Concern over Mekong water levels

[webfact]

Concern over Mekong water levels
PONGPHON SARNSAMAK
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- AN UNUSUAL and rapid fluctuation in water levels of the Mekong River during the past three months has raised deep concern among local people over its impact on agricultural activities, fisheries and transport along the river.

The Water Resources Department is seeking help from the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to provide more information about the mysterious rise and fall in levels of the longest river in Southeast Asia.

The unusual phenomenon has been recorded since last year when the water level in the Mekong in the northern province of Chiang Rai's Chiang Saen district rose rapidly from 2.73 meters on December 6 to 6.75 meters on December 17.

Another unusual event was detected earlier this month when the water level drastically dropped to 1.6 meters, nearly the level of the dry season. Many sandbars have appeared along the river.

"Local villagers cannot grow vegetable farms beside the river, and boats cannot sail along it," said Jeerasak Inthayot, a coordinator of Rak Chiang Kong Network.

Agricultural farms along the riverbanks, fisheries and sailboat services have been affected by the rising and falling water levels. Most people living along the river in Chiang Saen grow plants alongside the riverbank to make money, and they catch fish to eat and sell at the market. Some also provide commercial sailboat services.

Since water levels in the Mekong have begun to fluctuate over the past several months, Jeerasak - who has been working with local people to monitor these changes - said villagers suspected China-based dams were the major cause behind the unusual change in levels.

"Local people think that the water level is controlled by the dams in the Mekong River's upper stream in China," he said.

Since 1996, China has installed at least three dams along the Mekong River's upper stream. Currently, three dams are under construction and another two are proposed for the future.

Water Resources Department's deputy director-general Chaiporn Siripornpibul said the water level in the Mekong in the post-dam period is higher than during the pre-dam periods, especially in the dry season.

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) is the intergovernmental body responsible for cooperation on the sustainable management of the Mekong Basin. Its members include Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

Siripompibul told the MRC that unusually high rainfall in mid-December 2013 was the most likely cause of the drastic increase in river levels.

He explained that the amount of rainfall was registered at 120 millimetres per day during December 15-17.

He insisted that the rapid rising water levels in the river during this period were not caused by discharge from the dams in China.

However, his agency is now investigating another event, the unusual decrease in water levels first noticed earlier this month.

A local newspaper reported that Nong Khai Marine Office director Suriya Kittimonthon had issued a warning last February 3 that China would stop discharging water into the Mekong River for 15 days as it was repairing the dams. As a result, the water level in the Mekong would drop during this period.

Additionally, Suriya said the rapid rise of water levels in the Mekong River during December 17-20 was caused by the discharge of dams in China as it prepared to maintain them.

Chaiporn said he was now sending a letter to the MRC to get clear answers behind the unusual fluctuation of the Mekong's water levels.

Previously, China had promised to send water-level and related data to Thai authorities following the meeting of the MRC at Prachuap Khiri Khan's Hun Hin district in 2010, but the only available data was from the rainy season.

"We are trying to negotiate with Chinese authorities to provide more information related to water levels in the dry season as well," he said.

The Water Resources Department is also conducting a survey to study the physical condition of the Mekong River - including the incubation of fresh-water fish, the erosion of the riverbank, and the water quality along the river.

"This information will not only help us to learn about changes in the Mekong River, but we will also use these details to ask for compensation from those who cause damage to this great river," he said.


-- The Nation 2014-02-17

[timber]

China said they would honor needed water levels downstream. That's really nice of them. China who has

a major water problem sacrificing their needs for some downstream 3rd world countries to grow rice.

[rogerdee123]

These Mekong water level changes have been causing havoc among riverbank farmers in Laos and Cambodia and to rice farmers in Vietnam for the last couple of months as well as fishing and other subsistence and sustainable economic activities of people who live along the river.

Everyone knows the current problems are due to the management of the Chinese dams. But countries affected, particularly Laos and Cambodia) are afraid to blame the Chinese for fear of turing off the money spigot. Laos has become almost totally dependent financially on the Chinese, either thru commercial deals and aid, or corruption.

