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, rainfall over the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) — encompassing parts of Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam — in May was about 68 per cent lower than in May 2019.
The situation worsened in June, when rainfall was about 73 percent lower than the same month in 2019, when the drought was already underway.
In its latest annual report, the MRC said improved monitoring of increasing droughts, extensive floods and extreme weather were key issues that needed to be addressed by the Lower Mekong countries.
