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Dam Battles Converge on Cambodia’s 3S Rivers
September 16th, 2021
Via Circle of Blue, an article on tensions between fishermen and dam operators in northeastern Cambodia: For decades, Nov Lun and his fellow fishermen harvested the rich bounty of the Sesan River in northeastern Cambodia. Then, three years ago, a giant hydroelectric power plant opened upstream from his village of Kumpun. Irregular water releases from […]
Read more »US, China Dueling For Power On The Mekong
September 6th, 2021
Via The Asia Times, a report on how the countries sharing the Lancang-Mekong River are entering a new era of hydropolitics, involving programs on both economic and water resource development, and hydro-diplomacy via China’s dam-engineered control of the headwaters of the Mekong: When China announced in early August a new US$6 million for new development […]
Read more »Belt and Road Dam In Cambodia Branded A ‘Disaster’ For Local Communities
August 10th, 2021
Courtesy of The Financial Times, an article on how Chinese-funded projects threaten a food crisis in the Mekong river delta: A Chinese-financed dam in Cambodia, part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, has been a human rights “disaster” for indigenous and ethnic minority communities, according to a report published on Tuesday. Human Rights Watch claims the […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: China Belatedly Notifies Mekong Nations of River Disruption
January 9th, 2021
Via The Diplomat, an article on China’s belated notification to other Mekong nations of a river disruption: Earlier this week, I wrote about the sudden drop in water levels along the Mekong River in northern Thailand, and their likely link to the filling of a dam reservoir upstream in China. The fall first became apparent on January 4, […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: Amid US Criticism, China Offers Mekong Nations Access to Crucial River Data
October 23rd, 2020
Via The Diplomat, a report on China’s agreement to provide downstream nations access to crucial Mekong River data, a welcome development for downstream nations, but one that underlines China’s strategic hold over the crucial waterway: China has agreed to provide the Mekong River Commission (MRC) with year-round hydrological data, following through on a promise made by Chinese Premier […]
Read more »US Launches Mekong Partnership as Chinese Debt Trap Closes on Laos
September 16th, 2020
Via Future Directions International, a report on a different type of water politics, one which pertains to geopolitical spread of influence: The United States announced a new Mekong-US Partnership at a virtual summit hosted by Vietnam on 11 September. An initial US$153 million ($210 million) will be made available to Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos to […]
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