What are the negatives of the Mekong River dams?
What are the negatives of the Mekong River dams?
These dams impede sediment and nutrient transport, causing coastal erosion in the Mekong delta, and disrupting river hydrology, which has facilitated deforestation and loss of fish production in the Tonle Sap Lake.
What is causing environmental issues along the Mekong River?
The Mekong River ecosystem is on the verge of irreversible collapse due to the accumulative effects of climate change and increased numbers of upstream dams as well as other human-made activities such as deforestation, sand mining, extensive irrigation for agriculture and wetland conversion.
What are the benefits of the Xayaburi dam?
While hydropower is one of the country’s main exports, Lao PDR still has to import electricity. And although the government says the Xayaburi dam will improve access to electricity for its citizens, nearly all of the power it produces will be sold to Thailand.
Why is Mekong so polluted?
The Mekong is reeling from the combined onslaught of climate change, sand-mining, and incessant damming of the river, which combined to help cause the worst drought recorded in over 100 years in July.
How polluted is the Mekong River?
The Mekong is one of the most polluted rivers in the world, transporting an estimated 40 thousand tonnes of plastic into the world’s oceans each year. Understanding how plastic flows along the Mekong into the ocean is key to reducing its impact.
What are some of the issues of sustainability surrounding existing and proposed dams on the Mekong River and its tributaries?
“Many are concerned that the Xayaburi Hydropower Dam in Laos, could cause irreversible and long-term ecological damage to a river that feeds millions of people, force the resettlement of 2,100, directly affect 202,000 people who use the Mekong bottomlands to produce food, and may push endangered fish, such as Mekong …
Why was the Xayaburi dam built?
The main purpose of the dam is to produce hydroelectric power, 95% of which is to be purchased by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT). The project is surrounded in controversy due to complaints from downstream riparians and environmentalists.
Who is building the Xayaburi dam?
Ch Karnchang
If approved, the dam will be built by Thai construction company Ch Karnchang – with support from four Thai banks: Kasikorn Bank, Bangkok Bank, Krung Thai and Siam Commercial (although Siam Commercial Bank recently released a media statement saying it would not sign the loan agreement with the other three banks).
How does pollution affect the Mekong River?
Organic and chemical pollutants from agriculture are also a problem. In the Mekong River Basin, catches of migratory freshwater fish species decreased by a whopping 78 per cent between 2000 and 2015. Still, between 2018 and 2019, scientists recorded 110 new species in the Lower Mekong Basin.
How has climate change affected the Mekong River?
Warmer and wetter. Across the Greater Mekong region, temperatures have risen by 0.5 to 1.5 ºC in the past 50 years and continue to rise. More frequent and severe droughts and floods are already causing extensive damage to property and loss of life.
Where is the Xayaburi Dam in Laos located?
Located in Northern Laos, the proposed Xayaburi Dam is the most advanced of eleven large hydropower dams planned for the Lower Mekong River. The US$ 3.8 billion project is expected to generate 1,260 megawatts of electricity, around 95% of which will be exported to Thailand.
How many people are affected by the Xayaburi Dam?
According to the project’s Social Impact Assessment (SIA) in 2010, the dam will directly affect 4,000 households but independent studies have estimated that it will directly affect as many as 200,000 people as a result of agriculture and fishery impacts.
When is Mekong Xayaburi Dam going to be built?
The construction of Mekong Xayaburi dam has been achieved by 8% since its groundbreaking took place late last year, an engineer of Xayaburi dam, Mr Prat Nantasen, said Tuesday. Presently, the navigation lock and spillway are being constructed and they are expected to be fully built by 2015.
What does EarthRights do for the Xayaburi Dam?
EarthRights has worked with communities who are already seeing the effects of Xayaburi to amplify their voices and support their organizing efforts.
