Surface water
Rivers and lakes
How the Mekong River Commission ignores reality
Among the many “days” celebrated by the international community, one entrant seems especially incongruous. “Mekong Day” was proclaimed by the Mekong River Commission’s (MRC) headquarters in Vientiane to celebrate the signature of the “Agreement on the Cooperation and Sustainable Development of the Mekong River”, which took place ...
MILTON OSBORNE
Floating Vietnamese communities evicted from Phnom Penh struggle to make ends meet
Starting in June 2021, hundreds of ethnic Vietnamese families living in floating villages on the Tonle Sap river have been evicted from Phnom Penh and told to relocate upstream and downstream — a move that families say has caused difficulties for their livelihood. Speaking at a press ...
Va Sopheanut
GT investigates: Who are the mouthpieces of US-led war of public opinion on “Chinese dams’ threats” along Mekong River, and what are their typical methods?
US’ politicization of ecological water issues in the Mekong River for the purpose of tarnishing China’s reputation via launching rhetoric battles has become more trendy. The Stimson Center, a US-backed think tank, again bashed China in February for allegedly “holding a massive amount of water” ...
Hu Yuwei and Zhao Juecheng
Agriculture development in Mekong Delta must adapt to climate change: Vietnam PM
Agricultural development in the Mekong Delta region must adapt to climate change and be in close connection with the growth of industry and services, said Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính. He made the statement while chairing a meeting jointly held in the Mekong Delta’s Kiên Giang ...
Viet Nam News
Mekong Drought Enters Fourth Year; Worst Conditions in 60 Years
Mainland Southeast Asia is entering its fourth year of drought, with climate change and unrelenting dam construction taking an unprecedented toll on the Mekong River and the 65 million people who rely on the waterway for their livelihoods. In Cambodia, the drought has prompted a government ...
Luke Hunt
Chinese dams on Mekong River endanger fish stocks, livelihoods, activists say
For Pianporn Deetes, the Mekong is more than a river. “This is not just liquid, but this is the entire life-supporting system,” Deetes, a local activist, said recently on a wooden long-tail boat heading upstream in northern Thailand’s Chiang Rai province. The Mekong, one of the world’s longest waterways, runs about ...
Keir Simmons, Rhoda Kwan, Nat Sumon and Jennifer Jett
Lack of data on dam activity mars Mekong governance efforts
Last year, more data was shared about the Mekong than ever before. Yet despite the increased openness enabled by the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) mechanism, the Mekong River Commission (MRC), and various NGOs, the wet season was still marred by low rainfall levels and controversy over retention ...
Tyler Roney
Sixth Irrawaddy dolphin calf for 2021
Conservationists are celebrating the discovery of a sixth Irrawaddy dolphin calf born last year in Kratie province’s Mekong river. This finding came to light following research completed by the Fisheries Administration and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The calf recorded on December 31 is the latest ...
Mao Chanvireak
Lower water levels drag fisheries yield down for 2021
Lower water levels than previous years and illegal fishing are the main factors driving the reduction in the yield of fisheries lakes and rivers this year, said officials and key insiders. Figures from the Fisheries Administration at the Ministry of Agriculture showed that the fisheries yield ...
Chea Vanyuth
6 countries vow water cooperation
Lancang-Mekong River countries have vowed strengthened cooperation on water resources management as they forge ahead to cope with common challenges in the basin, including drought caused by climate change. Heads of water resources authorities of the six countries made the remarks as they gathered online on ...
Hou Liqiang