Save The Mekong
Great photography of the Mekong River, and its people 👌👏❤ A strong blog
via Scientists for the Mekong : Analyst: The Mekong is a Chance for China to Improve Its Soft Power Footprint
Important excerpts by Brian Eyler, director of the Stimson Center’s Southeast Asia program (6 April 2018):
"China, as well, previously wanted to purchase a lot of power from the Mekong basin. That’s no longer the case. In fact, #China
wants to #sell #power from Yunnan province to other #Mekong #countries. So that puts the whole #hydropower venture in the Lower
#Mekong under #question: Do we really #need all of these #dams? Is the #demand for those dams going to be there? Dams
development on the mainstream or the tributaries is driven by the demand for power from the other parts of the Mekong region."
"There are #communities of tens of thousands of people all the way through the basin that #utilize the #river #banks for #agricultural
purposes, and that contributes to the #important part of their #livelihoods. But when #China #releases the #water from #upstream
#dams in the dry season, just like China did two weeks ago, you have #sudden #floods that can #wash out the #fields that are
beginning to sprout #vegetables and other crops, wash away #livestock and #machinery. These unexpected floods also #impact
critical #animal and #bird species that make #habitats along the #riverside during the #dry #season."
"The Council Study (by the MRC) confirms how the #greatest #impacts come from #hydropower even compared to the impacts of
climate change. So we have to think about energy, and we need to work on #alternative #energy #development solutions because
the technology is here now to make that change. I am talking about solar, wind, and decentralized distribution and transmission
processes that can help shave down peak demands, reduce the needs for so much power, bring the power to the people who need
it more quickly, and help the country industrialize."
Let us Pray they stay alive 🙏🙏🙏
Three new Irrawaddy dolphin calves born in 2018. Great news. But, will they survive past 2 y.o.? Remains to be seen. All previous calves have died because of organochlorides, pesticides and other pollutants in fish & water, which damaged their immune systems leading to fatal diseases - according to 5 years research by Dr Verne Dove...
Let us remind the reader thst Dr. Dove was expelled from Cambodia for publishing her results...
Irrawaddy dolphins have long life spans. Hence, the present population consists of adult dolphins.
It's great that the Cambodian government has reduced gillnets and harm to the dolphins. However, if they really wanted to protect this species from #extinction they ought to be implementing strong measures to reduce water pollution and should not go ahead with the construction of the Stung Treng Dam & Sambor Dam as these will "sandwich" the dolphins confining them to a very small area and reducing substantially the species of fish they depend on for survival.
