By Stuart Biggs
Bloomberg
Dams and infrastructure development along Asia’s Mekong River threaten the survival of some of the world’s largest freshwater fish species, including the giant freshwater stingray and the Mekong giant catfish, WWF said.
Hydropower dams block migration routes to spawning grounds in the Mekong, home to four of the world’s 10 largest freshwater fish species, according to a report published today by WWF, formerly the World Wildlife fund.
Populations of Mekong giant catfish, which can weigh as much as 350 kilograms (772 pounds) and are the world’s third- largest freshwater fish, have declined 90 percent in two decades, the report said. The river is also home to the largest freshwater species, the giant freshwater stingray, which can grow up to 600 kilograms.
China has completed four dams on the upper reaches of the 4,425-kilometer (2,750-mile) Mekong, the world’s 11th-longest river, and four more are planned before 2025 to provide a total capacity of 15,200 megawatts, enough to provide electricity for 75 million people. China’s first upstream dam became operational in 1993, with subsequent openings in 2003 and 2008.
Another 11 mainstream dams are in various stages of development in Laos, Thailand and Cambodia, in addition to smaller dams on the Mekong’s tributaries. More than 60 million people live in the Mekong’s lower basin, an area larger than the U.S. state of Texas.
Mainstream dams constitute “the single largest threat” to the Mekong’s wetlands, home to the world’s largest inland fishery, the Mekong River Commission said in an April 2 report.
Dry weather reduced Mekong water levels to their lowest in three decades earlier this year, raising scrutiny about management of the river as governments aim to harness its potential to provide food and generate electricity.
To contact the reporter on this story: Stuart Biggs in Tokyo at sbiggs3@bloomberg.net.
Hydropower dams block migration routes to spawning grounds in the Mekong, home to four of the world’s 10 largest freshwater fish species, according to a report published today by WWF, formerly the World Wildlife fund.
Populations of Mekong giant catfish, which can weigh as much as 350 kilograms (772 pounds) and are the world’s third- largest freshwater fish, have declined 90 percent in two decades, the report said. The river is also home to the largest freshwater species, the giant freshwater stingray, which can grow up to 600 kilograms.
China has completed four dams on the upper reaches of the 4,425-kilometer (2,750-mile) Mekong, the world’s 11th-longest river, and four more are planned before 2025 to provide a total capacity of 15,200 megawatts, enough to provide electricity for 75 million people. China’s first upstream dam became operational in 1993, with subsequent openings in 2003 and 2008.
Another 11 mainstream dams are in various stages of development in Laos, Thailand and Cambodia, in addition to smaller dams on the Mekong’s tributaries. More than 60 million people live in the Mekong’s lower basin, an area larger than the U.S. state of Texas.
Mainstream dams constitute “the single largest threat” to the Mekong’s wetlands, home to the world’s largest inland fishery, the Mekong River Commission said in an April 2 report.
Dry weather reduced Mekong water levels to their lowest in three decades earlier this year, raising scrutiny about management of the river as governments aim to harness its potential to provide food and generate electricity.
To contact the reporter on this story: Stuart Biggs in Tokyo at sbiggs3@bloomberg.net.
5 comments:
there are more giant catfish and giant fresh water fish in cambodia's waterways than anywhere in southeast asia, really. i think cambodia contains more waterways system than all other countries in southeast asia if you look at the map of cambodia and southeast asia. remember cambodia is not being explore by the scientific community from the western countries like the US, australia, the EU, etc... i encourage all the western countries to come explore cambodia's waterways to study fish species, etc... cambodia is like the amazone of asia, really!
Dear Poster 1:30PM,
I wish Cambodia has what you have said about waterways. But in reality our waterways are nearly death. Look at all rivers in Cambodia regions such Battambang river, Maung Russei river, Boeung Kna, Trapeang Chuong, Pursat, Kg Chhnang etc.. and etc.. they are death water. In summer time, there isn't a drop of water there.
But if you to Thailand, they have big rivers everywhere. Their rivers are for their waterways transportations.
Since after 1979, are there any initiative to maintain these rivers in Cambodia? None.
Areak Prey
well, good for pointing this out. i think cambodia ought to use modern excavators, etc to clear out the silt or the mud that sitting or blocking our sangker river, for example due to intense mining for gems in pailin area as sangker river flows down from that area of pailin province. when is the last time cambodia improve or maintain our river tributaries like sangker river? that said, i think your are looking at smaller waterways which is true the way you mentioned it. however, our bigger waterways like the mighty tonle mekong tonle sap, etc are huge waterways even bigger then the one in siem country like you said. i think it's a matter of cambodia focusing on improvement and maintenance. i bet siem maintain their waterways for a reason because it serves them as a transport route down to the ocean. remember too, sangker river is only a small tributary of the huge waterways of cambodia like our tonle sap great lake, etc... which never go dry. i think cambodia can widen sangker river from battombong to tonle sap and the siem reap river too, can be widened to accommodate water transportation all the way up to siem reap itself as well. and talk about improvement of our country's infrastructure, i think cambodia should also buil an inland major port with piers, anchors, etc at the mouth of the siem reap river. so it all boiled down to improvement of infrastructure of our growing country, etc... that's all!
Dear poster 2:53PM,
When the last time you have visited Cambodia through the so-called mighty tonle Sap?
You must understand that during summer, transportation by boat from PP to Siem Reap is also in Chaos due to the shallow water. There is only a small corridor inside the mighty tonle Sap which is deep enough for the small boat. If the boat is naviguing i the wrong spot, that boat wll stuck there and all passengers will be in danger of starving.
Even Tonle sap is also too shallow to travel.
How about river in Siem Reap? It is smaller than drainages of Tuol Kork residence.
Areak Prey
maybe cambodia should look into dredging our waterways. when the last time we do anything as in maintenance of our waterways system? can we look at statistics data to prove that? we must call our gov't to look into improving or revamping our infrastructure, e.g, waterways, etc... it's called national reconstruction, my dear!
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