Chinese dams unleash water on Mekong River, threaten aquatic life and people in Laos

China has unleashed water during the river’s normal dry season by opening dams on the Mekong Rivers that further threaten the aquatic life in Laos along with several other people living alongside the river in Southeast Asian country, stated a report by Radio Free Asia (RFA).  

As per the report, an official of the Natural Resources and Environment Department of Laos’ northwestern Bokeo province told RFA on April 2 that the Mekong River water level is up by 12 centimetres or 4.7 inches from yesterday. Further, even fishermen from northwestern Xayaburi province of Laos are raising concerns over the sudden change in water level that is harmful to fish stocks.

"The Mekong River has risen about 10 centimetres [four inches]. I'm concerned that the rising water will affect aquatic vegetation and fish," the fisherman said as quoted by ANI citing another report. 

Several other experts have reportedly sympathised that the river’s water level is not supposed to spike during the dry season. Montree Chanthawong, a Thailand-based Mekong River expert reportedly said, “The rising water could hurt aquatic species like fish and aquatic vegetation. Some of them could even die. Sparrows lay their eggs on the sand beds too, and when the water level rises these can become flooded.”

US diplomat also raises concerns

Just last month, Senior United States diplomat Atul Keshap had raised concerns over the dipping water levels of the Mekong River and the upstream dams in China while also noting that the upstream dams in China that exacerbate droughts are harming the communities as well as the ecosystems that have depended on the Mekong River's natural flood pulse for several years.

"We remain concerned just as we were in October during the conference--that record drought and the upstream dams in China that exacerbate them are hurting the communities and ecosystems that have relied for countless generations on the Mekong River's natural flood pulse," Keshap had said as quoted by ANI citing another outlet.

Image credits: AP/ANI