New Mekong dams to affect millions in Vietnam

Al Jazeera English

15 Aug 201602:16

Summary

TLDRThe Mekong River in southern Vietnam faces a crisis due to insufficient freshwater flow, allowing saltwater intrusion from the ocean. Unpredictable weather, El Niño, and climate change contribute to the problem, while dams in China and Laos exacerbate it by retaining water. Laos is building dams on the Mekong's main stream, ignoring Vietnam's call for a construction halt. The lack of transparency and the impact on local communities, especially fishermen and farmers, is concerning. The Mekong Delta, Vietnam's rice bowl, may see a 10% drop in exports due to saltwater intrusion, with some areas experiencing a 30% decrease in production. The Vietnamese government labels the event a 'once in a century disaster,' raising fears that it could become a recurring issue with more dams in operation.

Takeaways

🌊 The Mekong River in southern Vietnam is a vital waterway with the largest floating market in the Mekong Delta, attracting commerce from the surrounding region.
🚧 The river system, crucial for supporting millions, is facing a crisis due to insufficient freshwater flow, leading to saltwater intrusion from the ocean.
🌡️ Unpredictable weather patterns, including El Niño, and climate change are contributing factors to the river's issues.
🏭 Countries like China and Laos are implicated in exacerbating the problem by retaining too much water in dams.
🔨 Laos is constructing at least 9 dams on the Mekong's main stream, with many more on its tributaries, which Vietnam has unsuccessfully called to halt.
🤔 A lack of transparency in dam construction deals raises concerns among opponents about the long-term consequences.
😔 The people living on the Delta, particularly small-scale fishermen and farmers, are the ones suffering the most from these changes.
📉 The Delta, known as Vietnam's rice bowl, may see a 10% drop in exports this year due to the negative impact of saltwater intrusion on agriculture.
🌾 Farmers in the affected areas are experiencing significant crop losses, with some areas seeing a 30% decrease in production.
🛑 Farmers are being forced to abandon rice cultivation due to the difficulty of growing it in salty conditions, turning to more salt-resistant crops like pineapple.
🆘 The Vietnamese government has declared the saltwater intrusion a once-in-a-century disaster, highlighting the severity of the situation.
⚠️ There is a fear that this year's disaster may not be an isolated event and could become more frequent with the continued operation of dams, changing the river's natural flow and sedimentation patterns.

Q & A

What is the Mekong River's significance in southern Vietnam?
-The Mekong River is vital to southern Vietnam as it supports millions of people and hosts the largest floating market on the Mekong Delta, attracting buyers and sellers from around the region.
What issue is the Mekong River system facing currently?
-The Mekong River system is facing a lack of fresh water flow, which has allowed saltwater intrusion from the ocean, affecting the livelihoods of millions of people and the environment.
What are some of the reasons behind the insufficient fresh water flow in the Mekong River?
-Reasons for the insufficient fresh water flow include unpredictable weather patterns, El Niño, climate change, and the retention of water by dams in countries like China and Laos.
What is Laos doing regarding the Mekong River that has raised concerns?
-Laos is constructing dams on the Mekong River, with the first of at least nine dams on the main stream and many more on tributaries, which has raised concerns about transparency and the impact on the river's ecosystem and people.
What was Vietnam's stance on the dam construction on the Mekong River's main stream?
-Vietnam had called for a ten-year moratorium on mainstream dam construction, but this call was ignored.
Why are opponents of the dam construction concerned about transparency?
-Opponents are concerned about the lack of transparency surrounding the dam construction deals, fearing that the impacts on the environment and local communities have not been adequately considered.
How is the saltwater intrusion affecting the people living on the Mekong Delta?
-The saltwater intrusion is affecting the lives of millions of people, particularly small-scale fishermen and farmers in the Delta, as their crops are failing and their environment is rapidly changing.
What impact has the saltwater intrusion had on Vietnam's rice production?
-The saltwater intrusion has caused a significant drop in rice production, with exports potentially decreasing by 10 percent and some areas like Dalat experiencing a 30% drop in production.
What alternative crops are farmers in the Mekong Delta considering due to the saltwater intrusion?
-Farmers are considering growing more salt-resistant crops like pineapple as an alternative to rice due to the difficulty of cultivating rice in the salty conditions.
How does the Vietnamese government view the current saltwater intrusion situation?
-The Vietnamese government has called the current saltwater intrusion a once-in-a-century disaster, indicating the severity and unusual nature of the event.
What is the long-term concern regarding the Mekong River's future with the construction of more dams?
-The long-term concern is that the current disaster may be just the beginning, as more dams come online, potentially changing the flow of water, blocking silt, and leading to more frequent and severe saltwater intrusion events.

