Water levels have fluctuated sharply with testing, but some are encouraged that China gave warning of its plan.
Category: Region
Selected environmental stories from media outlets in the Mekong region and beyond.
Cambodian Protester Dies in Custody
A Cambodian rights group is calling for an investigation into the death of a jailed land-rights protester, saying that witness accounts of events leading to the man’s death contradict official denials of abuse by police.
The Costs of China’s Belt and Road Expansion
The country has driven investment to new places like Cambodia. Yet that growth has also brought risks for Beijing.
Vast river diversion plan afoot in western China
These schemes would feed China’s north not just from the Yangtze but from transnational rivers, including the Yarlung Tsangpo, the Nu and the Lancang/Mekong.
Chinese President’s Upcoming Visit Seen as Bid to Gain Myanmar Leaders’ Commitment on BRI Projects
China has proposed 38 projects under the CMEC. However, Myanmar only approved nine projects at the second BRI forum in Beijing in April last year.
Lao Villagers Displaced by Dams Struggle to Survive in Resettlement Sites
Three dams have now been built by China’s Sinohydro Corporation on the Nam Ou river, which runs through Luang Prabang and Phongsaly provinces, with four more scheduled for completion this year.
A Gloomy Outlook for Thailand in 2020
Among its challenges are that there are no signs of the drought affecting much of the country ending, and the Mekong River is drying out with the potential to become a regional flashpoint.