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Mekong River: Damned If You Do
February 29th, 2016
Via The Economist, some commentary on dam building on the Mekong River: THE greatest of all South-East Asia’s waterways and the world’s 12th-longest river, the Mekong, is a natural wonder that ties together the destinies of half a dozen countries. Born from snowmelt at over 17,000 feet (5,200 metres), it bolts off the Tibetan plateau […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: China Drives Water Cooperation With Mekong Countries
February 1st, 2016
Via Third Pole.net, an interesting article on China’s agreement to engage more closely with its Southeast Asian neighbours over controversial hydropower projects and water resources: China is more closely involved in cross-border cooperation on hydropower and water management after the six countries that share the Mekong River signed a landmark agreement late last year. While more […]
Read more »The Mekong: River Rising Or Troubled Waters?
November 26th, 2015
Via The Guardian, an in-depth look at the Mekong River, where the hydro-political stakes grow as the waters flow south to richer Cambodia and Vietnam: Troubled waters Khamlouvilaivong Vanthong’s first job as a civil engineer was on the Nam Ngum dam. It was 1968 and as he helped cut down the dense jungles to build […]
Read more »Changing Tides: The Mekong River Commission And Hydro-Diplomacy
September 30th, 2015
Via International Rivers, a look at the Mekong River Commission: The Mekong River Commission (MRC), the only intergovernmental body mandated to sustainably manage and protect the Lower Mekong River, is on the brink of demise. While transboundary water governance has faced significant challenges in the region since the MRC was established in 1995, the Commission’s first real […]
Read more »Laos Dam Project A Black Eye For Mekong Cooperation
September 19th, 2015
Via the Khmer Times, a report on a potentially destructive Laotian dam project just 2 kilometers from the border with Cambodia: When the Lao national assembly last week approved a potentially destructive dam project just 2 kilometers from the border with Cambodia, the surprise announcement was yet another blow to the regional framework designed to protect […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: Water Release At Yunnan Dam Sparks SE Asian Alarm
September 18th, 2014
Via GoKunming, a report on how a water release at Yunnan dam is sparking SE Asian alarm: A huge hydroelectric facility in southern Yunnan is causing tension between China and several of its downstream Southeast Asian neighbors. The Jinghong dam (????), which stretches across the Mekong River, is currently discharging water in an effort to […]
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