All eyes on Chinese dams as Mekong countries count down to the monsoon

By The Nation

 

 

Researchers are worried that Chinese dams will hold back much of the water in the Mekong River this year, similar to last year's erratic flow after the monsoon which exacerbated the drought in the Northeast of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

 

China's dams have recently contributed towards aggravating the drought in the Northeast of Thailand and other lower Mekong countries like Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, according to a group of researchers in the United States.

 

There is no direct relationship between the drought in the northern provinces of Thailand and China’s dams, but China's water restrictions have worsened the drought in the provinces, the researchers said.

 

 

“We are not saying that dams in China cause the drought in Thailand’s Khon Kaen province and Vietnam; what we are saying is that it exacerbates drought in the lower Mekong mainstream,” said Brian Eyler, Southeast Asia programme director at Stimson Centre and author of the “Last Days of the Mighty Mekong”.

 

He warned Thai investors who are investing in the hydropower Xayaburi Dam on the Mekong in Laos with high profit expectation, saying the dam's operational capacity was at the mercy of China which operates dams in the upper Mekong.

 

Shopping malls in Thailand also cannot rely on consistency of electricity power supply generated from dams in Laos, he warned.

 

The researchers’ warnings came during an online panel discussion hosted by Stimson Centre, a think tank in Washington, recently.

 

China has built and operates 11 dams in the upper Mekong and plans to build eight more dams.

 

 

The natural flow of water has become very erratic in recent years, especially after the Nuozhadu, the largest dam on the Mekong, was built in late 2012, said Alan Basist, president and CEO of Eyes on Earth, and co-author of the study “Monitoring the “Quantity of Water Flowing Through the Upper Mekong Basin Under Natural Conditions”.

 

The Nuozhadu alone has a water storage capacity of 27.5 billion cubic metres, compared with a total of 47.6 billion cubic metres in 11 operational dams.

 

The water gauge at Chiang Saen, a district of Chiang Rai province in the north of Thailand, that measures flow found water had receded to an all-time low in last year’s wet season, added Eyler.

 

Basist, who has developed a wetness index that can measure the level of drought, noted that the index has strong correspondence with soil moisture and water discharge in Mekong.

 

Applying the index, Basist found that there was enough moisture in the upper Mekong in China but it was dry in Thailand last July in the rainy season.

 

Water flow has changed dramatically from natural flow since 2012, creating irregular patterns. Water was discharged in the dry season and held back in the wet season by China, said Basist.

 

During the wet season, a large volume of water is missing downstream. The year 2019 was completely different from the previous year; it was more severe, he pointed out.

 

Where water was missing in the wet season of 2019, severe drought developed in Thailand and in lower Mekong countries, but wetness was enough in the upper Mekong in China in July, the wet season month, last year.

 

The abrupt change in water flow has affected not only people in Thailand but also in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam where 10 million people depend on agriculture and fishing in the river downstream, he said.

 

According to the study by Stimson Centre, the total annual flow in the Mekong is estimated to be 476 cubic kilometres (km3). China's contribution to the annual flow is 16 per cent. However, last year China restricted water significantly at the expense of the downstream river, according to the study released to the public last month.

 

China's authorities dismissed the findings, arguing that the drought in Yunan, in southern China, and Southeast Asia was caused by the effects of El Nino, the key factor behind the low water level in the Mekong last year.

 

However, researchers said that they found conflicting data regarding China’s claims, as China has held back water in vast volumes in its dams.

 

They have also called for more transparency in dam construction and operations in China.

 

Researchers also found that more Thai investors than Chinese investors have invested in dam construction in Laos, which supplies electricity to Thailand, building both on the Mekong and its tributaries.

 

They said they would watch whether last year's pattern will repeat itself in the wet season this year.

 

Eyler said that usually the duration of water flowing into the Cambodia’s Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, is five months, but last year the duration shortened to only five weeks due to water in Mekong dropping to its lowest level in the monsoon season. Without interference, the cycle of the Mekong season is five months of wet season and seven months of dry season.

 

The Mekong basin has the world’s largest freshwater fish catches: in Cambodia’s lake alone it is estimated to be 500,000 tonnes annually, 450,000 tonnes in Vietnam, 300,000 tonnes in Thailand, while catches in Laos are valued at around 5 per cent of country’s GDP.

 

Dam buildings have affected the ecological system such as fish migration and sediment distribution, Eyler added.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/premium/30388433

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-05-25

 

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An excellent article.

 

Very thought provoking.

28 minutes ago, webfact said:

China has built and operates 11 dams in the upper Mekong and plans to build eight more dams.

