Laos intent to dam the Mekong River will adversely impact fish migration.
Friday, August 14, 2009
FIS (Fish Information & Services)
LAOS
The landlocked south-east Asian country of Laos wants to become “the battery of Asia” by damming the Mekong River to produce hydroelectricity. The country’s mountains and rivers are ideal for dams, to produce energy that could be sold to its power-hungry neighbours, such as Thailand.
Hydroelectricity could prove to be a valuable resource for a country where 10.6 per cent of the population lives below the international poverty line of USD 1.25 per day.
However, many of the people of Laos depend on the Mekong river for their livelihoods. The river is home to over 1,300 different species of fish and is one of the world's largest inland fisheries, reports Aljazeera.
Critics claim that these dams will block fish migration, cause environmental damage and affect millions of people who depend on the rivers.
But the Laos government, which Transparency International rates as being 151st out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index, is determined to press ahead. The fear for many is that, despite generating a large amount of income for the country, the people who currently depend on the river would not see the benefits.
The single-party state is building eight hydro-electric projects on the Mekong River and another 50 on its tributaries.
To Van Truong, director of the Southern Region Irrigation Planning Institute, explained that the operation of hydroelectric plants in the upstream area of the Mekong will impact the water level, power capacity, agriculture, aquaculture, water transportation and environment of all the Mekong River downstream countries, VietNamNet Bridge reports.
“Hydro-power dams in China and reservoirs in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia will slow down the the natural flow of the Mekong River, change its course and sources of nutrition, which in turn will affect the growth of fish and the livelihood of the people along the river,” Truong said.
The Mekong River Commission (MRC), an intergovernmental body that deals with all river-related activities, has now kicked off a study to look at proposed hydropower developments on the Mekong River and their impact on the people living along it. The results are expected by July or August next year, AFP reports.
There are a total of 11 plans for dams being studied by Cambodia, Laos and Thailand but in China, there are already eight existing or planned mainstream dams, the MRC said.
More than 60 million people in the lower Mekong basin depend on the river system for food, transport and economic activity, the MRC said, adding that it is home to the world's most valuable inland fishery.
By Michel Loubet
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
Friday, August 14, 2009
FIS (Fish Information & Services)
LAOS
The landlocked south-east Asian country of Laos wants to become “the battery of Asia” by damming the Mekong River to produce hydroelectricity. The country’s mountains and rivers are ideal for dams, to produce energy that could be sold to its power-hungry neighbours, such as Thailand.
Hydroelectricity could prove to be a valuable resource for a country where 10.6 per cent of the population lives below the international poverty line of USD 1.25 per day.
However, many of the people of Laos depend on the Mekong river for their livelihoods. The river is home to over 1,300 different species of fish and is one of the world's largest inland fisheries, reports Aljazeera.
Critics claim that these dams will block fish migration, cause environmental damage and affect millions of people who depend on the rivers.
But the Laos government, which Transparency International rates as being 151st out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index, is determined to press ahead. The fear for many is that, despite generating a large amount of income for the country, the people who currently depend on the river would not see the benefits.
The single-party state is building eight hydro-electric projects on the Mekong River and another 50 on its tributaries.
To Van Truong, director of the Southern Region Irrigation Planning Institute, explained that the operation of hydroelectric plants in the upstream area of the Mekong will impact the water level, power capacity, agriculture, aquaculture, water transportation and environment of all the Mekong River downstream countries, VietNamNet Bridge reports.
“Hydro-power dams in China and reservoirs in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia will slow down the the natural flow of the Mekong River, change its course and sources of nutrition, which in turn will affect the growth of fish and the livelihood of the people along the river,” Truong said.
The Mekong River Commission (MRC), an intergovernmental body that deals with all river-related activities, has now kicked off a study to look at proposed hydropower developments on the Mekong River and their impact on the people living along it. The results are expected by July or August next year, AFP reports.
There are a total of 11 plans for dams being studied by Cambodia, Laos and Thailand but in China, there are already eight existing or planned mainstream dams, the MRC said.
More than 60 million people in the lower Mekong basin depend on the river system for food, transport and economic activity, the MRC said, adding that it is home to the world's most valuable inland fishery.
By Michel Loubet
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
12 comments:
Just shoot down Thai plane first and after that warns them not to do that again! if Khmer leader keep playing soft and kissing Thai ass, one day Thai plane will drop real bomb right on Hun Sen forhead....
I can't believe Hun Sen Still no reactions to this at all? How many time that Thai-jet had violated khmer territory? too many time! what happend if they do drop a bomb, we all death! i still can't understand why Hun Sen don't give an order to shoot the fucken thing! this is why Thailand keep look down on khmer military and khmer leaders, they knew we are weak and can't fight them back or something....?
We all knew that, Hun Sen is number one in killing his own kinds only, and tough on girl and lady....
if he has an moral principal guidelines, some of us probably support him, but this wild and crazy animal attacks anybody even they are innocent. at the same bow to this vietnamese boss.
cambodia can't even light its own house, what do you expect from this mouth running government.
It's very simple guy! Thailand continue look down on cambodia, because we are poor country!! they see us like, they seen a tiny flea on the Thumb...okey! when you are poor and weak, people don't want to look at you or talk to you....all they want to do is keep mocking at you!!
Yep! let Ah Thai mocking North Korea or flying the plane over the North Korea...
of all nations, if laos can do that, i'm sure cambodia will also look to china for partnership in building dam on the mekong river as well. i'm sure it will happen if laos can do it; cambodia will do the same as well. god bless cambodia.
Your kind of thinking deserves to be looked down not just by the siems but by other nations as well. But there is hope. Cambodia and the Cambodian are resilient, tenacious, and enterprising nation and people. It is like phoenix rising from the ash and will fly again. She and her people are on their way eventhough slow to more peace and prosperity. Except you, loser, mopping around negatively. Siems are looking down?.... well, talk back, fight back, study harder, work harder and smarter. Inevitably they will show respect. Oh, by the way don't forget to wash behind your ears, ok!
Posted by Xocheata
sounds like what you're saying is called "self-re-examination". anyway, i hate siem and youn, too, mostly because they took advantage of cambodia and steal from cambodia, of course! khmer just need to be smarter by learning from everybody in the world, really, that's all!
Posted by Xocheata
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