Where is the Mekong?
South East Asia
Which counties does the Mekong flow through?
China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam
Where has most of the development in the Mekong taken place?
The upstream section e.g China
Compared to other large rivers, how clean and natural is the Mekong?
Pristine, little pollution so far
What is the length of the Mekong?
4880km
What is the mean annual discharge of the Mekong?
14,800m cubed per second
What is the first 4000km of the river made up of?
Bed rock or thin alluvium above bed rock
Where is the large delta at the end of the Mekong?
Vietnam
What is the average seasonal change in river depth?
10m, can be as high as 20m in lower regions
What are deep river stages important for?
Fish migration and habitation
What features occupy the Mekong midway down its length?
Rock islands which can change and divert flow
Why does the river says ten constantly change?
There is large variations in water output from monsoons and Himalaya summer ice melts
What forms the 4000 Island stage of the Mekong?
Sediment load and bedrock formation
When is the peak of river volume?
June
Where is most of the Mekong discharge?
Far down the river, the catchment is much larger with more tributaries
What is the Tonle Sap?
A large seasonal lake which alters Mekong flow
Why is Tonle Sap different?
Has reversed flow in different parts of he year
What does flooding in the Tonle Sap create?
Diverse biological floodplain
When does the Tonle Sap flood?
May-October (wet season)
Where does most of the Mekong sediment end up?
Around the Tonle Sap catchment
What is the main Benidorm from the Mekong?
Large fish sticks due to nutrient heavy system
Where does most of the protein come from to the Cambodian diet?
Fish
How does the Mekong rate for fish stocks?
Most productive fishery in the world
What has the large food availability led to?
Huge human population boom
What has happened to amount of fish caught per fisherman?
Reduced due to more increased amount of fishermen, from 350-200kg
What is the weight of fish caught in the Mekong?
225000tons, gone up from 125000
What society was set up in 1957 to manage the Mekong river?
The Mekong Comittee
What replaced the Mekong Committee In 1995?
The Mekong River Commission
What was the aim of the Mekong River Commission?
“An economically prosperous, socially just and environmentally sound Mekong river basin”
What is China’s main use of the Mekong?
Power, Trade to the Coast
What is Thailands main use of the Mekong?
Water, Power from Laos tributaries
What is Cambodias main use of the Mekong?
Water, Fish
What is Vietnams main use of the Mekong?
Water, Productive and fertile delta region
What is Laos main use of the Mekong?
Power
Why are Cambodian officials worries about current plans for the Mekong?
More dams planned which would damage and effect the Cambodian fish stocks
Which region is the centre for Mekong dam building?
The Lancang Cascade
How much water does the Lancang Cascade store?
40 cubic Km of water
What was the first dam build in the Cascade?
Manwan dam
How many dams have been suggested on the Mekong?
14
Which proposed dam is causing the most controversy?
The Xayaburi in Laos
Who has funded the Xayaburi dam?
Thailand, The dams electricity will be sold in part to Thailand
When is the Xayaburi dam due for completion?
2019-2020
What is the resentment over the Xayaburi dam?
Will start the building of the other 13 proposed dams
Why does Laos want to build the dam?
Very poor economy, dam will provide added income
What will increasing dam building impact?
The size of the fertile floodplain in the lower Mekong basin
What will 1m water level in the Mekong do to the size of the flooded area?
Reduced by 1000km
What is the average value of a river world wide?
$3300 per ha/year
How many dams is china aiming to build on the Mekong?
8
Why is the river Important to those in the Laos area due to income?
They have a high poverty prevalence of 19%
What percentage of Laos does not have access to clean water?
21%
What will income be from hydropower generation?
3.7billion
What would dam building cost to the local economy in terms of fish stocks and conservation costs?
500million/year
What % of the Mekong would damming turn into reservoirs?
55% at the lower stages
Out of the 11 proposed dams, how many contain fish ladders?
Just 3
What percentage of river sediment would be trapped behind dams?
Up to 75%
How would damming the Mekong effect the locals diet?
Reduce protein intake by 30%
What does the SEA recommend for building of dams on the Mekong?
A 10year no building period after the first dam is built
