Asean formalises Mekong involvement with water security dialogue, as…

South China Morning Post — The inaugural meeting on water security between Asean and the intergovernmental Mekong River Commission (MRC) last week has been hailed as a means of boosting protection of the vital waterway, amid claims that China’s activities have affected downstream communities that rely on the river. Both sides agreed to cooperate on water-security challenges along Read More…

Selection and in-depth research on high economic value fish varieties

Nong Nghiệp — According to survey studies, the Mekong River has about 1,200 fish species representing many families, diverse in morphology and lifestyle. Particularly, the Mekong Delta has over 250 species of freshwater fish, of which about 50 species possess high economic value. However, now only 50-100 species are caught on a regular basis and mainly in lowland areas where there are Read More…

ASEAN, Mekong River Commission to convene water security dialogue

VN Express — ASEAN and the Mekong River Commission will hold a Water Security Dialogue to address the region's emerging challenges on water security. A first of its kind, the dialogue is slated for Aug. 19 and 20, hosted online by the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat, in cooperation with the ASEAN Secretariat, the MRC said in a statement. The dialogue is expected to gather Read More…

Cambodian dam a ‘disaster’ for local communities, rights group…

Mongabay — The Lower Sesan 2 hydroelectric scheme was completed in northeast Cambodia in 2018. The reservoir flooded 300 square kilometers (116 square miles) upstream of the confluence of the Sesan and Srepok rivers, two tributaries of the Mekong. Villages, places of worship, ancestral burial grounds and forests were submerged, and nearly 5,000 people were displaced. A recent report from Read More…

Five Mekong giant catfish to be released into the rivers

Khmer Times — The Wonders of the Mekong Project along with fisheries officials have received five Mekong giant catfish from a local farmer and that they will be released into the river. The rare fish were raised by a family in Skun village of Choeung Prey district in Kampong Cham province 13 years ago along with some Trey Pra that this family bought them from local fishermen. The fish Read More…

Vietnam struggles to find solutions for extreme dry seasons in Mekong…

PreventionWeb — Citizens and government officials resorted to drastic measures this year to prepare for the annual dry season in Vietnam’s Mekong delta. As debate rages over the causes of and solutions to the drought, the government is building large reservoirs to deal with the increasingly dry delta. Work is expected to begin on a 57-hectare artificial lake in Ben Tre province. Lac Dia Read More…

Study puts 2050 deadline on tipping point for Mekong Delta salinity

Mongabay — A new study has identified 2050 as the tipping point by which stakeholders in the Mekong Delta will no longer be able to mitigate the issue of saltwater intrusion, which has already devastated agriculture in parts of Vietnam’s leading rice-producing region. The study, led by Sepehr Eslami, a senior researcher and adviser at Deltares, a Dutch consultancy, argues that the biggest Read More…

FAO to assist country’s struggling fisheries

Khmer Times — Cambodia will receive a boost in its efforts to combat climate change and curb illegal fishing after the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) received approval from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to implement projects in eight countries, including Cambodia. The five projects will benefit from $46.6 million in funding and also sponsor projects in Read More…

Rains renew Mekong Delta erosion threat

Vietnam Plus — The Mekong Delta region has been threatened by erosion along rivers and canals in recent days, and authorities are taking measures to protect people and property. The delta is entering the rainy season, which can cause more erosion, especially as rains and storms combine with high tides. An Giang province saw 50 metres of land being eroded in two places in Cho Moi Read More…

Siem Reap fishery officials pumping water to save protected fish…

The Phnom Penh Post — Siem Reap provincial Fisheries Administration officials are rehabilitating and pumping water into streams, canals and reservoirs in the Boeung Pearaing breeder conservation area to save fish species. Chan Tong, deputy head of the provincial Fisheries Administration, told The Post on June 6 that hot weather and low levels of water in the conservation area have caused Read More…