BLOG
South-East Asia’s Biggest River Is Drying Up
May 18th, 2020
Via The Economist, a sobering report on the Mekong: Fish writhe frantically in the shallow pool, as their schoolmates stranded on the exposed sandbar breathe their last. It is November, the end of the monsoon season, yet the water in the Mekong river is perilously low. On this stretch, in north-eastern Thailand, the bank is […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: China’s Control of the Mekong
May 8th, 2020
Via The Diplomat, a report on how China – whether through its own dams or the financing and construction of dams in other countries – is largely in the driver’s seat when it comes to the Mekong: A recently published report by Eyes on Earth, Inc. has pointed the finger at Chinese dams holding back water […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: Mekong Dams Threaten Tonle Sap Lake
April 27th, 2020
Via China Dialogue, a report on how the use and construction of dams on the Mekong will determine the future of Southeast Asia’s largest lake, Tonle Sap Lake: As the Tonle Sap floodplain empties into the Mekong this spring, the Cambodians who rely on these waters face bleak prospects, with fish catches reportedly 10 to 20% of previous years. […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: China’s ‘Development Approach’ To Mekong Water Disputes
March 29th, 2020
Via The Diplomat, a look at China’s approach to Mekong River water disputes: Even as COVID-19 is wreaking havoc and uncertainty around the globe, Vietnam’s Mekong Delta declared an emergency over the devastating drought in early March. Studies suggest that the frequency and severity of droughts in the Mekong region has increased in the past decades, […]
Read more »Cambodia Scraps Plans for Mekong Hydropower Dams
March 20th, 2020
Via The Guardian, a report on Cambodia’s decision to scraps plans for Mekong hydropower dams: A Cambodian government decision to postpone building new hydropower dams on the Mekong river has been welcomed by campaigners, who say it will provide welcome relief to the tens of thousands of people whose livelihood depend upon its rich resources. Cambodia announced […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: China To Help Manage Mekong Amid Warnings of Dam Danger
February 22nd, 2020
Via Reuters, a report on China’s efforts to help its downstream neighbors manage drought via Mekong River releases: China on Thursday said it was helping its downstream neighbors cope with a prolonged drought by releasing more water from its dams on the Mekong River, adding it would consider sharing information on hydrology to provide further […]
Read more »