Mekong, China Flashcards
Where is the Mekong river located?
Laos, Thailand, Cambodia
What was the name of the dam?
Manwan Dam
What did the dam do?
Reduced the alluvium deposits from 45 mt to 38 mt
What is the main issue here?
Transboundary issue
lack of clean potable water
Is there evidence of deforestation?
-90% Vietnamese forest removed has increased local runoff
What has happened to the shrimp & carp?
-Shrimp & carp production levels fallen in Cuulong Delta causing problems for local fishermen
What happened to the sandbars and rocks?
- Sandbars and rocks removed to allow farmer up river but has caused floods
What happened with the mercury & arsenic?
- Mercury and arsenic released from Laping lead-zinc mine in China has killed dolphins from bacterial diseases
Why is it harder to get fresh drinking water?
-reduction in Mekong river flow into Ton le Sap Lake makes it hard for Phomn Penh to get fresh drinking water
What has fertiliser use resulted in?
- pesticide run off caused algal blooms & water lyacinths outbreak
What has the sewage resulted in?
- urban sewage & garbage form Phomn Penh means nitrogen and phosphate built up leading to eutrophication
Where is there outflow?
Into Jialing River
What is the result of overextraction?
Overextraction upstream from China
Less for Myamar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam
transboundary conflict
How many dams are there and where are they?
20 in China
9 in laos
2 in Cambodia
What are the negatives and positives of the dams?
Economic benefits Xaya Buri dam in laos used for HEP to sell to other countries to become free from China BUT - only 8% projected power needs are met - Harms migratory fish (Mekong giant catfish, giant freshwater stingray) - Less sediment to farmland - Other farmland flooded - Chance of increasing regional tensions
