Hydrosphere Journal Entry
Hydrosphere Journal Entry
Drought Grips Mekong Basin (March 15, 2010)
The Mekong River flows from the Tibetan Plateau for more than 2,700 miles before emptying into the Pacific Ocean in Vietnam. Wikimedia Commons.
Severe drought across the vast basin of the Mekong River has brought the mighty river to its lowest water levels in nearly two decades in parts of Laos and Thailand. The situation is even worse in southwestern China, where Mekong water levels are lower than they've been in fifty years. In China's Yunnan Province, the river has only half its normal water volume.
The Mekong River, which stretches over 2,700 miles (4,350 kilometers) from the Tibetan Plateau to the Pacific coast of Vietnam, supports 65 million people in six nations of Southeast Asia. Dropping water levels on the river have stopped some cargo traffic and boat tours. The drought is also raising fears of food and fresh water shortages in the region.
According to a report from the Mekong River Commission, the most recent monsoon season didn't bring enough rain to replenish the river. But environmental groups say new dams built upstream in China and Laos siphon off huge amounts of water, contributing to the problem.