Why so few? For comparison over 200 dams larger than 15MW are planned, under construction or completed in the Lower Mekong basin portions of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.

 

Chinese don't give a rat's <deleted> about anybody but the CCP. They must be forced to behave. Isolate and destroy the CCP.

it's only a matter of time until China oversteps and causes the biggest conflict this world has ever witnessed - not long now - the clock is ticking 

 

Pretty much every country in the world and more important the people now want nothing to do with them, cut them off until they start to comply with international law, they need taken down a few pegs, they also need to compensate for the disaster they caused these last few months 

Despite the protests, environmental concerns, and pleas to study downstream impacts to fishing and farming from the poor who depend on the mekong for survival, Laos is pushing full steam ahead this year with yet another absolutely massive juggernaut of a dam on the Mekong.

 

17 minutes ago, canopy said:

Despite the protests, environmental concerns, and pleas to study downstream impacts to fishing and farming from the poor who depend on the mekong for survival, Laos is pushing full steam ahead this year with yet another absolutely massive juggernaut of a dam on the Mekong.

 

Laos does what China tells it to do, a bit like Thailand. 

3 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

Laos does what China tells it to do, a bit like Thailand. 

So apparently you don't know that the biggest investors in this project are Thai.

 

1 hour ago, ratcatcher said:

Laos does what China tells it to do, a bit like Thailand. 

1 hour ago, canopy said:

So apparently you don't know that the biggest investors in this project are Thai.

 

The connection may or may not be there but I think ratcatcher is simply saying that Thailand like Laos kowtows to China. Doesn't mention anything about the dam or investment into the dam.

So Thai Chinese are investing the majority. Who's paying for the rest? Just asking.

 

Edited May 25, 20206 yr by dinsdale

Its very sad indeed.The Mekong is such an important river for many reasons.

I can pretty much guarantee when Thailand wants water, they wont get it, and when they have too much of it, they'll get more of it dumped to flood them

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

I can pretty much guarantee when Thailand wants water, they wont get it, and when they have too much of it, they'll get more of it dumped to flood them

It would appear that most of the world,s problems are caused by not having enough water, or too much of it. I think they call it Murphy,s Law ????

Why can’t SE Asian countries (with the exception of Vietnam) stand up to Communist China?

It was clear from the start Communist China would hold downstream countries by the balls. Those countries are too weak to stand up to the red bully which couldn't care less about the consequences of its actions. I am not a Trump groupie, very far from it, but I must agree with the US stand, for what it is worth. You cannot trust a totalitarian State ever. 

5 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

It would appear that most of the world,s problems are caused by not having enough water, or too much of it. I think they call it Murphy,s Law ????

No, I think it's lack of a big sponge 

Laos's strategy is to become the "battery of Asia" by way of damming the Mekong. Laos is steaming ahead to generate more power from these dams than every Chinese dam in the chart in the first post put together!!! In Thailand the people downstream are still reeling from the effects of the last giant dam Laos put in. The new Laos dam will be just 2 km up from the Thai border; how is that for a neighbor? Of course the Thai's in the downstream provinces are quite opposed to this, but Laos officials maintain that investing in hydro power dams is necessary to eradicate poverty in the country and boost the economy.

 

3 hours ago, Isaan sailor said:

Why can’t SE Asian countries (with the exception of Vietnam) stand up to Communist China?

It's a lot more countries than just SE Asia. I've been saying for years on TV that China's (CCP) the most dangerous nation in the world. It's now obvious but countries still bend over and take it because they don't seem to understand that this maniac wants to rule the world and all moneys come with very large strings attatched. 

13 hours ago, canopy said:

Why so few? For comparison over 200 dams larger than 15MW are planned, under construction or completed in the Lower Mekong basin portions of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.

 

A slight exaggeration- I believe the figure is 11- unless you provide the source of your 200 figure 

11 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

It would appear that most of the world,s problems are caused by not having enough water, or too much of it. I think they call it Murphy,s Law ????

best modernise to shenjin pings law or whatever that concienceless despots name is!

She'll be ok, just bring in more chinese tourists to offset the fact,the greedy chinese don't give a 'Continental' the Mekong will dry up, sounds a bit alarmist but if you think about it, if they control the river you will wind up having to buy your water,they don't care what happens 'down stream'. just remember what's happening in the South China Sea.

20 hours ago, canopy said:

Despite the protests, environmental concerns, and pleas to study downstream impacts to fishing and farming from the poor who depend on the mekong for survival, Laos is pushing full steam ahead this year with yet another absolutely massive juggernaut of a dam on the Mekong.

