I have observed that hydropower dams built in the Mekong basin are not environmentally friendly. Scholars argue that they disrupt the Mekong ecological systems, livelihoods, and the emotional and social well-being of the local communities. They also exacerbate the impacts of climate change.
Over the past 10 years, I have witnessed many changes in the Mekong River and the lives of common people who depend on the richness of the Mekong's resources, including the river and forests.
Here is an example. The construction of dams on the Mekong River for energy security and the policy of reclaiming forest land in the Pha Taem National Park, located near the Mekong River in Ubon Ratchathani Province for conservation, have occurred simultaneously, impacting communities along the Mekong River. This reflects the centralized power and resource management by those in authority over the communities.
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) estimated in 2018 that the water resources in the lower Mekong basin have the potential to produce up to 30,000 megawatts of electricity. This capacity is sufficient for economic and other developments in the region. From 2010 to 2025, the countries in the Mekong River region are projected to have an increased demand for electricity, averaging 2 to 7 times higher, depending on the development level of each country.
Currently, China has constructed 14 dams in the upper Mekong River to support its economic development policies in the western regions, particularly in Yunnan Province. In the lower Mekong basin, countries such as Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam support dam construction for economic development and poverty reduction. This has led to the creation of large dams, both completed, under construction, and planned, totaling 11 dams, with an additional 120 dams planned for the tributaries of the Mekong River by 2040.
Not only do the hydropower dams in China open and close their gates unpredictably, causing the Mekong River to flood at times and dry up at others, but this also severely impacts the riverside communities and the ecosystem. The continuous electricity production by the dams in the upper Mekong River has led to significant criticism, particularly in July 2019, when China faced heavy criticism from Thai civil society networks across 8 Mekong provinces and the International Rivers organization. They argued that China's electricity production and water release into the lower Mekong had adversely affected the riverside communities and destroyed islets in the river. Even though the Chinese Embassy in Thailand responded to these accusations, the villagers remained unconvinced about the potential impacts.
Around mid-July 2019, the Lao authorities announced the testing of the Xayaburi dam's electricity production. They warned Mekong riverside communities to prepare for fluctuations in the river, exacerbating the issues faced by villagers in accessing fish resources. "The dams from China and Laos have greatly reduced the fish population in the river. It's become harder to fish, and the catch is much smaller. Where once I could earn several hundred baht a day from fishing, now I can only catch enough to eat or sell a small amount," shared a fisherman from Tamui village of Ubon Ratchathani Provice.
Read the second part of the article here.
Kanokwan Manorom, Phd, is the Director of the Mekong-Subregion Social Research Center (MSSRC) at the Faculty of Liberal Arts at Ubon Ratchathani University, Thailand.
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