Mekong Delta to face earlier, more severe salinity, droughts

Vietnam Plus – Salinity and droughts will come earlier and be more severe than in the 2018-2019 dry season in the Mekong Delta, according to Hoang Phuc Lam, Vice Director of the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting. The rainy season in the Central Highlands and southern regions will last until October, with a high risk of low pressure and storms that go along with heavy Read More…

Resilient Water Supply in the Mekong Delta

GUOPA – Increased salinity of ground and surface water in the Mekong delta puts public water supply at risk. The water supply companies in the Mekong Delta currently rely on both ground- and surface water resources. Groundwater extraction contributes to the process of land subsidence, while land subsidence in turn causes salinity levels in both surface and groundwater to increase. The Read More…

Earth’s largest freshwater creatures at risk of extinction

National Geographic – Some have survived for hundreds of millions of years, but many of the world’s freshwater megafauna—including sumo-sized stingrays, colossal catfish, giant turtles, and gargantuan salamanders—may soon find themselves on the brink of extinction, according to a new study published. For the first time, researchers have quantified the global decline of Read More…

Mekong Delta province issues emergency warning over coastal erosion

VN Express – Severe erosion of a sea section prompted authorities in Ca Mau Province to issue an emergency warning on Tuesday. A 350m-long section of an embankment on the western coast in the southernmost province’s Tran Van Thoi District was eroded following heavy rains, strong winds, waves and high tides over the last few days, said To Quoc Nam, deputy chief of the province's Read More…

Illegal fishing gear seized in Tonle Sap lake crackdowns

Khmer Times – Kampong Chhnang provincial fisheries administration officials on Monday seized 1,580 metres of fishing nets, 900 wooden poles, 47 fishing traps and 100 kilograms of fish during a crackdown on illegal fishing along Tonle Sap lake. Ly La, provincial fisheries administration director, yesterday said officials discovered closed-season fishing activities in 24 areas during the Read More…

Can the US Forge a Stronger Mekong Partnership?

The Diplomat – Last week, as expected, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rolled out a series of ongoing measures designed to strengthen U.S. involvement in the Mekong subregion – a shorthand for the area in mainland Southeast Asia through which the Mekong River, one of the world’s longest and largest rivers, runs. While these steps do reinforce the notion that Washington is attempting Read More…

Kien Giang suffers from coastal erosion

Vietnam Plus – Total coast erosion in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has extended to 86 km, according the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. More than 34 km of very serious erosion occurred in the coastal district of An Minh, while Hon Dat and An Bien districts had been critically eroded by about 25 km and 20 km, respectively. Meanwhile, Kien Luong Read More…

Dam in Mekong River not hindering water flow: Lao officials

Xinhua Net – Lao government officials have dismissed social media reports that the Xayaboury dam in northern Laos is slowing the flow of water to downstream sections of the Mekong River. The dam is built on the run-of-river model, which does not require water to be stored, local daily Vientiane Times on Monday quoted Somphith Keovichith, Lao director general of the Department of Energy Read More…

Mekong water level rising, but still very low

Bankok Post – Water in the Mekong river in this northeastern border province is rising steadily, but the level is still very low compared to last year, local media reported. After months of being at a critical level, the water level in the Mekong river has risen, thanks to an increase in the volume of rain starting last week. The Mekong water level is currently about 4.30 metres high, Read More…

Pompeo reverts to China criticism after meeting top diplomat, hits…

The Straits Times – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reverted on Thursday (Aug 1) to criticism of China’s actions in Asia, speaking out at a regional forum against Chinese “coercion” in disputes over the South China Sea and dam-building on the Mekong River. The comments highlighted a continuing divide with Beijing at a meeting of South-east Asian nations with world powers, even Read More…