China’s dams did not cause our drought, Mekong nations say – but they ask for transparency
- No proof region’s worst drought in 50 years was result of Chinese dam-building, but China provided inadequate water data, neighbours say
- Southeast Asian countries show backing for China as they balance the matter against economic realities, according to observers
The Mekong River Commission – representing Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand – has issued a 13-page statement in response to new US government-funded research claiming China had deliberately held back a large amount of water, affecting the livelihoods of millions of people downstream in the past year.
According to Yu Xiaogang, an environmentalist in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan, simmering tensions between Beijing and the Mekong River countries and 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) meant that China’s dam construction required careful management.
“Dam building has been a contentious issue along the Mekong due to growing environmental awareness, and it has posed a dilemma for China in balancing its economic interests and relations with local governments and communities,” he said.