China’s dams turn Thai fishing villages on the Mekong River into ‘ghost towns’
- Fears are growing over the unseasonal flooding and droughts that dams cause – and for the future of Southeast Asia’s longest river
- ‘When the river is turned into just being a source of hydropower, it affects the lives and livelihoods of millions of people,’ said one activist
The dams have altered the flow of water and block much of the sediment that is vital for khai and rice cultivation, researchers say.
“Generally, the water is clear and the level is lower in the dry season, and we can easily wade in and harvest khai. But now, the water level is higher during dry season, which makes it more difficult,” said Kam Thon, who sells khai at the local market.
“We need to spend more time collecting khai, and there is also less khai, which has affected our income,” the 48-year-old said, as she rolled handfuls of the stringy green weed into balls and placed them in a nylon bag slung on her shoulder.
Kam Thon, who lives in Chiang Khong, northeast Chiang Rai province by the Thai-Laos border, said she only makes only about a third of what she used to earn when the Mekong’s waters ran low in the dry season and the khai was plentiful.