Update for August 12 - 18
Notable changes on the Mekong in the last week.
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SPOTLIGHT
Mekong Floodpulse is lagging significantly behind schedule
Nearly 12 billion cubic meters of water restricted in upstream dams is
causing the Mekong Floodpulse to lose energy and fall significantly
behind for this time of year. In early August, only 11,500 square
kilometers of seasonal flooding was observed in the lower Mekong
floodplain. This was an increase of 650 square kilometers from late
July, but well under normal for early August seasonal flooding levels of
around 17,000 square kilometers. The green in the image shows what
should be flooded at this time of the year compared to actual observed
flooding (blue).
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IMAGE OF THE WEEK
Tonle Sap Lake levels are low for this time of year
Compare current levels (left) of seasonal flooding at Kamphong Kleang
Fishing Village along the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia to normal levels
from 2018 (right). While the 2018 image might look like a disaster zone
to some, this degree of flooding is actually welcomed by over two
million people who live along the shores of the Tonle Sap Lake. During
the wet season, the lake expands to five times its size and creates the
world’s most productive inland fishery which underpins Cambodian food
security. Lower than normal flooding translates to lower than normal
fish catches, so fishers are likely worried about current conditions.
Without dam restrictions upstream across the last month, the lake’s
flooded expanse would be significantly larger.
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Where is the water?
Last week we tracked a large net cumulative restriction of flow of over 1
billion cubic meters of water across 10 dams all located in the
downstream countries. China’s dams had no significant restrictions,
likely due to a severe drought forming in the upper basin. Major
restrictions came from Nam Ngum 1 (LAO, 427 million cubic meters) and
Nam Ngum 2 (LAO, 698 million cubic meters). These restrictions have a
devastating effect on the Mekong’s fisheries and agricultural outputs,
which rely on high river levels throughout the wet season.
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Reservoir Storage Over Time
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River Levels
Precipitation in northern Laos and northern Thailand is causing river
levels above Vientiane to return to near-normal levels. However, river
levels in Cambodia are now well below normal and trending downward due
to a combination of dam restrictions and drier conditions downstream.
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Chiang Saen Gauge
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Stung Treng Gauge
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Weather & Wetness
A severe drought is developing the Mekong’s headwaters and most of the
lower basin. Much of southern Yunnan Province and northern parts of Laos
and Thailand are experiencing extremely wet conditions from wet season
storms. Flash flooding has been reported in these areas.
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Mekong Dam Monitor in the News
- International Water Power
highlighted the insights and impacts from the Mekong Dam Monitor annual
reports, which provide deep-dive analysis into dam operations
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