VOA – Fut Kheun has been keeping a close watch on the water levels at the Sesan II reservoir, in the remote Srekor commune of Stung Treng province. The ethnic Kreung villager is living close to the water at the reservoir, two years after ethnic minority communities were forced from their homes to make way for the 400MW Sesan Dam reservoir. Fut Kheun’s family is among the 60 that have Read More…

Rainforest Trust – The Irrawaddy Dolphin is technically an oceanic species, living along the coasts of Asia. But the dolphins also live in three river systems — the Mekong, the Irrawaddy and the Mahakam. And these freshwater populations are under greater threat than the oceanic populations. While the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the global Irrawaddy Dolphin Read More…

VOA – It’s been more than 40 years since Bula Tawan first cast his fishing net out across the Mekong River when the waterway was rich in marine life. But the days of big catches have disappeared for most fishermen like Tawan, who once relied on the big hauls to earn a living and feed his family. “The water and the color have changed because when the water was natural it was not Read More…

The Diplomat – Even as COVID-19 is wreaking havoc and uncertainty around the globe, Vietnam’s Mekong Delta declared an emergency over the devastating drought in early March. Studies suggest that the frequency and severity of droughts in the Mekong region has increased in the past decades, and many blame upstream dams, particularly those in China, for exacerbating the droughts. For years Read More…

VN Express – Women and girls represent over half of the Mekong region's population, and it is about time that their role received adequate attention. This March we commemorate International Women’s Day (8th), the International Day of Actions for Rivers (14th) and World Water Day (WWD on 22nd). These annual events and the WWD theme this year "Nature and Climate Change" is a timely Read More…

Reuters – Electricity-starved Cambodia will not develop new hydropower dams on the Mekong River for the next 10 years, a senior energy official said on Wednesday, as it reviews its policy to seek energy from coal, natural gas and solar. The decision means that neighboring Laos, which has opened two new dams on the mainstream Mekong in the past six months, is the only country in the Lower Read More…

Cambodian Tribune – A newly born dolphin calf was spotted swimming among other four adult dolphins in Kampi deep pool located in Kampi village, Sambok commune, Chetr Borei district, Kratie province, said WWF-Cambodia in a statement released yesterday. The calf was found three days ago by WWF-Cambodia's Mekong dolphin research team, it said, stressing that this is the third dolphin calf Read More…

The Phnom Penh Post – The Ministry of Tourism and Let’s Do It World on Thursday announced a campaign to clear rubbish from Cambodian riverbanks. Clean City Department director Huot Rithy called on citizens to join the campaign, which will begin on Friday in front of the Royal Palace. He said it was important to have clean rivers, particularly as the country prepares to hold the sixth Read More…

The Interpreter – Just over a year ago, I reported on the uncertain future of the Khon Pi rapids, located near the Thai town of Chiang Khong and lying in the riverbed between Thailand and Laos. At issue was the desire of a Chinese company to blast the rapids and thus open the course of the Mekong for commercial navigation between Southern Yunnan province and the former Lao royal capital of Read More…

Vietnam Plus – Provinces in the Mekong Delta are taking prompt actions to help local residents adapt to drought and saltwater intrusion during the dry season. Every year, severe saltwater intrusion occurs in Tien Giang province’s Tan Phu Dong district, which is located at the lower section of Tien River and between the river mouths of Tieu and Dai, according to Nguyen Quoc Khanh, Read More…