Japanese gov’t helps fund Mekong forecasting system

Khmer Times — The Japanese government granted $2.9 million to the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to help  implement its strategic plan to promote responsible development in the region. “The new funding gets right to the heart of the challenges our region faces and will be facing in the future,” said An Pich Hatda, MRC Secretariat chief executive officer. The new strategic plan, set to Read More…

Chinese dams not to blame for low Mekong water levels: report

Khmer Times — While its own people in Texas are in dire straits amid an electricity-related crisis, the US has turned its attention to the Mekong water resource issue, while turning a blind eye to China’s efforts to resolve the problems. Ned Price, US State Department spokesperson, raised “concerns over the dropping water levels of the Mekong River,” in a tweet on February 23, after Read More…

There’s no big fish anymore, says Mekong fisherman

The Star — Fisherman Tin Yusos tucks into a meal of the previous day’s catch with his family aboard a boat which doubles as their home by the banks of the Tonle Sap River. They plan to set out for another day of fishing in the area of the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers, though his expectations are low. “There are no big fish anymore, ” said Tin Yusos, 57. In the past, he could Read More…

Cambodia’s Dwindling Fish Stocks Put Spotlight On Changing Rivers

Channel News Asia — Cambodian fisherman Tin Yusos tucks into a meal of the previous day’s catch with his wife and granddaughter aboard a boat which doubles as their home moored by the banks of the Tonle Sap River. They plan to set out for another day of fishing in the area of the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers, though his expectations are low. “There are no big fish anymore,” said Tin Read More…

Report Stresses Perils Of ‘Forgotten Fish’

Phnom Penh Post — Sixteen global conservation organisations around the world have found that one in three of the world’s least-regarded freshwater fishes are threatened with extinction. And while many of Cambodia’s freshwater fish are banned for expert, they still end up being trafficked to other countries. The findings were presented by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Cambodia on Read More…

UNESCO Calls For Heritage Assessment For Lao Hydropower Dam

The Diplomat — Last week, Radio Free Asia reported that UNESCO has requested an assessment for a planned hydropower dam close to the town of Luang Prabang, fearing that the dam’s potential impact could put the World Heritage Site at risk. Luang Prabang is the former center of the precolonial Lan Xang kingdom and has remained an important spiritual and religious center in the centuries Read More…

Mekong Delta Faces Peak Saltwater Intrusion In March, April

Vietnam Plus — Saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta will continue to increase in March and April, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorology Forecasting. The peak of saltwater intrusion will occur during high tide on March 12 -16, March 27 – April 1, April 9 – 14 and April 24 – 30. The delta, the country’s largest rice, fruit and seafood producer, is facing a Read More…

SUTD Study Uncovers How Big Droughts In The Greater Mekong Trigger…

EurekAlert! — A study on big droughts in the Greater Mekong region revealed findings that can help reduce the carbon footprint of power systems while providing insights into better designed and more sustainable power plants. The study, titled ‘The Greater Mekong’s climate-water-energy nexus: how ENSO-triggered regional droughts affect power supply and CO2 emissions’, was published Read More…

Thailand Court Rejects Appeal For Petition Against Laos’ Pak Beng…

Radio Free Asia — A court in Thailand has refused to hear an appeal on a case concerning a large-scale Mekong River mainstream dam in Laos, a blow to Thai civic groups concerned about the dam’s potential transboundary environmental impact. Laos’ Pak Beng dam project is the northernmost in a proposed cascade of 11 dams on the Mekong River’s main stream, part of Vientiane’s Read More…

MRC Says Wet Season To Start Earlier Than Expected This Year

Khmer Times — The Mekong River Commission (MRC) forecasted Monday that the current dry season would be wetter than the last two seasons while the wet season would start earlier this year. “This year’s dry season will be wetter than in 2019 and 2020, with the rainy season likely to begin in early May. Normally, the monsoon rains begin in late May and end in October,” the MRC said in Read More…