PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Officials have mixed feelings over whether low rains or upstream dams are influencing the rice and fishing sectors in Cambodia, authorities said.
Roughly 45 percent of the Cambodian population depends on fishing in the Mekong and Tonle Sap river basins. The rainy season that typically starts in July but came a month late this year and non-governmental organizations are expecting a dramatic impact on fishing.
"We expect the impact to be very strong," Nao Thuok, director of the Fisheries Administration, told the U.N.'s humanitarian news agency IRIN.
Biologists say lower water levels are harming the spawning grounds of many fish species, limiting fish production and migration.
Meanwhile, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization predicts the rice output from Cambodia would fall 22 percent for 2010 compared with last year because of lower water levels.
Rice is a staple crop in Cambodia and requires more water than other crops.
Environmentalists said four dams upstream in China and the nine others under construction in Laos and Cambodia are making for shallow waters in the Mekong River.
The Mekong River Commission, however, said the dams aren't influencing downstream water levels.
Roughly 45 percent of the Cambodian population depends on fishing in the Mekong and Tonle Sap river basins. The rainy season that typically starts in July but came a month late this year and non-governmental organizations are expecting a dramatic impact on fishing.
"We expect the impact to be very strong," Nao Thuok, director of the Fisheries Administration, told the U.N.'s humanitarian news agency IRIN.
Biologists say lower water levels are harming the spawning grounds of many fish species, limiting fish production and migration.
Meanwhile, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization predicts the rice output from Cambodia would fall 22 percent for 2010 compared with last year because of lower water levels.
Rice is a staple crop in Cambodia and requires more water than other crops.
Environmentalists said four dams upstream in China and the nine others under construction in Laos and Cambodia are making for shallow waters in the Mekong River.
The Mekong River Commission, however, said the dams aren't influencing downstream water levels.
3 comments:
stop depend of nature too much for food. otherwise, you will suffer if natural disaster happened, instead use nature and look for ways to improve your business, livelihood, etc, ok! for example, if no rain, build more irrigation system to provide water for crops, etc, no fish, make fish farms, no fruits, grow more fruits, no trees, grow more trees, etc... all common sense, too, people, wake up, ok! get educated and stop being ignorant and depend only on nature to provide food, ok. not a good idea for long term or the future, really!
12:24AM! you should replace Hun Xen or may be appointed to president of the World.
12:24AM! you should replace Hun Xen or may be appointed to be president of the World.
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