Drought crisis: Mekong running dry - kilometers of "beach"

[webfact]

Drought crisis: Mekong running dry - kilometers of "beach"

 

Thai caption: Mekong River running dry

Picture: 77kaoded

 

77kaoded reported that kilometers of the Mekong River were now beaches as the ongoing drought crisis hits Thailand. 

 

Levels in the river are 1.6 meters. 

 

They spoke to a fisherman called Bunmee, 60, who said that the Mekong has changed dramatically. 

 

It used to be a murky river but now is running clear. He can catch few fish and not the species he used to net.

 

He blamed dams upstream.

 

He said that in order to get to his boat for fishing these days he has to ride his motorcycle over the sands. 

 

Source: 77kaoded

 

 

 

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[keith101]

I just came back from Savanakhet and the Mekong was well up with no beach in sight as the bus was going over the bridge back into Mukdahan . 

[Captain_Bob]

Looks pretty bad, based on the numbers/charts. My wife was at Chiang Khan yesterday and there was plenty of "beach". 

http://www.mrcmekong.org/mrc/river-monitoring/dry-season-vientiane

[legend49]

New tourist attraction; today we have pink rice and new beaches on the Mekong. How good is that!

[Ireland32]

Thailand needs to push back on China , They are outta Control 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

So just where is the big river water getting stopped/diverted at? And by whom?

 

 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

77kaoded reported that kilometers of the Mekong River were now beaches as the ongoing drought crisis hits Thailand.

Make a good rice paddy with water nearby ?

[RJRS1301]

1 hour ago, legend49 said:

New tourist attraction; today we have pink rice and new beaches on the Mekong. How good is that!

I guess  although I would venture into the Mekong for fear of skin conditions, no plastic in sight on that beach

[RJRS1301]

6 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

So just where is the big river water getting stopped/diverted at? And by whom?

 

 

I seem to recall the Chinese doing something to it some time ago

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

6 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

I seem to recall the Chinese doing something to it some time ago

Wanna be more specific?  Perhaps a link or citation or two?

 

Keith just posted above that there was plenty of water, and no beach, in the Mekong on his recent passing thru Vientiane, Laos....

 

 

[RJRS1301]

3 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Wanna be more specific?  Perhaps a link or citation or two?

 

No

I said I SEEM to recall, you can do your research. I may well be incorrect. But I am not, just checked feel free to do the same

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

12 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

No

I said I SEEM to recall, you can do your research. I may well be incorrect.

 

I have no personal knowledge on this particular topic. That's why I was asking...

 

But it appears, Thailand also has been a player itself in poorly managed/executed Mekong River water diversion.

 

https://www.internationalrivers.org/blogs/259/water-diversion-a-re-emerging-threat-to-mekong-water-security

 

A bit of a broader, multi-country view:

 

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/mekong-more-dams-more-damage

 

Quote

The great biodiversity and precious resources of the Mekong are increasingly endangered by the rush to dam one of the world’s great rivers. A total of 11 mainstream dams and 120 dams on tributaries are planned, which scientists warn will imperil the already fragile river system. Recent studies call for a suspension and review of future projects.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

And Laos as well:

 

Quote

...the ambitious agenda of Laos, one of the region’s poorest countries, to turn itself into “the battery of Southeast Asia” by building dozens of hydroelectric dams on the Mekong River and its tributaries and selling power to neighboring countries. Last year, Laos had 46 such power plants operating and 54 more planned or under construction.

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:si5QVzgWBEIJ:https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/08/news-southeast-asia-building-dams-floods-climate-change/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Quote

 

China started damming the Mekong in the early 1990s, but the main river has stayed undammed largely due to regional cooperation between the four member nations of the Mekong River Commission, which was established in 1995.
 

Energy needs and the financial incentives of hydropower, however, caused land-locked Laos to announce more than a decade ago that it would build nine dams on the main river, as well as dozens of new dams on Mekong tributaries. Cambodia and Vietnam soon launched their own dam projects.
 

Many of the tributary dams are now up and running, with Laos exporting close to $1 billion in electricity in the first nine months of 2017. The first of the new projects on the main stem of the Mekong—the Xayaburi dam in northern Laos—is expected to go online next year.

 

 

[TPI]

44 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

So just where is the big river water getting stopped/diverted at? And by whom?

 

 

China!

[NE1]

[toenail]

Despite water shortages, the waist of water during Songkron will continue.

[Pdavies99]

Nong Khai, the Mekong is perfectly okay, usual height, flowing well, nothing special about it! More likely too many farmers pumping out water downstream?

