Hydropower dams have had a dramatic effect on the Mekong river over the last two decades, resulting in unseasonable flooding and droughts, low water levels in the dry season, and drops in the amounts of sediment carried by the river, with drastic consequences for biodiversity and fisheries.
What are the negatives of the Mekong River dams?
These dams have disrupted the hydrology of the Mekong River and its tributaries. Unseasonal changes to water levels, flow rates, and turbidity are having ecologically negative synergistic effects, not only on areas immediately nearby these hydropower projects, but also on places many km away in neighboring countries.
What is the benefit of Damming the Mekong?
If built, these dams will cut across the whole river, creating a barrier that will seriously impact the flow and hydrology of the Mekong. Damming the Mekong will: impact the region’s natural monsoonal flood/drought cycles.
What is the Mekong River famous for?
In total, more than 60 million people depend on the Mekong for most facets of their daily lives. The river supports one of the most diverse fisheries in the world and is known for hosting various species of large fish; the biggest include the giant river carp, freshwater stingray, Siamese giant carp, and giant catfish.
What is the primary benefit of building hydroelectric dams on the Mekong River?
According to the MRC Council Study on the Sustainable Management and Development of the Mekong River Basin including Impacts of Mainstream Hydropower Projects, the LMB could see economic gains from full hydropower development of more than $160 billion by 2040. Development of hydropower brings synergies with other water …
How is China destroying the Mekong River?
A U.S.-government funded study by research and consulting firm, Eyes on Earth, found that Chinese dams are holding back large amounts of water upstream on the Mekong, which exacerbated a severe drought in the Southeast Asian countries downstream last year. China dismissed the scientific report as “groundless.”
What country is the Mekong River most important to?
The Mekong River is an important resource for millions of people in Asia as it runs through China, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
When was the first dam built on the Mekong River?
After making modifications to the dam’s design, Laos started construction with a ceremony on 7 November 2012. The Xayaburi Dam is the first of the 11 dams planned on the lower Mekong.
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| Xayaburi Dam | |
|---|---|
| Type of dam | Run-of-river concrete barrage |
| Impounds | Mekong |
| Height | 32.6 m (107 ft) |
| Length | 820 m (2,690 ft) |