All these dam builders claim that in the rainy season the dams will control flooding and in the dry season they will allow for irrigation. But this is only for a small area. Everyone downstream suffers the opposite consequences. In the dry season the dams close their gates to preserve water for their clients in the catchment area .... everyone downstream gets less water. In the flood season the dams release water, often at the height of the flooding, to protect their dams. Again those downstream suffer from more severe flooding than before the dams were built.

There are good workers and engineers who are simply in denial about these predictable effects of the dams ... particularly in areas like this where we can expect poor management and self-serving interests. But there are others who understand the realities but defend these mega projects because their income or wealth depends upon it. In many case of these dams on the Mekong and it's tributaries, the primary beneficiaries are the companies doing the construction and of course the corrupt Govt leaders who get the pay-offs to allow substandard impact studies and lousy feasibility studies.

The Mekong River Commission is pitiful in it's impotence and do-nothingness.

[kerrysum]

These Mekong water level changes have been causing havoc among riverbank farmers in Laos and Cambodia and to rice farmers in Vietnam for the last couple of months as well as fishing and other subsistence and sustainable economic activities of people who live along the river.

Everyone knows the current problems are due to the management of the Chinese dams. But countries affected, particularly Laos and Cambodia) are afraid to blame the Chinese for fear of turing off the money spigot. Laos has become almost totally dependent financially on the Chinese, either thru commercial deals and aid, or corruption.

All these dam builders claim that in the rainy season the dams will control flooding and in the dry season they will allow for irrigation. But this is only for a small area. Everyone downstream suffers the opposite consequences. In the dry season the dams close their gates to preserve water for their clients in the catchment area .... everyone downstream gets less water. In the flood season the dams release water, often at the height of the flooding, to protect their dams. Again those downstream suffer from more severe flooding than before the dams were built.

There are good workers and engineers who are simply in denial about these predictable effects of the dams ... particularly in areas like this where we can expect poor management and self-serving interests. But there are others who understand the realities but defend these mega projects because their income or wealth depends upon it. In many case of these dams on the Mekong and it's tributaries, the primary beneficiaries are the companies doing the construction and of course the corrupt Govt leaders who get the pay-offs to allow substandard impact studies and lousy feasibility studies.

The Mekong River Commission is pitiful in it's impotence and do-nothingness.

I agree,

Where is Mr. Shin?

[MaxLee]

These Mekong water level changes have been causing havoc among riverbank farmers in Laos and Cambodia and to rice farmers in Vietnam for the last couple of months as well as fishing and other subsistence and sustainable economic activities of people who live along the river.

Everyone knows the current problems are due to the management of the Chinese dams. But countries affected, particularly Laos and Cambodia) are afraid to blame the Chinese for fear of turing off the money spigot. Laos has become almost totally dependent financially on the Chinese, either thru commercial deals and aid, or corruption.

All these dam builders claim that in the rainy season the dams will control flooding and in the dry season they will allow for irrigation. But this is only for a small area. Everyone downstream suffers the opposite consequences. In the dry season the dams close their gates to preserve water for their clients in the catchment area .... everyone downstream gets less water. In the flood season the dams release water, often at the height of the flooding, to protect their dams. Again those downstream suffer from more severe flooding than before the dams were built.

There are good workers and engineers who are simply in denial about these predictable effects of the dams ... particularly in areas like this where we can expect poor management and self-serving interests. But there are others who understand the realities but defend these mega projects because their income or wealth depends upon it. In many case of these dams on the Mekong and it's tributaries, the primary beneficiaries are the companies doing the construction and of course the corrupt Govt leaders who get the pay-offs to allow substandard impact studies and lousy feasibility studies.

The Mekong River Commission is pitiful in it's impotence and do-nothingness.

I couldn't have said it any better,... I guess after the rice farmers, the future Flood victims should join the protest towards the care taker government and voice their anger at backstabbing water management and plans to open more dams and MEGA water project SCAMS...

Do it now, while you can...

[retsdon]

This doesn't have anything to do iwith petty domestic Thai politics, it's much bigger. The Chinese will do whatever they want and won't lose a moments sleep over it. They're still building dams, and within the next 20 years you'll likely be able to wade across the Mekong in the dry seaso.

