Sand dunes exposed as water in Mekong River falls to critical level
This screengrab from an aerial video taken on October 28, 2019 shows the Mekong river in Sungkom district in Nong Khai province, more than 300km from the Xayaburi dam. - A $4.47 billion-dollar mega-dam in Laos was officially switched on October 29, as drone images of dessicated river beds downstream the Mekong river stirred outcry from conservationists and villagers who rely on the diverse ecosystem for food and livelihoods. (Photo by Suchiwa PANYA / AFP)
PHOTO: AFP
Sand dunes are now being exposed for the first time in a century along many sections of the Mekong River, as water levels fall to a new low milestone of 1.5 metres. Sand dunes can now be seen along many sections, causing problems for fishing vessels and cargo boats trying to travel along the river.
The Bangkok Post reports that insufficient rainfall is leaving many reservoirs in Nakhon Phanom, on the Laos border, at only 20 – 30% of their usual capacity, with the Mekong’s tributaries now running dry.
The chairman of the Nakhon Phanom environmental conservation club, Arthit Phanasoon, says research studies claim the construction of dams in China and Laos are a big part of the problem. He fears the effect that will be had on the water’s ecosystem if fish are unable to migrate upstream to spawn as they normally do each year.
This in turn will have a negative impact on the livelihood of fishermen and farmers along the shores of the Mekong River.
Meanwhile dam owners say they’re not responsible for the water supply problem, HERE.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
