Surface water
Rivers and lakes
Dam testing in China to affect eight Mekong River provinces
Eight provinces along the Mekong River have been told to brace themselves for a dip in water levels between Jan 1-4 as tests at Jinghong hydroelectric power station in China’s Yunnan province are expected decrease of water outflows. According to the Office of National Water Resources ...
Experts doubt effectiveness of new plan to address Mekong drought
After a year of severe drought that hit the region, the inter-state agency Mekong River Commission (MRC) has laid out new measures to mitigate the effects of the crisis but experts have questioned the effectiveness of the plan. In its 2020-2025 strategy, adopted late last month ...
Leonie Kijewski
The Mekong is on the cusp of an ecological catastrophe
People living along the banks of the Mekong River in Laos and Thailand were recently amazed to see the river’s water turn light blue and become so transparent that they could see the sandbars underneath. It was an eye-catching sight and the phenomenon boosted tourism ...
Darunee Sukanan
Currents of Time
A river can be timeless, but on no two days will its flowing course ever truly be the same. So it goes on the mighty Mekong. For thousands of years, this river has wound its way through much of Asia, shaping the land and lives of ...
Andrew Haffner
Mekong countries strengthen river management cooperation
The Mekong River Commission and the Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center have signed a memorandum of understanding to improve the management of the Mekong river. As part of the agreement, both organisations will research on drought and low flow scenarios in the lower and upper Mekong ...
Pech Sotheary
How the scramble for sand is destroying the Mekong
A crisis is engulfing the Mekong River, its banks are collapsing and half a million people are at risk of losing their homes. The entire ecosystem of this South East Asian river is under threat, all because of the world’s insatiable demand for sand. Extracted from the ...
Beth Timmins
China closes Mekong River stretch
China has declared a 60-kilometre section of Mekong River off-limits to all types of boats indefinitely while rock blasting is undertaken to widen the channel for commercial shipping operations. China announced on Friday that operators of all types of boats should avoid entering the river from ...
No trace of aquamarine hue found in Kingdom
The Mekong River in some parts of the region including Thailand and Laos has taken on a blue-green hue due to the extremely low flows, according to the Mekong River Commission (MRC). In a press release issued on Monday, the MRC said its preliminary analysis showed ...
Ry Sochan
Mekong River Commission issues warning about blue-green water
With parts of the Mekong River turning an unusual blue-green, an inter-governmental commission has warned of possibly serious consequences if water levels stay low in the increasing dammed river. The Mekong River Commission (MRC) said on Monday (Dec 9) the aquamarine hue currently seen in a ...
Tan Hui Yee
Mekong River's new colour a sign of trouble
The Mekong River has recently acquired an aquamarine colour that may beguile tourists but also indicates a problem caused by upstream dams, experts say. The river usually has a yellowish-brown shade due to the sediment it normally carries downstream. But lately it has been running clear, ...
AP