Conflict over the Mekong River - Case Study Flashcards
Mekong background information
The Mekong is a 4350km long river in East and South East Asia. Its source is in the Chienese region of the Himalayas. The Mekong flows through 6 nations: China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It contains over 1300 species of fish and its water is used to irrigate fields to grow rice for over 200 million people.
What has increased tension over the Mekong?
The Mekong river experiences seasonal changes due to the summer monsoon resulting in floods and El Niño leading to floods.
In 2013, 13 hydroelectric dams were completed - 11 of which Chinese and 2 Laotian.
these dams are a vital source of energy for China with its huge population and massive industry. The Laotian dams provide a pathway out of poverty as they sell 90% of the generated electricity from HEP to Thailand.
However, the construction of dams displaces many people. Construction of the Xayaburi Dam in Northern Laos displaced over 200,000 people
Furthermore, such dams have led to reduced river flow through countries downstream - resulting in a smaller fish population. This has ruined the livelihoods of people in Thai fishing communities.
In Vietnam, reduced river flow and salt water encroachment from the South China sea has reduced the availability of clean water in Vietnam. Many farmers can no longer afford water for themselves, let alone for their livestock.
Rapid population increase, improved living standards and industrialisation have increased water demand. Cambodia and Thailand have signed a water-sharing treaty.
In 2019, fishermen in the lower Mekong Basin blamed a combination of low rainfall during the monsoon and the opening of the Xayaburi dam on the most severe drought in 100 years.