 

The people suffer while the fat cats cream off the money.

  

7 hours ago, peterb17 said:

A slight exaggeration- I believe the figure is 11- unless you provide the source of your 200 figure 

No exaggeration. Why are people so unwilling to accept the obvious truth this is not a China problem? It's everyone. The 200+ dams coming from Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos are delivering severe fragmentation to the river’s ecosystem and devastating fisheries and agricultural practices. Here is a map of the over 200 lower mekong dams plan:

 

https://www.stimson.org/2020/2020-status-of-lower-mekong-mainstream-and-tributary-dams/

  

13 hours ago, Isaan sailor said:

Why can’t SE Asian countries (with the exception of Vietnam) stand up to Communist China?

As shown above it's because they are all too busy building their own dams. Stand up to what exactly?

 

Edited May 25, 20206 yr by canopy

On 5/25/2020 at 9:51 AM, smedly said:

it's only a matter of time until China oversteps and causes the biggest conflict this world has ever witnessed - not long now - the clock is ticking 

 

Pretty much every country in the world and more important the people now want nothing to do with them, cut them off until they start to comply with international law, they need taken down a few pegs, they also need to compensate for the disaster they caused these last few months 

Agree and I made a similar post to yours a few days ago . The very least should be for China to compensate the world for the tragic deaths , illnesses and the flattening of global economies .

But how was China able to build this dam in the first place and control the waters of the Mekong that are vital to the countries it flows through ?  Take control of the South China sea and build island bases . Infiltrating western world countries with heavy engineering / construction . Needs to stop asap .

International consumer boycott on Chinese produce could be a starter .

15 hours ago, dinsdale said:

It's a lot more countries than just SE Asia.

correct, they are doing the same thing in Africa we just don't hear much about it

 

and Australia after decades of selling out their huge mining operations to China are now seeing the light - probably too late

3 hours ago, superal said:

Agree and I made a similar post to yours a few days ago . The very least should be for China to compensate the world for the tragic deaths , illnesses and the flattening of global economies .

But how was China able to build this dam in the first place and control the waters of the Mekong that are vital to the countries it flows through ?  Take control of the South China sea and build island bases . Infiltrating western world countries with heavy engineering / construction . Needs to stop asap .

International consumer boycott on Chinese produce could be a starter .

One theory as to how China could surreptitiously build out Spratly Island military base:  in 2003, Hunter and VP Joe Biden flew to China for business/government meetings. Within a week of their return, Hunters company had $1.5 billion in a loan.

Meanwhile, China started building out reefs into islands.  And curiously, the US Navy stopped sailing South China Seas for the next four years.  Rumor has it, Obama wanted to sail the Navy though, but VP Biden convinced him otherwise.

We all know what Chine did in South China Sea those four years...

11 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

One theory as to how China could surreptitiously build out Spratly Island military base:  in 2003, Hunter and VP Joe Biden flew to China for business/government meetings. Within a week of their return, Hunters company had $1.5 billion in a loan.

Meanwhile, China started building out reefs into islands.  And curiously, the US Navy stopped sailing South China Seas for the next four years.  Rumor has it, Obama wanted to sail the Navy though, but VP Biden convinced him otherwise.

We all know what Chine did in South China Sea those four years...

Can you prove any of that by providing a link to a reliable news source? 

China bad, China Bad .... so where did they get the idea to steal all the water? From the USA probably. The Colarado river is so over exploited for water that the last 100 miles of the river are usually dry - all year round. 100% of the normal flow is diverted for irrigation, industrial and domestic purposes. Maybe once in a decade after heavy rains a little bit makes it to the gulf of California.

6 hours ago, smedly said:

correct, they are doing the same thing in Africa we just don't hear much about it

 

and Australia after decades of selling out their huge mining operations to China are now seeing the light - probably too late

Port of Darwin. That made me so angry. Greed and stupidity. Rather common traits with many govts bending over to what they think is in their interest butt (pun obviously intended and should get pass the censor) that's were they're taking it. CCP but f.............g the world.

Edited May 26, 20206 yr by dinsdale

1 hour ago, rickudon said:

China bad, China Bad .... so where did they get the idea to steal all the water? From the USA probably. The Colarado river is so over exploited for water that the last 100 miles of the river are usually dry - all year round. 100% of the normal flow is diverted for irrigation, industrial and domestic purposes. Maybe once in a decade after heavy rains a little bit makes it to the gulf of California.

So that’s their fate?  Let China suck up the Mekong?  Two wrongs don’t make a right.

Suck it up-they own you now ????