Phnom Penh’s floating fishing community faces eviction

A hotel, with elegantly appointed air-conditioned rooms offering Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs, overlooks the settlement of wooden huts and fishing boats where many Khmer Islam, or Cham, and ethnic Vietnamese families live. “I can use the water freely when I live on the river. Electricity is not really a problem. So, when I move to the ground, I have to pay for all utilities, food, and place to sleep. I cannot afford those,” said one resident.

Mekong River dams cause foods and damages to farmers

Yanyong Srijaroen, WWF-Thailand Wetlands Project Manager stated that the operation of Chinese dams often involves the untimely and unexpected release of large amounts of water destroying the nests and eggs of young birds of the endangered species. Moreover, dams located at the source lead to salinization and the decline of fisheries, which affects the surrounding villages that depend on the river, as well as to its negative effects on crops because of the sediment that usually fertilizes crops at the top of the source.