Climate change, drought, and upstream dams have led to record low water levels significantly harming Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake and the surrounding communities.
Category: Mekong
Why has China built dams along the Lancang River
“The water supplementary role of Lancang cascade dams can generally alleviate drought occurring in the Mekong River Basin.”
Mekong is at historical lows
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) gauge at Phnom Penh Port shows river level to be four metres below average for this time of year – and lower than last year’s record.
Water wars: Mekong River another front in U.S.-China rivalry
Confrontation in which the Trump administration – maintaining an Obama-era Mekong environmental and development program – is losing ground.
Shifting sands: Concrete-hungry Singapore orders from Australia
Singapore is opting not to source sand from from Southeast Asian countries. Last year a UN report warned that unregulated sand mining in the Mekong basin was hurting habitats.
Laos weather bureau official dispels Mekong flood concerns
This is because the overflowing rivers in China are flowing east and not affecting Mekong.
Laos: The Lancang-Mekong river cooperation sees regional countries battle severe drought
“The annual output of my tea plantation in 2018 is 150 kilograms, but in 2019, it was reduced by two-thirds to 56 kilograms. This year, I only harvested 36 kilograms,” said farmer Lan Pi.
River dams in China helped alleviate drought along Lancang-Mekong, research finds
Chinese researchers refute this causal link and reckless accusation by US media, as scientists have found continued high temperatures and decreasing rainfall are the main causes of the drought.
Praying for Rain by the Mekong as Monsoon Season Begins
Rainfall over the Lower Mekong Basin in May was about 68 percent lower than in May 2019, about 73 percent lower in June as compared to 2019, when the drought was already underway.
Chinese Intentions Towards the Mekong River and Mainland South-East Asia
Can build goodwill with the countries of the lower Mekong basin or use its dams to coerce its near neighbours into accepting Chinese strategic interests.