Not only gold, but the diets, livelihoods and habitats of the 60 million people who depend on the Mekong River are at great risk because of China’s hydropower dams projects.
Under the blazing sun, two Thai grandmothers are panning for gold along the banks of the Mekong River. Hand in hand, the two men tried to piece together happy memories before a waterway was changed forever by hydroelectric dams upstream.
Before flowing to Loei province – a province located on the Thailand-Laos border, the Mekong River’s water had to flow through dozens of other hydroelectric dams, including 11 of China and one of Laos. South China Morning Post On May 25, citing local people and experts, the hydroelectric dams of China and Laos have affected fish habitats, changing the natural flow with the seasons and even the color of the water. . The impact is becoming more and more obvious Rodjana Thepwong, a 64-year-old woman with a lovely smile, said gold panders in Thailand often wade into the middle of the river during the dry season. “The sediment at the bottom of the river is full of gold. I’ve even found pieces of gold as small as tamarind seeds,” she said, plunging into the river with a pickaxe, brushing away the mud and rocks. “Because of hydroelectric dams, river water rises and falls randomly, making the ecosystem out of balance. We were forced to move to the river’s edge, where there was only a very small amount of gold.” Ms. Rodjana is just one of 60 million people who depend on the Mekong River – the river that flows from China, through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia before emptying into the delta region of Vietnam. Environmental activists say the diets, livelihoods and environment of these millions have been put in jeopardy since Chinese companies harnessed hydroelectricity. 
One fine day, these two women were able to find $15 worth of gold. Photo: South China Morning Post. “I realized things were changing, many fish died and the water rose suddenly,” said Chantarasee Hieng, another gold pander. Downstream, experts say, in February, the river suddenly turned blue – a seasonal phenomenon for the first time, indicating that nutrients from silt are gradually disappearing from waterways this. Climate change also plays a role in causing this phenomenon, with heavier rains and prolonged droughts. But both Ms. Rodjana and Hieng insist hydroelectric dams are the main cause of the decline in the quality of the river that was once a source of food and income for many families. “So sad. But what can we do?” Ms. Rodjana said. Hope is forgotten A new dam is scheduled to be built about 2 km from the Chiang Kan district of Loei, the mountainous northeastern province of Thailand. The Sanakham Dam is a $2 billion program with electricity generated for export mainly to Thailand. The dam, built by Chinese company Datang, is expected to generate 684 megawatts of electricity when it comes into operation from 2028. The project is seen as an integral part of its strategy to become “the power source of Southeast Asia. ” of Laos. 
Gold panders in the Mekong River, Loei province, Thailand. Photo: South China Morning Post. The Mekong River Commission – the commission set up to manage water resources in the Mekong basin, with members Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam – says it has only about $28 million (1.4%) total budget) is devoted to measures to reduce harm to the environment and society. Thailand openly opposes the Lao plan. Residents living in this river area are lobbying the government to stop building the dam, along with public debate about the need for electricity generated by hydropower among officials in the country. Tosapol Wongwan, assistant secretary-general, National Water Resources Office of Thailand, said: “What is happening in the Mekong River has reached a point where it cannot be repaired. What we can do right now is focus on how to reduce the impact (human activities on the river).” Not easy to solve Upstream countries – China and Laos – have begun to share data on water flows and herald the closure and release of dams to their downstream neighbors. However, it is difficult to achieve complete transparency among countries with competing strategic, economic and national security needs. Laos owns two dams – the Thai-developed Xayaburi dam in the north and the Don Sahong dam near the Cambodian border. There are also seven other projects being planned. 
Mekong River near the Thai-Lao border. Photo: Reuters. Critics say it’s difficult to make a transparent assessment of the uses and impacts of dams on the environment. China, which is speeding up dam construction, insists hydroelectricity is an eco-friendly resource to boost the Mekong’s economy. However, according to Songrit Kirk Pongern, an academic researcher on the Mekong River at Thailand’s Kasetsart University, as dam construction continues, the forecast of a negative impact on the river is ominous. “In the next five years, the consequences will become more and more obvious. The number of fish will continue to decline, the downstream will lack alluvium, riverside and local fishing will disappear, food security for 60 million people will be exhausted,” he said.
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