The Mekong River Dying a Slow But Most Certain Death
A confluence of drought and dams along the Mekong River has renewed concerns about the future of the 4,700-kilometer waterway. Upon which tens of millions of people depend for their livelihoods in China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
The number of dams impeding the Mekong’s flow are fastly multiplying. Drying up segments of the once fast-flowing river and leaving the region facing imminent drought. According to the Mekong River Commission, a regional intergovernmental body that aims to jointly manage the river’s water resources.
Laos’ Don Sahong, the newest of dozens of Mekong dam projects, began generating electricity close to the Laos-Cambodia border in November. Most of its generated power will be exported to Thailand and Cambodia.
SIMON ROUGHNEEN
