The Mekong River Commission (MRC) released a ten-year basin development strategy and a five-year strategic plan Monday to address challenges and improve the state of the basin.
Category: Mekong
Chinese Dams Unleash Mekong Waters on Laos During ‘Dry’ Season
Chinese dams on the Mekong River have begun releasing water during the river’s normal dry season, causing trouble for wildlife, farmers and fishermen in Lao
Mekong governance across borders ‘critical’
Fishermen living next to the Mekong have seen their wealth diminishing with changing water flow patterns – a phenomenon observed over the past two decades since China started building 11 dams in its upper Mekong.
China’s dam rush: critics query hydropower path to carbon neutrality
“Dam-building is still controversial in China because of environmental concerns. However, opposition is not as strong as before, because the need to achieve carbon neutrality is more pressing.”
Rivers can be climate change solutions, too
Rivers and their floodplains have the potential to act as shock absorbers to climate change, but the Mekong River illustrates the harsh reality communities face when infrastructure is poorly planned.
Mekong hurt by sweet talk
Indeed, China has a big role in the framework given that it has financially contributed to most projects, if not all, under the MLC. But this does not necessarily mean the superpower should enjoy a free hand.
Cambodia blocks Angkor Wat resort, will Laos stop the dam at its UNESCO site?
hough Laos may not respect UNESCO’s wishes, the argument that the dam goes against the government’s own promises regarding the country’s national identity is compelling. Though Laos may not see the enormous risks involved in the Luang Prabang dam, it may be able to recognize its own commitments.
From the bookshelf: ‘In the dragon’s shadow: Southeast Asia in the Chinese century’
And China has mirrored its construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea by damming the upper Mekong River, giving Chinese dam engineers the power of life and death over large swathes of the downstream Mekong nations.
Thai, Cambodia, Vietnam Ambassadors Urge ASEAN, US support for Mekong Management
The ambassadors of Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia have called for greater support from the U.S. and the ASEAN regional bloc to address urgent environmental threats to the Mekong River. They also emphasized the need for improved water data sharing by all countries on the river, including China.
Volatile Mekong threatens birds’ nests
Predictive flow data is not so helpful since, “we can’t negotiate with those who are in control of the water flow. The key to reducing environmental impacts on both birds and other animals is to let the Mekong river run naturally.”