national March 25, 2018 01:00
By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM
THE SUNDAY NATION
THE SUNDAY NATION
The Mekong River ecosystem has
been devastated from rising water levels during the dry season, as upstream
dams in China discharge water to facilitate navigation in the river.
An activist from Chiang Rai’s
Chiang Khong district, Jirasak Inthayot, yesterday raised concerns over the
mass extinction of bird and fish species in the Mekong and the grave impacts on
the livelihoods of local people from the unnatural rise in water levels during
the dry season.
Jirasak said that the water level
in the Mekong has been increasing since March 15 and, as of yesterday, all the
sandy beaches, islets, and rocks in the river that are normally exposed at this
time of year were submerged.
“These sandy beaches and rocky
areas are the major nesting ground for many bird species, while the shallow and
clear water of the Mekong River in the dry season allows gai (river algae) to
bloom and become a food source for fish and local people,” he said.
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