Imagine you are a Laotian fisherman. Your life depends upon the catch’s you make from the Mekong River. Over the past 10 years, you have noticed that the fish have decreased in number, and you worry that soon, you will no longer be able to make a living. Little do you know, that upstream, all the way in China, dams have been built which is why there is little water, resulting in less fish. This is your income we are talking about! And dams being built on the Mekong River are taking that away!
I-Search Topic: How the dams being built on the Mekong River, are affecting people in terms of way of life, the environment as fish species cannot migrate, and the economy due to lack of fish.
- The Chinese have built four hydroelectric dams, aiming to reduce carbon emissions
- Nearly 200 dams are built, under construction, or planned in the mainstream, or in tributaries (smaller rivers and lakes off the Mekong)
- Affecting Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos
- Laos also wants to build dams in the lower part of the Mekong
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- Problem with dams is that they reduce the water level, affecting everything
- 3 different lens’s have helped me in this topic
- Firstly, the environmental impact
- Many endangered species of fish live in the Mekong – Irrawaddy Dolphin, Giant Cat fish
- Live in the lower part of the Mekong - Laos
- During the dry season, over 150 species of fish migrate upstream for breeding but if the dams are blocking their path, their patterns are disturbed and they are forced to swim in low water areas which is dangerous
- Without being able to migrate, they can’t reproduce as well, meaning extinct species
- Some fish migrate all the way to china, but they can’t now due to dams.
- Fish population will decrease, affecting people (social affect)
- Social affects
- 60 million people depend on the river for food, water and transportation.
- In Laos, 50% of people fish. In the south of Lao 80% of people fish
- 29-39 kg of fish per person per annum
- With less fish, people can’t get money, meaning they can’t survive
- Without money in the rural areas and being hungry, people will be forced to migrate to the city, which will create stress on the city as there a not enough jobs, and it’s more expensive then in the countries
- Forces people to become adapted to city life, could lose cultural identity
- Connects with the economy view
- Less income coming in from fisheries, results in a poorer country
- Economic loss
- Solutions
- Create fish passages, which the fish can take instead, in smaller tributaries
- Fish ladders -> a number of small basins and waterfalls, which fish, can pass
- Fish lifts -> which physically push the fish upwards
- Fish locks, which are similar
- Creating artificial rivers in parts, where fish can go instead
- Problem is … only been designed for a few species of fish. Mostly salmon
(Who jump very well)
- Others warn to delay building dams for about 10 years, to see how things go with the current dams
- Don’t build dams downstream in Laos etc. Move dams a lot more upstream so fish can still migrate upstream (as they don’t all go to the very top of the river)
The dams being built by the Chinese, and the other countries, will have a significant effect on life in and around the Mekong River. Of course, there a benefits to building dams but the negatives out weigh the positives, unless something is done to make sure fish can still migrate, and people can still survive. I suggest that delaying building the dams will help as we can see how the Mekong River copes with the current dams.
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