[sunshine51]

Just take a close look at China's dams on the Mekong...

That's where the fluctuations start. China doesn't give

a shit about anybody or anything except China & that's

debatable.

[PhilipCook]

china should be encouraged to become a member of the MRC.

[Cricketnut]

Ruthless China!

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE 8.2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Jeremy50]

At least 17 more dams are planned along the Mekong Once this happens this great river will have gone the way of many others, a lifeless canal churning out electricity for humans, the scourge of the planet.

If you want to see how people in government would like the Mekong to look, go to Vientiene and see the montrous concrete wilderness that has replaced what was once an idyllic riverbank with pleasant places to eat and stroll. Millions of tons of rock are dumped on to the Mekong river bank in Thailand every day, covering rich fertile soil that families have lived off for generations. There is no turning the clock back on the damage that dams and other river projects cause.

[Jeremy50]

At least 17 more dams are planned along the Mekong Once this happens this great river will have gone the way of many others, a lifeless canal churning out electricity for humans, the scourge of the planet.

If you want to see how people in government would like the Mekong to look, go to Vientiene and see the montrous concrete wilderness that has replaced what was once an idyllic riverbank with pleasant places to eat and stroll. Millions of tons of rock are dumped on to the Mekong river bank in Thailand every day, covering rich fertile soil that families have lived off for generations. There is no turning the clock back on the damage that dams and other river projects cause.

'monstrous'

[RubbaJohnny]

China said they would honor needed water levels downstream. That's really nice of them. China who has

a major water problem sacrificing their needs for some downstream 3rd world countries to grow rice.

They said they would honor Camoes day in Macao too.

While I concur that their policies are like all states self serving there is no rice grown on fooding riparain meadows of C Saen,rather vegetable gardens and the very low scale sustainable peasant agriculture advocated by the sufficiency economy.

The Thai model is at odds with Monsanto capitalist nightmare of copyright seeds and the gray communist concrete clad demand economy.

While most in the so called third world aspire to a Big TV and 4x4 their low footprint oranic,local market produce is in fact the beacon for a healthy planet in 2 centuries.

Our descendants and the limited gene pool ,biodiversity is a shoody inheritence.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/the-sixth-extinction-earth-is-on-the-brink-of-another-massive-loss-of-animal-species-but-this-time-the-calamity-isnt-an-asteroid-or-ice-age-9132053.html

The local community and activists understand the green agenda but like theLao dams the big projects allow big corruption.

In my village old ladies sit all day in the sun to sell 100-200 baht of garlic form their gardens,even if Mr Monsanto were to take all of their money this is not enough cream to encourage the FAT CATS

I have no solution,but small footprint,less consumption needs a lead from the source of puritam parsimony USA whose populace consume more energy water trash per annum than many hill tribes in a life time.

When we see admiration for modesty like Clement Atllee,Wittgenstein and Rousseau sadly we see million $ sports and pop stars lauded as sucess rather than abject failure.

An easy metaphor is GAIA this pplanet is lifeboat,If one tribe endangered all others something would need to be done.

The tragedy is Chinese have equated success progreess and happiness with money consumption and greed following UK and USA with expansionist ambtion that can only lead to war as always has when the dominant power is challenged.

There was Egypt,Greece,Rome The Persians and Ottomans the incas and Aztecs but grdually those with the tech nouse and ambition excelled,Holland France and Span were overcome by mercantile slaving UK.Its bastard child also based on slavery and conqs had its place in the sun and it may not be over.It may also may not be China,If Chinese adventurism lieads to a lost nuclear exchange which makes the Pearl River Delta,Jiangsu,Shandong uninhabitable India could emerge in 22nd century.

To conclude my rant for the day,lack of co-operation,greed corruption like the snakes and ladders of visas can be worked around by humans and redress,better laws,transparency,sadly nature is being permanently damaged.We will recover we always have done but will see the foolishness of today's greed

[rogerdee123]

china should be encouraged to become a member of the MRC.

why should they? They already control and dominate the MRC and only have "observer" status.