Mekong River to be thirsty for fresh water

Farmers in the Mekong River Delta are facing the encroachment of salt water. Photo: Farmers in Tien Giang province cut down paddy trees which are dried by salt water as food for cattle.

27/05/2009
VietNamNet/TT

VietNamNet Bridge – China’s construction of big hydro-power dams on the Mekong River will be a great threat to the future of the river, a significant water source for Southeast Asia, a United Nations report said. Senior experts analysed the impacts on Vietnam’s Mekong River Delta.

According to AP, China has built eight dams on the upper Mekong River in Yunnan province. It recently finished the construction of the 292m Xiaowant Dam, the world’s highest arch dam. The UN report released on May 21 said that this dam’s capacity is equivalent to the entire capacity of all reservoirs in Southeast Asia.

At the same time, Laos has begun to build 23 dams on the lower Mekong River and its estuaries. This work is scheduled to finish in 2010.