Villagers in Laos and Thailand Suffer as China Opens the Floodgates on Mekong River Dams

Villagers living near the Mekong River in Thailand and Laos are finding it difficult to cope with sudden releases of water from dams upstream in China.

More than 200 famililes living in Laos’ Bokeo province have suffered because of sudden increases in the height of the river, threatening their livelihoods.

“Water levels along the Mekong have increased enormously after China released water from their dams in the north. It causes flooding,” said a local official from Bokeo in an interview with RFA’s Lao Service.

Keep reading