabang prompted government intervention after high levels of cyanide and acidity found in two rivers led to a widespread fish die-off, affecting 36 villages. Chinese company representatives reportedly agreed to meet with community members to discuss compensation, while local officials conducted more testing until the water was found to be safe again.

Rare earth mining was, as of 2017, banned in Laos. Nevertheless, sources familiar with the workings of the Laotian mining sector say that mining companies, particularly those backed by Chinese investors, have found workarounds by establishing client-patron relations with local officials. In effect, this means that many rare earth mining operations may have permission at the provincial or district level, even while they likely don’t have the legal right to do so as granted by the central government.

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https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/rare-earth-mining-expands-into-laos-threatening-entire-mekong-river/