Chiang Rai Times –
People in Cambodia are grappling with dramatic changes to the country’s ecosystem as China chokes the life out of the Mekong. Meanwhile Prime Minster Hun Sen continues to Cozies up to China and its Money.
The United Nations, which partners with the Cambodian government on climate, says the country one of most vulnerable areas in Asia. “Agriculture is mostly rain-fed, and most infrastructures are not yet climate-resilient” UN representative Nick Beresford said.
Warning that many Cambodia households would probably be unable to withstand “climate-related shocks” like droughts or floods.
In July, the Mekong River Commission reported water levels below any on record for the Mekong River. China Dams held back water creating drought like conditions for the lower Mekong communities.
The commission, cited “insufficient rainfall” and China dams for the lack of water, a situation it described as “unprecedented”.
Brian Eyler, author of Last Days of the Mighty Mekong, has been following the water levels closely.
With more than 100 china dams now operational on either the mainstream Mekong or its tributaries. Eyler warns that the dams are preventing fish migration and sediment flow that is vital for agriculture.