The Mekong River, known as the Lancang in China, is the heart and soul of

mainland Southeast Asia. Over 60 million people depend on the river and its
tributaries for food, water, transport and many other aspects of their daily lives.
The river supports one of the worlds most diverse fisheries, second only to
Brazils Amazon River.
Chinas construction of dams and a navigation channel along the upper reaches
of the Mekong threatens this complex ecosystem. Seven megadams have
already been built, and over 20 more are under construction or being planned in
Yunnan, Tibet and Qinghai (see map). The scheme will drastically change the
rivers natural flood-drought cycle and block the transport of sediment, affecting
ecosystems and the livelihoods of millions living downstream in Burma, Thailand,
Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Impacts to water levels and fisheries have already
been recorded along the Thai-Lao border.
Despite this, construction has proceeded without consultation with Chinas
downstream neighbours and without an assessment of the dams likely impacts
on the river and its people. Whats more, there are likely to be up to seven more
dams built even farther upstream, near the Three Parallel Rivers World Heritage
Site.
Within China, communities resettled by the Manwan and Dachaoshan dams have
suffered from lack of adequate compensation, problems with food security and
increased incidence of disease. While steps have been taken to fix these
problems, much more must be done to ensure that peoples livelihoods are
restored.