Outlines

00:00

🌊 Impact of Dams and Climate Change on the Mekong River

The Mekong River in southern Vietnam is facing a crisis due to insufficient freshwater flow, allowing saltwater intrusion from the ocean. Unpredictable weather patterns, El Niño, and climate change contribute to the problem, but human activities such as dam construction in China and Laos exacerbate the situation. Laos is building dams on the Mekong's main stream and tributaries, which has been met with opposition due to a lack of transparency and concerns about the environmental and social impact. Vietnam's request for a moratorium on dam construction was ignored, and the effects are already visible in the lives of the people living on the Delta, who rely on the river for their livelihoods as fishermen and farmers. The Delta, known as Vietnam's rice bowl, is suffering from a significant drop in rice production and exports due to the saltwater intrusion, which is detected further inland than usual, prompting the government to declare it a once-in-a-century disaster. There are fears that this may be a recurring event as more dams are built, potentially altering the river's flow and blocking silt, which could have long-term consequences for the region's agriculture and environment.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Mekong River

The Mekong River is the central subject of the video, being a vital waterway in southern Vietnam. It is known as the largest river in Southeast Asia, supporting millions of people and serving as the backdrop for the region's largest floating market. The river's health and flow are crucial to the local economy and ecology, with the video highlighting the current issues of saltwater intrusion due to insufficient freshwater flow.

💡Floating Market

A floating market is a traditional marketplace where goods are bought and sold from boats. In the context of the video, the Mekong River's floating market is a bustling hub of commerce that attracts people from around the region. It exemplifies the cultural and economic significance of the river to the local communities.

💡Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta is the region where the Mekong River branches out into smaller streams before reaching the sea. It is a fertile area that supports agriculture and fishing, as mentioned in the video. The delta is facing challenges due to environmental changes, such as saltwater intrusion, which is affecting the livelihoods of the people who depend on it.

💡Saltwater Intrusion

Saltwater intrusion refers to the movement of saltwater from the ocean into freshwater systems, often as a result of reduced freshwater flow. In the video, it is identified as a major problem for the Mekong River, causing damage to crops and affecting the ability of farmers to cultivate their land.

💡El Niño

El Niño is a climate pattern characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, which can affect weather worldwide. The video mentions El Niño as one of the unpredictable weather phenomena contributing to the water flow issues in the Mekong River.

💡Climate Change

Climate change is a long-term shift in global or regional climate patterns. The video attributes part of the Mekong River's water flow problems to climate change, indicating that it is a factor exacerbating the environmental challenges faced by the region.

💡Dams

Dams are large barriers built across rivers to store water, generate hydroelectric power, or control floods. The video discusses the construction of dams in the Mekong River basin, particularly by China and Laos, as a contributing factor to the river's water flow issues and the subsequent environmental and economic impacts.

💡Transparency

Transparency in this context refers to the openness and clarity of information regarding the construction of dams and their potential impacts. The video suggests that there is a lack of transparency in the deals surrounding dam construction, which is a concern for the affected communities.

💡Rice Bowl

The term 'rice bowl' is used metaphorically to describe a region that is particularly important for food production. In the video, the Mekong Delta is referred to as Vietnam's rice bowl, indicating its significance for the country's agricultural output. However, the saltwater intrusion is threatening this status.

💡Silt

Silt is fine sediment that is carried by water and can be deposited in riverbeds. The video mentions that the construction of dams can block the flow of silt, which is important for maintaining the fertility of the soil in the Mekong Delta. This is another way in which the river's ecosystem is being affected.

💡Disaster

In the video, the Vietnamese government describes the current situation of saltwater intrusion as a 'once in a century disaster,' highlighting the severity of the environmental and economic impact. The term underscores the urgency and potential long-term consequences of the issues faced by the Mekong River and its communities.

Highlights

The Mekong River in southern Vietnam is facing a crisis, impacting the largest floating market and millions of people who depend on it.

Insufficient freshwater flow in the Mekong River this year has allowed saltwater intrusion from the ocean, affecting agriculture and fishing.

Unpredictable weather, El Niño, and climate change are cited as some of the reasons behind the freshwater shortage in the Mekong River.

Countries like China and Laos are also contributing to the problem by retaining too much water in dams.

Laos is building at least 9 dams on the main stream of the Mekong River, with many more on tributaries, causing concern for downstream countries.

Vietnam had called for a ten-year moratorium on mainstream dam construction but was ignored by other countries.

Critics argue that there is a lack of transparency surrounding dam deals and their environmental impacts.

People living on the Mekong Delta, especially small-scale fishermen and farmers, are suffering due to the rapid changes in their environment.

The Mekong Delta, known as Vietnam's rice bowl, may see a 10% drop in exports this year due to saltwater intrusion.

In the Delta, some areas have seen a 30% decrease in rice production due to the inability to cultivate in salty soil.

Farmers are slowly giving up on rice and transitioning to more salt-resistant crops like pineapple due to the changing conditions.

Saltwater intrusion is an annual occurrence in the Delta, but this year it has reached unprecedented levels, detected more than 80 kilometers inland.

The Vietnamese government has declared the current saltwater intrusion a once-in-a-century disaster.

There are concerns that if more dams are built, the current disaster may become a recurring event, further disrupting the flow of water and blocking silt.

The long-term impacts of the dams and changing river dynamics on the Mekong Delta's environment and livelihoods are a significant cause for concern.

The transcript highlights the urgent need for international cooperation and transparency in managing the Mekong River's resources.

The situation underscores the vulnerability of communities that rely on the Mekong River and the potential for widespread social and economic consequences.