Newest Mekong River Dam To Kill Iconic Fish

In the past, hydroelectric dams were considered beneficial and even sustainable. Today we know these dams create problems half a century into the future, and even from the beginning cause serious downstream problems.

Since, the 1960s, the Mekong River basin, which covers parts of China, Laos, Burma / Myanmar, and Vietnam, has been the site for many of these developmental behemoths, most of which have wreaked havoc on the local environment. The newest proposal for a hydroelectric dam on the Mekong will endanger at least four species of fish, including the Mekong giant catfish, a fish much revered within the Thai culture. The new dam would block the fish from reaching its spawning grounds.

Already endangered as a result of overfishing and water pollution, the fish would likely be driven to extinction by the presence of the new dam.

In addition, three other species that rank among the world's largest fish would also be endangered by the project. They include the Giant freshwater stingray, the Giant pangasius (or dog-eating catfish), and the Giant barb.

The dam would cause other problems for those living and working downriver. While a dam creates a source of water for nearby irrigation, it does so by cutting the flow of nutrients to those farther downstream. In the case of Thailand, the downstream area is one of the world's most productive regions for fisheries and agriculture. By reducing the volume of fresh water flowing within the river banks, these dams also allow more salt water to encroach inland from the sea and damage thousands of acres traditionally used for farming.

According to a report called "River of Giants: Giant Fish of the Mekong," issued by the World Wildlife Fund, a delay in approving the planned hydroelectric facilities on the river would allow more time for sensible planning based on environmental impact studies that would assess the impacts and benefits of the dam in relation to such issues as deforestation, wildlife destruction, water scarcity, and urban environmental quality.

While no one questions the benefits of generating more electricity in the region, such generating facilities are much more expensive than alternatives such as wind- and solar-powered generators. In addition, previously built dams have already adversely affected local climate conditions, soil fertility, water and fishery resources, not to mention displacing people and altering local communities.

This kind of development, far from being sustainable, can indirectly harm the prospects for other types of development, manufacturing, and trade by degrading the local base of natural resources. The question of whether or not to build a new dam depends on and actually leads to the formulation of development policies and priorities that ultimately have major impacts on emerging and rural areas, and this is especially true in Thailand's impoverished northern regions. While local people yearn for continued control over their natural resources, national governments tend to have other plans.

For additional information, please see: http://www1.american.edu/TED/mekong.htm TED Case Studies: Mekong River Dam

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Photo credit: Fredrik Thommesen