News
Praying for Rain by the Mekong as Monsoon Season Begins
As the monsoon gets underway across Indochina, farmers and fishermen are praying for rain after a lengthy drought — aggravated by climate change and dam construction. This year the Mekong River has seen its lowest levels since record keeping began 60 years ago. According to the Mekong River Commission, ...
Laos urged to better assess impacts, provide effective mitigation measures, as Luang Prabang dam moves forwards
Cambodia, Thailand and Viet Nam requested Lao PDR to conduct rigorous transboundary impact assessments and enhance proposed measures to mitigate potential adverse impacts from the 1,460-megawatt Luang Prabang hydropower project, as the Mekong River Commission concluded a six-month prior consultation process for the project. At a ...
Mekong River Commission Secretariat, Vientiane, Lao PDR
Mekong River Commission Calls For Water Flow Transparency From China
The Mekong River Commission’s (MRC) annual report, published 16 June, includes a noteworthy statement calling for increased transparency from China over upstream dam operations on the river. The Mekong is Southeast Asia’s longest river and acts as a lifeline to 60 million people. Downtream Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and ...
OOSKAnews Correspondent
Mekong River Commission provides updates on Luang Prabang and Sanakham consultation plans
The prior consultation process of the 1460MW Luang Prabang hydropower on the Mekong mainstream will now be concluded on 30 June 2020, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) has announced, with prior consultation to start on the 684MW Sanakham project once this is complete. During the Special ...
The Mekong doesn't need more destructive dams
On 11 May, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) announced that the proposed Sanakham hydropower project in Laos will undergo the MRC’s Prior Consultation process. Sanakham is the sixth mainstream dam to be submitted for Prior Consultation. The proposed Sanakham dam is expensive, unnecessary and risky — ...
SAVE THE MEKONG COALITION
Laos pushes ahead with sixth Mekong River dam project
Laos has submitted plans to build a new hydropower dam on the Mekong River, with construction expected to start later this year, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) said on Monday. The Sanakham hydropower plant, with an estimated cost of $2.073 billion (£1.7 billion), will be developed ...
Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by Kay Johnson and Alexander Smith
Mekong basin water levels back to normal long-term averages
The Mekong River Commission(MRC) yesterday said the water levels across the vast majority of lower Mekong basin have now returned to their normal long-term averages. The announcement was made after the MRC last month called member countries and Dialogue Partners to improve the management of the ...
Ben Sokhean
Data sharing, cooperation for Mekong River management
The greater data sharing, transparency and cooperation between Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam and dialogue partners will improve management of the Mekong River, the Mekong River Commission said. The MRC said, in its 13-page long commentary note on a 2020 study exploring the effect of Chinese ...
Pech Sotheary
Drought in the Mekong Region Prompts Calls for Greater Regional Co-operation
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) was established in 1995 to strengthen joint efforts and partnerships for the sustainable management and development of water resources in mainland South-East Asia. The MRC includes Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, but not China. Beijing established the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism, to give ...
Lara Bradbury, Research Assistant, Global Food and Water Crises Research Programme
Japan to assist tackle Mekong flood and droughts
The Government of Japan Friday granted JPY 412 million or approximately US$3.9 million to the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to advance its flood and drought monitoring and forecasting functions. The funding will be spread over four years from 2020–2023. It is to transform the MRC’s Regional ...
Khan Sophirom / AKP
