Human impacts on hydrological changes in the Mekong basin in Thailand and Vietnam
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
The Mekong River Commission study revealed that low population density is linked to low poverty levels, while high population density is associated with high poverty levels. Climate change-driven extreme weather was the cause of people to move to cities, potentially offering better living conditions. An agreement between Thailand, Myanmar, China, and Laos in 2000 allowed vessels of up to 150 Dead Weight Tons to operate between Guan Lei and Chiang Saen, negatively affecting fish productivity. Chinese interests planned to extend navigation beyond Chiang Saen to Luang Prabang by removing the Khon Pi Luang rapids, which were vital for fish breeding. Changes in hydrology have disrupted fish habitats and migration patterns in the Mekong River, impacting the productivity of fisheries dynamic for communities along the riverbanks in Thailand. Another study examined the impact of mega dams on the Mekong River, specifically the 2019-2020 drought in the Lower Mekong Basin. The dams, including Xiaowan and Nuozhadu, significantly impacted water levels and river discharge, with data from 1960 to 2020 showing an increase in river discharge of up to 98% during the dry season and a decrease of up to -35% during the wet season. The construction of dams along the Mekong River may signal an alternative to the river's natural flow, influencing seasonal patterns and downstream ecosystems in Thailand and Vietnam.
Article Details
References
Ahmadinejad, Y. (2022). The relationship between water scarcity and farmer migration in Isfahan, Iran. [Master’s thesis, University of Twente]. https://essay.utwente.nl/93598/ 1/Ahmadinejad-MA-BMS.pdf
Ham-Kucharski, A. (2022). Climate change and culture on the Mekong. https://pdxscholar. library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=is_student
Liu, J., Chen, D., Mao, G., Irannezhad, M. and Pokhrel, Y. (2022). Past and future changes in climate and water resources in the Lancang–Mekong river basin: Current understanding and future research directions. Engineering, 13, 144-152.
Lu, X.X. and Chua, S.D.X. (2021). River discharge and water level changes in the Mekong river: Droughts in an era of mega-dams. Hydrological Processes, 35(7), e14265.
Manohar, S., Downs S., Shaikh, S., Mak, S., Sok, S., Graham, E., Miachon, L. and Fanzo, J. (2022). Riverine food environments and food security: A case study of the Mekong river, Cambodia. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 101(2), 140-148.
Mekong River Commission. (2020). MRC time-series inventory. https://portal.mrcmekong. org/time-series
Mekong River Commission. (2023). Combined Drought Index (CDI). http://droughtforecast. mrcmekong.org/maps/filter?manage_type=mornitoring&type=cdi&select_type=3&select_year=2023&select_month=&select_week=43
Mekong River Commission. (2024a). Geographic regions. https://www.mrcmekong.org/ about/mekong-basin/geography/geographic-regions/
Mekong River Commission. (2024b). Hydropower. https://www.mrcmekong.org/our-work/topics/hydropower/
Mekong River Commission. (2024c). Map service. https://portal.mrcmekong.org/map-service/lmb-atlas-inventory/mrc:Poverty
Osborne, M. (2019). Why we should be worried about the Mekong river’s future: A perspective on forty years of great change. ISEAS Perspective, 2019(105), 1-6.
Pokhrel, Y., Burbano, M., Roush, J., Kang, H., Sridhar, V. and Hyndman, D.W. (2018). A review of the integrated effects of changing climate, land use, and dams on Mekong river hydrology. Water, 10, 266.
Ruiz-Barradas, A. and Nigam, S. (2018). Hydroclimate variability and change over the Mekong river basin: Modeling and predictability and policy implication. Journal of Hydrometeorology, 19(5), 849-869. DOI: 10.1175/JHM-D-17-0195.1
Sridhar, V., Ali, S.A. and Sample, D.J. (2021). Systems analysis of coupled natural and human processes in the Mekong River basin. Hydrology, 8, 140.
World Economic Forum. (2022). Cities are under strain as climate change drives a new wave of migration. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/06/climate-migration-strains-cities-finances/
Zhang, X., Fang, C., Wang, Y., Lou, X., Su, Y. and Huang, D. (2022). Review of effects of dam construction on the ecosystems of river estuary and nearby marine areas. Sustainability, 14, 5974.
Ziegler, A.D., Petney, T.N., Grundy-Warr, C., Andrews, R.H., Baird, I.G., Wasson, R.J., and Sithithaworn, P. (2013). Dams and disease triggers on the Lower Mekong River. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 7(6), e2166.