[zyphodb]

3 hours ago, keith101 said:

I just came back from Savanakhet and the Mekong was well up with no beach in sight as the bus was going over the bridge back into Mukdahan . 

The Mekong at Mukdahan is the lowest I've ever seen it, just because there're no beaches doesn't mean it isn't REALLY low...

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

9 minutes ago, NE1 said:

 

What's the source, and dating, of that map?

 

The above info I posted makes it sound like the other SE nations are doing their share of the damage as well.

 

[worgeordie]

Not looking good, and it's a long time till it rains again.

If you seen the Grand Tour, while they were in Cambodia,

the Tonle Sap was very short of water,hardly navigable,

regards worgeordie

[Pdavies99]

4 hours ago, keith101 said:

I just came back from Savanakhet and the Mekong was well up with no beach in sight as the bus was going over the bridge back into Mukdahan . 

Looks okay to me at Nong Khai! I can only assume the Ban Khoum dam is the issue in Laos downstream!

[NE1]

13 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

What's the source, and dating, of that map?

https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2019/08/china-taking-control-of-the-flow-of-the-most-important-river-in-southeast-asia.html

 

There is another link for more info. when you open this link.

[mrfill]

14 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

What's the source, and dating, of that map?

 

The above info I posted makes it sound like the other SE nations are doing their share of the damage as well.

 

That map is from 2013. An updated version (upd 2017) can be found here https://www.internationalrivers.org/resources/mekong-mainstream-dams-map-16481

 

 

[IvorLott]

I wonder how long ASEAN will continue to 'embrace' the Chinese?

Colossal, unchecked, environmental destruction in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand, Eating as much endangered wildlife from the region as they fancy will keep giving them perk-ons, threatening embargos on those who oppose their archaic regime and their revolting imperialism. A disgraceful, bullying  nation which needs to be called to account.

[Yasobill]

Looks like the Columbia River in Washington State. Tons of dams, tons of cheap power produced, but an ecological disaster created. 
The largest runs of Pacific Salmon on earth have been reduced to a mere trickle as their upriver migratory spawning path has been restricted and the down river path for the smolt/babies is effectively a blender now.

This is happening on the Mekong too as their are similar migratory paths for many species of fish in the river. The River feeds millions of people, tough to do with no fish...just sayin

[Pdavies99]

8 minutes ago, mrfill said:

That map is from 2013. An updated version (upd 2017) can be found here https://www.internationalrivers.org/resources/mekong-mainstream-dams-map-16481

 

 

Well looking at that, and my photos of the river and Nong khai which I believe is probably north of Udon Than, then I can only surmise the issue is the dam at Ban Koum in Laos? (Not trying to argumentative! )

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

8 minutes ago, NE1 said:

https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2019/08/china-taking-control-of-the-flow-of-the-most-important-river-in-southeast-asia.html

 

There is another link for more info. when you open this link.

 

Ya, this would be the better link source from last year:

 

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3021062/china-taking-control-vital-mekong-river-through-dam-building-spree-mike

Quote

 

But severe drought in Thailand has put China’s Mekong vision under rare global scrutiny. 

Last month the Mekong River Commission said river levels in June and July had dropped to “among the lowest on record”.

Quote

 

Beijing’s foreign minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday that China had released more water to “help Thailand”.

“Thailand’s suffering is China’s suffering,” he said.

 

 

When the article says "Beijing-backed" dams without elaborating, I'm guessing it also means the dams being built in Laos and Cambodia, which these days might well be considered puppet state of China.

 

 

 

[RJRS1301]

2 minutes ago, IvorLott said:

I wonder how long ASEAN will continue to 'embrace' the Chinese?

Colossal, unchecked, environmental destruction in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand, Eating as much endangered wildlife from the region as they fancy will keep giving them perk-ons, threatening embargos on those who oppose their archaic regime and their revolting imperialism. A disgraceful, bullying  nation which needs to be called to account.

China does not care, they own them all through the"Belt and Road" initative , these countries will never be able to repay the loans, the infrastructure is owned by China, so they can either put up with bully or >>>>

Sun Tzu the "art of War" in 500 bc staed use economics, drugs etc rather than manpower, walk in easier. Shame western leaders and other Asian leader had not read it

[RJRS1301]

3 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

When the article says "Beijing-backed" dams without elaborating, I'm guessing it also means the dams being built in Laos and Cambodia, which these days might well be considered puppet state of China.

All part of the Belt and Road initative

 

[ratcatcher]

1 hour ago, Ireland32 said:

Thailand needs to push back on China , They are outta Control 

                GOLIATH     

                                                  DAVID  

I agree 100%. China may be outta control, but Thailand is nearly outta water.