The proliferation of hydropower dams in China and Laos is disrupting the course of the river, the largest reservoir of freshwater fish in the world, which supports millions of residents.
The effects from dams on the river, the Mekong is not what it used to be. Drought and unusual tidal occurred including watercolor turns blue due to the decline in sediments in the water which makes muddy brown color resulted from the extremely low of the water level.
Even during the rainy season, the water level of the Mekong River is lower than average. Rocks and small islands appear, which are usually covered by water at this time of the year.
After the riverine ecosystem was negatively affected, due to the Xayaburi Dam and other dams upstream, making money from fishing became hard. If more dams are built including the Sanakham Dam, there will be no fish left for the next generation. Said a local fisherman.
During the rainy season, a fisherman tries to catch fish in the Mekong while the water level is low and rocks and rapids appear. This historically low water level is due to the unexpected control of water inflow by the upstream dams in China and Laos on the Mekong River. This makes it difficult for fishermen to catch fish in the river. Sangkhom district, Nong Khai, Thailand – August 2, 2020.
Even during the rainy season, the water level of the Mekong River is lower than average due to the upstream dams in China and Laos. This resulted rocks and small islands to appear which are normally covered by water at this time of year - In Nong Khai, Thailand – August 2020.
53-year-old fisherman Adul Dulipee caught 12 kilograms of black-eared catfish. Nowadays, the population of this fish is declining because the unusually low water level and the tides downstream prevent this species from laying eggs.
Before the dam was built on the Mekong, fishermen could catch fish of this size much more often in a week and earn enough money to feed themselves and their families.
As a direct result of the changes to the river's ecosystem caused by the dams, there are now fewer fish to catch. Therefore, they have to find alternative jobs to supplement their income, outside of their expertise and location. In Nong Khai, Thailand – August 2020.
Fishers are preparing their nets in the small harbor, to catch fish at dawn amid fewer fish affected by unusual tidal resulted by Dams upper stream. In Loei, Thailand – August 2020.
At dusk, a fisherman checks his net for fish. Chiang Khan is close to the planned Sanakham dam. Here too, the river's ecosystem has been severely disrupted by the Xayaburi dam and other dams upstream, leading to a decline in the river's fish population. In Loei, Thailand – August 2020.
The new glass skywalk of Chiang Khan province is located at a joined border point between Thailand and Laos. This tourist attraction allows for beautiful views of the Mekong River running into Thailand from Laos. The Sanakham Dam site is planned only 2 km away from the border. In Loei, Thailand – August 2020.
The construction of the Dan Muang floodgate - the next Mekong River Water Diversion Project - is well underway. This floodgate will supply water to the Huai Luang River Basin and into the Chi River, which flows through the Northeastern provinces for agricultural and consumption usage. If the Sanakham dam is built on the Mekong River, it will affect the ecosystem and result in a lack of water in the lower basin and tributary rivers. In Nong Khai, Thailand – August 2020.
Fishermen are out fishing on the unusually low waters of the Mekong River. This is caused by upstream dams, resulting in fewer opportunities for a profitable catch. In Nong Khai, Thailand – August 2020.
Supol Khamthong, a 67 years old fisherman, caught a black-eared catfish weighing 5 kilograms. As the riverine ecosystem of the Mekong River is affected by the many upstream dams, water levels are lower than usual, negatively influencing this specie's reproductive cycle. Suppose more dams are built in the Mekong basin, this fish could become endangered. In Nong Khai, Thailand – August 2020.
Prayoon Sanair is sailing out to find fish during the sunset. He is 63 years old and has been a fisherman in Chiang Khan since childhood. After the riverine ecosystem was negatively affected, due to the Xayaburi Dam and other dams upstream, making money from fishing became hard. He's now relying on alternative jobs such as farming rubber and work in the construction sector. In Loei, Thailand – August 2020.
Saman Ruankham, 58 years old, is the only fisherwoman in Chiang Khan. She fell in love with the profession at the age of 17, when her parents took her fishing on a boat for the first time. From the age of 20, she owned a boat and fishing equipment and earned her living as a fisherwoman. After the construction of the Xayaburi Dam and other dams upstream, the decline in fish stocks in the river had a negative impact on her income. She's now a street food vendor at Chiang Khan Walking Street to support her income and relies on tourists to buy her goods. In Loei, Thailand – August 2020.
Fisherman, Sompron Ruankham, aged 56, is one of the members of a large fishing family in Chiang Khan who is still trying to make a living from fishing. Nowadays, it is already very difficult to make a living from fishing due to the decline in fish populations. If the Sanakham Dam is built, the fishermen fear that fishing will disappear. Chiang Khan, Loei, Thailand – August 2020.
Pisamai Ruankham, a 33-year-old vendor, comes from a fishing family. Her father used to earn his living exclusively from fishing. "We used to earn money from fishing every day and then I would sell the fish for the family. After the impact of the upstream dams took its toll, our family had to adapt to other jobs as fishing is no longer enough to feed all of us, including my young child." In Loei, Thailand – August 2020.
Fishermen are building a public viewpoint on the banks of the Mekong to accommodate tourists. Nowadays it is difficult to catch fish due to the river has been effected by dams. To survive, the fishermen have to switch to alternative jobs. In Loei, Thailand – August 2020.
Somporn Kaewmala has caught a common silver barb, weighing 5 kilograms, which is a rare sight these days. As a 62 years old fisherman who resettled from Laos since he was 10, he has witnessed the economic downfall of the fisheries on the Mekong River firsthand. After the Xayaburi Dam was built, water levels dropped. The fish can't reproduce, and people can't farm along the river banks. This negatively affects incomes, so people have to find work as a construction worker or other manual labor. If they build the Sanakham Dam, there will be no fish left for the next generation. In Loei, Thailand – August 2020.
This is the Huai Luang Flood Gate, which diverts water from the Mekong River for usage. If the Sanakham Dam is built, it will reduce the water supply in the lower basin, and tributary rivers. This will result in extremely low water levels in the dry season as well as unexpected water releases from dams upstream, affecting the proper function of the flood gate. In Nong Khai, Thailand – August 2020.
Fishermen ride a truck to their new jobs at a rubber plantation, in order to supplement their income after being left unable to make a living from fishing. A reduction in the fish population, caused by upstream dams on the Mekong River, lies at the root of this problem. In Nong Khai, Thailand – August 2020.
A fisherman is placing a small rod to trap fish in the rice field. Many of the fishers now work as rice farmers to increase their income, after the fishing industry became unprofitable. In Nong Khai, Thailand – August 2020.
The water level in the rainy season is lower than usual, as it controlled by several upstream dams. If the Samakham Dam is built on the Mekong River, the ecology of the Chiang Khan riverine area will be strongly affected, as well as the livelihood of many people living downstream. In Loei, Thailand – August 2020.
People's daily lives and activities are closely linked to the Mekong River. Nowadays, in the rainy season, the water level is lower than usual. Phon Phisai, Nong Khai, Thailand – August 2020.
Unusual tidal activity combined with the lower water level of the Mekong River is affecting the ecosystem and livelihoods of thousands of people along the river banks. The future for fishers on the Mekong River is uncertain. The fisherman is sailing towards the rain storm. In Loei, Thailand – August 2020.
JITTRAPON KAICOME | Photojournalist | Thailand
Jittrapon Kaicome, a Thai photojournalist/documentary photographer based out of Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. His projects focus on countries in the Mekong region of Southeast Asia.