Government of Cambodia plans to build new hydroelectric damConservation current program needs more international believes considerationLivelihoods was rare and irreversible degradation project3 River basin-S 1.1 million people supports the newEditor's Note: Tracy a. Farrell is a senior technical manager of greater Mekong Program Director of freshwater initiative for Conservation International. Farrell served as Dean of the graduate school, was also a Professor/instructor for the Virginia Tech Forestry Department.(CNN) --the Cambodian Government last month announced plans to build a dam on one of their most important tributaries of the Mekong River basin, S-3, in 2014. It was only five days before the Government of Laos was made their ceremony to launch the construction of the dam, the first dam, a controversial Xayaburi built on the lower Mekong.
Conservation along with other groups-conservation workers in the area concerned by this move and strongly requested a delay on the decision to allow time for research to better understand the trade-offs between power generation impacts of the dam and the opportunity to offer sustainable alternatives for Cambodia's economy.Cambodia today is only about 5% of the environmental impact assessment process and infrastructure projects of the Ministry of the environment, and when they are, they often do not include detailed studies of a wide range of environmental effects.Such considerations are essential for the development of a large part of the Mekong, will ensure that these countries are still exploiting their natural assets protection for the benefit of their people, their economy and the environment.
S-3 River basin (Sekong, Sesan, SrePok rivers), borders Laos, Cambodia, Viet Nam, supports 20 percent of the Mekong River water flows, ensuring food and water security for millions of people living in the basin. It also contains some of the most rare and unique biodiversity of the region including yellow-cheeked Gibbons and Asian arowana (fish Dragon), among many other species endangered, charismatic.Var currExpandable = "expand16"; If (typeof CNN. expandableMap = == ' object ') {CNN.expandableMap.push (currExpandable);}Var mObj = {}; type = mObj. ' video ' contentId = mObj;. "; MObj. source = ' bestoftv/2011/12/14/nr-meyers-new-species-discovered.cnn; mObj. videoSource = mObj; CNN; videoSourceUrl = "20" contentType = mObj;. ' video ';CNN. expElements. expand16Store = mObj; supporting hnormatibim the biological efficiency of the ecosystem and life that has flourished for thousands of years is in danger.
Tracey a. FarrellPrincipally our concern is for the people who rely on the water flows of the lower Mekong River for their food, health, income and other essential income. This includes people living in the basin River 3-S, 1.1 million people are dependent on the Tonle Sap in another 60 million people living in the Mekong Delta.
Recent evaluation of river basin suggested 42 dams is that they tend to produce significant changes to natural flow of seasonal fluctuations. This will be serious effects natural delivery of nutrients required for agricultural and other critical productivity fishery.
Fish in Cambodia provide 85% protein, an essential source of population need fat. Right now Cambodia's per capita blkht fats is lowest in Southeast Asia these vital Omega-3 fats, which come from fish, are available at least. If there was a reduction in fish populations, nutrition and health to postpone a national scale, deepen the current situation of Cambodia's poverty.Supporting hnormatibim the biological efficiency of the ecosystem and life that has flourished for thousands of years is in danger. Of all the various effects on the horizon due to this development, the most serious is the potential for significant changes in the migration patterns of the fish. Assessing the environmental impact of the dam on the lower Sesan 2 concluded that effects on fish populations will be very severe.
Dams on the Mekong River will likely lower the productivity of agriculture and aquaculture industries in the region, particularly Cambodia, Laos.Tracey a. FarrellAs about 66% of Mekong fish species are resident and their passage is blocked by the dam to its current format, which seriously reduce the reproduction rate, the overall decrease in fish populations downstream.
If this traditional transfer is delayed it could lead to a serious decrease in breeding fish that claims a delicate food chain ecosystem depends on them. This has already happened in other developments globally dam, due to lack of adequate planning and understanding of effects of dams.
Pak Mun dam before the establishment of the province Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand, water path contained more than 250 species of fish. It is over 80% plummeted when the dam began operation, a decade later, with extensive government investment to restock the River, a number of species are still less than half the original amount. More than 20,000 people affected by this loss of fish. This dam was expected to have a production capacity of 136 megawatts, but he could barely generate 20 megawatts in demand.Support international development of home consumption and export electricity production are critical components of development of Laos, Cambodia, and Viet Nam. We believe that the greater Mekong region has the potential to be a leading company in the world by pursuing a State-of-the-art, low-carbon, green development to foster economic growth and create opportunities for its people, while preserving the natural environment.
However, this area should develop an integrated conservation planning and hydro power to compromises between energy production and other services ecosystem, especially those essential for the survival of the people that depend on them, are better developed before such dams.The delay will allow the delivery of decision support tools that explain how different scenarios, such as the dam location, design deviations, operation will affect their effects. Careful consideration must be made now of this other, potential impacts of dams is being considered for the 3-S River basin, in order to avoid serious losses, to create a positive solution for the people in the lower Mekong, energy needs and the environment in which they depend.
Baprshnot opinions expressed are solely those of Tracy a. Farrell
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