What is the purpose of the Mekong River Commission?
The MRC Functions are designed to help the lower Mekong countries build consensus around solutions that ensure a sustainable future for the Mekong and its people through basin monitoring, assessment, data and information sharing, and dialogue and cooperation.
Why is China Damming the Mekong?
China has constructed 11 giant dams along the mountainous territory of the Upper Mekong to sustain its ever-increasing energy needs. The management of water flows has long been a concern for many living along the river.
What countries are in the MRC?
Founded in 1995, the MRC consists of four lower Mekong countries – Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos – as its members, while the upper Mekong countries -China and Myanmar – are the MRC’s dialogue partners.
Which country controls the headwaters of the Mekong River?
China has also dammed and now controls the flow of the Mekong River, which flows through Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand; complaints about the Mekong have been muffled, partially because China has little to fear from these smaller countries.
Is China in the Mekong River Commission?
China has been a Dialogue Partner of the MRC since 1996 and cooperates with the inter-governmental Mekong river basin organisation on a number of levels, including by providing upstream hydro-meteorological data during the wet season, which the MRC says plays an important role in its flood forecasting.
Why is Mekong River called the Mother of Waters?
The Mekong River is called the “mother of waters” because it is such a tremendous resource for such a large number of people.
What is China doing to the Mekong River?
China continues to build dams along the upper Mekong and its tributaries. Laos is following suit, Thitinan said. Although the four lower Mekong countries have an oversight organization, the Mekong River Commission, they are now turning to the United States and other countries for help in resisting China.
How many dams has China built on the Mekong?
Share: Since 1993, China has built six dams in the mainstream on the Upper Mekong Basin, known as the Lancang in China. Operations of these dams have stirred many concerns from the Lower Mekong Basin communities on how these dams will impact their river and livelihoods.
What is wrong with the Mekong River?
The Mekong River ecosystem is on the verge of irreversible collapse due to the accumulative effects of climate change and increased numbers of upstream dams as well as other human-made activities such as deforestation, sand mining, extensive irrigation for agriculture and wetland conversion.