mekong

Top Tweets
Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.
An NOAA truck with a weather satellite on the back.
Courtroom with a jury box and judge's bench.
Wind turbines in grass field during golden hour.
Newsletter
China's renewable energy plans pose threats to the Mekong and Salween rivers

China's renewable energy plans pose threats to the Mekong and Salween rivers

China's decarbonization strategy could harm farmland and transboundary rivers like the Mekong and Salween, a study warns.

Carolyn Cowan reports for Mongabay.

In short:

  • China's energy decarbonization plan aims for 2060 but could negatively impact crucial river systems and farmland.
  • Hydropower expansion in the Mekong and Salween basins could exacerbate existing environmental problems, including river fragmentation and altered flood cycles.
  • Alternative solutions, like reducing electricity demand and investing in emerging technologies, are essential to mitigate these impacts.

Key quote:

“If we think of any major technological change, they always have costs and unintended consequences. The sooner we realize and address them, the more sustainable and equitable the energy transition will be.”

— Stefano Galelli, associate professor, Cornell University

Why this matters:

While hydropower is often championed as a clean energy source, its implementation in these vital regions could significantly worsen existing environmental problems. The construction of dams and reservoirs along these rivers threatens to fragment river ecosystems, disrupting the natural flow and connectivity essential for maintaining biodiversity.

Keep reading...Show less
Newsletter
Vietnam rethinks water management in the Mekong Delta

Vietnam rethinks water management in the Mekong Delta

Vietnam is taking significant steps to address environmental challenges in the Mekong Delta by adopting nature-based solutions to mitigate land subsidence, saltwater intrusion, and flooding.

Stefan Lovgren reports for Yale Environment 360.

Keep reading...Show less
Damming the lower Mekong, devastating the ways and means of life
www.nytimes.com

Damming the lower Mekong, devastating the ways and means of life

Thailand funded the first dam on the river in Laos, and it is Thai towns, farms and fisheries that are suffering.
The freshwater giants are dying
www.nytimes.com

The freshwater giants are dying

Overharvesting and habitat loss endanger most of the world’s freshwater “megafauna.” But many species may yet be saved.
‘Our river was like a god': How dams and China's might imperil the Mekong
www.nytimes.com

‘Our river was like a god': How dams and China's might imperil the Mekong

A river system that feeds millions of people is in danger of being starved of the nutrients needed to sustain its life.
Abby Seiff: At a Cambodian lake, a climate crisis unfolds
www.nytimes.com

Abby Seiff: At a Cambodian lake, a climate crisis unfolds

A trifecta of climate change, hydropower dams and illegal fishing are threatening the Tonle Sap, and the people who rely on its fish.

As smog returns, China's cities issue pollution alerts

A government research center says the latest bout of air pollution has lingered because of 'unfavorable' weather conditions.

ORIGINAL REPORTING
MOST POPULAR
CLIMATE