Cambodia, Vietnam to Suffer Most from Mekong Damming

Cambodia, Vietnam to Suffer Most from Mekong Damming
Advertisement
Online English lessons

The drastic reduction in sediment flow in the Mekong River is threatening the stability of the delta and the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on its resources says a new study by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).

The study is based on a literature review which found that over the past decade research on the topic has largely focused on losses of suspended sediment (mainly silt and sand) while failing to take into account bed load sediment (larger particles that are critical in transporting nutrients for fisheries).

“This is further altering the total sediment load of the Mekong mainstream,” Thanapon Piman, lead author of the UNESCO-SEI report and research fellow at the SEI Asia Centre, Bangkok, told SciDev.Net.

The study, published November 30, attributes reduction in sediment flow to infrastructure development, mostly dams, riverbed mining, climate change, and land use change in the Mekong region.

If all the dams proposed for the Lower Mekong Basin are developed — including the planned or ongoing 11 mainstream dams — it could prevent up to 94 per cent of the river’s sediment load from being transported downstream, the study warns.

China's Jinghong Dam: Up to 94 per cent of the river’s sediment load could be blocked
Dams could block up to 94% of the Mekong River’s sediment load International Rivers

This will lead to loss of nutrients vital for the basin’s fisheries and for soil fertility in the floodplains along the entire basin, especially the Tonle Sap in Cambodia and the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Poor rural populations that depend on the river for irrigation, soil fertility, fisheries, or water-related natural products will be affected.

Diana Suhardiman, a Lao-based senior researcher for policy and institutions at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), told SciDev.Net that the study misses out on overall system interconnectivity pertaining to sediment transport checks and balances. For instance, dam construction may reduce sediment downstream, but results in increased sediment deposits elsewhere.

She adds that dam design and releases also need to be included in the study as they are important in determining sediment transport and the spread of different particles.

“In my view the current problem of uncontrolled, changing sediment transport is closely related to the lack of coordination and cross-sector collaboration between the different key stakeholders,” said Suhardiman. “Hence, proposing the latter as a way forward, without for instance grounded institutional analysis, sounds a bit prescriptive, not to mention the fact that this lack of coordination problem is actually a bigger magnitude problem in itself.”

In practical terms, she emphasizes the need of having a detailed overview map of both legal and illegal sand mining to help in sustainable sediment management.

 

This article was written by SciDev.Net’s South-East Asia & Pacific desk and first appeared on SciDev.net as Dams, mining destabilising Mekong delta — study under a Creative Commons licence and is reproduced here with its kind permission.

 

Related:

  • Mekong River Commission stations not operational (The Phnom Penh Post)
  • Drastic reduction in Mekong sediment flows much larger than expected: new study (The Nation)
  • Environmental Experts Voice Concern About Effects of Dam Projects in Cambodia (Radio Free Asia)
  • Vietnam’s shrimp producers worried about plan to dam Mekong River (SeafoodSource)

 

The following two tabs change content below.

SciDev.Net is the world’s leading source of reliable and authoritative news, views and analysis on information about science and technology for global development.

Our main office and Global edition are based in London but we have a worldwide network of registered users, advisors, consultants and freelance journalists, predominantly from developing countries, who drive our activities and vision.

Support independent media by sharing using these tools. Do not steal our content

Make a comment

Your email address will not be published.