Data Exposes Flaws In Mekong Delta Resilience Plans

Eco-Business — For generations, Vietnamese communities have used the ample water resources and fertile soil of the Mekong Delta to feed the nation. Fuelled by the Mekong’s constant supply of rich sediment, the fisheries and paddy fields of Vietnam’s southernmost region have long been the bedrock of Vietnam’s economy. But a combination of climate change and upstream hydropower are Read More…

Cambodia Considers Extending Fish-Pass Monitoring On Pursat River

Khmer Times — Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is considering plans to extend fish-pass monitoring to a third demonstration site on a major tributary of the Tonle Sap Lake, the largest lake in Southeast Asia. Under the Lower Mekong Fish Passage Initiative with the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology and the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the Inland Read More…

Mekong River Experiences Lowest Water Level

Khmer Times — The Mekong River flows have dropped to their lowest level in more than 60 years for three consecutive years, with 2020 being the Lower Mekong Basin’s driest year when rainfall was below normal levels in every month except October, according to a report. The Mekong River Commission secretariat released its100-page long report last week, saying that the “Mekong Low Flow Read More…

Mekong Group Urges Better Water Management Collaboration As Record…

Reuters — The inter-governmental Mekong River Commission (MRC) on Thursday called on China and mainland Southeast Asian countries to better coordinate management of Mekong hydropower dams and reservoirs after three years of record low flows and extra dry conditions. The Mekong River’s flow dropped to the lowest levels in more than six decades from 2019 to 2021 due to an increased number of Read More…

Sedimentation Strategies Provide Effective But Limited Mitigation Of…

Nature — Abstract The Mekong delta is experiencing rapid environmental change due to anthropogenic activities causing accelerated subsidence, sea-level rise and sediment starvation. Consequentially, the delta is rapidly losing elevation relative to sea level. Designating specific areas for sedimentation is a suggested strategy to encourage elevation-building with nature in deltas. Read More…

Review Finds 61 Fishes Migrating Between Mekong Freshwater And Marine…

Khmer Times — Fishes that migrate between fresh and marine waters are known as diadromous species. They are among the most vulnerable species to river infrastructure development. These fishes need to move between fresh water and the sea to complete their lifecycles, so barriers to migration can block access to critical habitats. The Lower Mekong Basin is undergoing an unprecedented boom in Read More…

Irrawaddy Dolphin Found Dead In Kratie

Khmer Times — A male dolphin was found floating dead in the Mekong River in Kratie province. The provincial Fishery Administration is investigating the cause of death a priority. Kratie Provincial Fishery Administration director Mok Ponlok said yesterday that the carcass of a dolphin calf was found in the river but that the cause of death had not been established yet. The body was found Read More…

Sixth Irrawaddy Dolphin Calf For 2021

Khmer Times — Conservationists are celebrating the discovery of a sixth Irrawaddy dolphin calf born last year in Kratie province’s Mekong river. This finding came to light following research completed by the Fisheries Administration and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The calf recorded on December 31 is the latest member of the Kampi pod in Chet Borei district’s Sambok Read More…

Lower Water Levels Drag Fisheries Yield Down For 2021

Khmer Times — Lower water levels than previous years and illegal fishing are the main factors driving the reduction in the yield of fisheries lakes and rivers this year, said officials and key insiders. Figures from the Fisheries Administration at the Ministry of Agriculture showed that the fisheries yield – freshwater fish, maritime fish, and farmed fish amounted to 856,400 tonnes, a Read More…

Gov’t Says Satellite Images Don’t Prove Sand Dredging Crisis

Khmer Times — The government responded to criticism that sand pumping in the Mekong river is more than the amount being reported and that it has increased over recent years. The reaction is to respond to an article published in Eos, a science news magazine, titled “Satellites Spy on Sand Mining in the Mekong,” that cited research using satellite imagery to track sand mining in a short Read More…