Mekong Water Dialogues
Improving wetland functioning and services by developing a communal kaem ling (“monkey cheek”) water retention system at Wieng Nong Lom, Chiang Rai province
On 7–8 May 2012, MWD Thailand, together with the villagers of Ban Bha Sak Luang, a village bordering Wieng Nong Lom wetland, and the Thailand Research Fund (TRF), joined hands to build a clay dyke strengthened with local materials such as bamboo and giant mimosa poles. The communal dyke will serve to create a small reservoir – known in Thai as a kaem ling or “monkey cheek” after the animal’s practice of filling its cheeks with food – to retain water from the rainy season and maintain water levels during the dry season. It will supply local consumption needs as well as help to restore wetland vegetation and support the growth of wetland pasture managed as a communal grazing area.
15 May 2012 | News story
Climate change and its impact on the Lao and Cambodian people
When we refer to climate change, we immediately think of the impacts it has on the livelihoods of large numbers of people, and the habitats of aquatic species on all continents. …
09 May 2012 | News story
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Studying local laws in a wetland: How traditional knowledge and beliefs can help to protect nature
Local communities and ethnic groups in Lao PDR are strongly attached to local beliefs, taboos and spirit related traditions. In many ways, these beliefs are highly associated with respect of nature and worshiping land and its resources.
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08 May 2012 | Article
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Travels along the Mekong Fish Market Chain
An early morning in late March, my IUCN colleague ,Vilavong, and I were in Naksang, Lao PDR (in the 4,000 islands) looking for transport to Pakse when a song teow (small truck converted into passenger vehicle) packed full of buckets of pa dek (fermented fish sauce, a staple of Lao cuisine) picked us up. …
08 May 2012 | News story
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BKN management plan.
Preparation of a Management Plan for Beung Kiat Ngong wetlands highlights importance of cross-sector coordination and valuation of ecosystem services …
08 May 2012 | Event
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As Mekong Leaders Gather, Public Awaits Answers on Xayaburi Dam
Save the Mekong Press Release - Phuket, Thailand – As the Mekong River Commission (MRC) member countries gather today for the MRC’s Mekong 2 Rio International Conference on Transboundary River Basin Management, the Save the Mekong coalition has called upon regional governments to immediately address the ambiguities that have been left unanswered with respect to the future of the Xayaburi Dam and other mainstream dams …
02 May 2012 | News story
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No flood, no money. What a trade!
When asked about his future, Nguyen Van Nghe, a fisherman in Dong Thap Province answered: “No flood, no money. What a trade!” He was referring to the fact that over the last 10 years the construction of high dykes in Dong Thap and the Long Xuyen Quadrangle has blocked the annual replenishment of freshwater, nutrients, and sediment on which fish depend. In turn, this has destroyed the wild fisheries on which the landless, including Nghe, who make up 20% of the Mekong Delta’s population, depend. Wild fish production has declined by 40% over the last 10 years and species that were once used as fertilizer now sell for VND180,000/kg. The predatory snakehead, which once occupied the top of the aquatic food chain, has disappeared. The high dykes have also greatly reduced the annual flushing. This has resulted in the accumulation of pathogens and toxins in the surface water and growing public health problems. … | Vietnamese
09 Apr 2012 | Article
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Canceling Fishing Lots in the Tonle Sap: Benefits and Risks
On February 28, 2012, speaking to students at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC) in Phnom Penh, Prime Minister Hun Sen said “I need to send a message to all people in the whole Tonle Sap that there are no longer any fishing lots”. The prime minister said that he had decided to cancel these lots because fishers had complained about declining catches and there were frequent disputes between fishers and the lot owners. He said that some of the canceled lots would be turned into conservation zones (Deputy Prime Minister Bin Chhin is now drafting a sub-decree to establish these zones) and added that next year he would cancel fishing lots on the Mekong River in Kampong Cham and Prey Veng Provinces. …
30 Mar 2012 | Article
Water means wealth – ‘smart’ water management in Asia and the Pacific
Marseille, France, 16 March 2012 - Availability of fresh water is essential to social and economic growth. Investing in sustainable water management should be a priority for all decision makers, according to a recent publication by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and ADB (Asian Development Bank). … | French | Spanish
16 Mar 2012 | International news release
Supporting civil society to influence the development of Vietnam’s Water Law
In 2011, Mekong Water Dialogue (MWD) funded Vietnam River Network (VRN) to do a detailed review of draft versions of the new Water Law. VRN and the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) organized a series of consultation meetings to gather feedback from local NGOs, academia, and the general public. A report summarizing this feedback (in Vietnamese and a summary in English) is available on the MWD website. In 2012, MWD will continue to support civil society efforts to target the National Assembly, which has the ultimate authority for reviewing and approving laws, specifically the need for the Water Law to explicitly incorporate the principles of integrated water resource management, address international waters, and ensure public participation in water resource management. … | Vietnamese
24 Feb 2012 | News story
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