Worrying days for the Mekong
Water levels at Southeast Asia’s largest river may be at its lowest levels in a century.
Low rainfall, high temperatures and poor dam regulations are contributing to a historic low at the Mekong, affecting the region’s agriculture and fishing industries and leading to rapidly drying taps.
Chinese dams control the flow of the 4,350-kilometre (km) river which originates in the Tibetan highlands before travelling across Myanmar, Lao, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. International Rivers, an environmental advocacy non-governmental organisation (NGO), notes there are seven dams along the Mekong river in China – with 20 more planned or under construction.
Jason Thomas
