Vietnamese farmers indignant as Mekong Delta prays for flood waters to arrive
Fishermen in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta have been complaining about lower water levels and falling catches with experts blaming China’s construction of hydropower projects on the upper Mekong River. According to the experts, the dams have blocked fish from moving downstream and trapped sediment needed to enrich the soil in the riverbed. Hundreds of migratory species including yabbies, worms, shrimp, frog and fish drift downstream with flood waters, and local people in the delta rely on these food sources for their daily meals. The Mekong dams have cut off natural migratory patterns of more than 110 fish species and reduced catches in the downstream area, said a marine biologist from the World Fish Institute based in Phnom Penh. Chinese hydropower dams on the Mekong River are taking a heavy toll on people living downstream.
