Climate change shrinking the Mekong
By Times Reporters
(Latest Update November 18, 2009)
Farmers who rely on the Mekong River to water their crops are expected to be affected by a drop in the river's level this year as a result of climate change.
The level of the Mekong River this year is very low compared to previous years, according to a senior official at the Mekong River Commission Secretariat.
While the dramatic drop in water levels may be the result of other factors, climate change is suspected of being the main cause.
The official, who wished to remain anonymous, said the level of all five major tributaries flowing into the Mekong River in Laos is very low this year resulting in a low level in the Mekong .
We predict that by April the level of the Mekong in the north may be so low that people will be able to walk across to the opposite riverbank, the official said.
Indications of a falling Mekong River have been evident in recent years. Last year, officials at many irrigation systems along the river had to dig additional channels to ensure enough water could flow into pumping stations.
Heavy water usage by the agricultural and industrial sectors is another contributing factor to the falling level of the river, said the official, adding that deforestation is also playing a part.
Many areas of Laos have experienced abnormal weather patterns this year.
Acting Head of the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology's Weather Forecasting and Aeronautical Division, Ms Souvanny Phonevilay, said the dry season has been starting later in recent years.
The dry season has been especially late to arrive this year, she said.
Ms Souvanny admitted that weather patterns are hard to predict accurately and long-term forecasts are often flawed.
She said Laos is currently being affected by a high pressure trough moving across southern China , leading to colder temperatures in the region.
Laos has been hit by three tropical storms this year resulting in loss of life and significant damage to infrastructure and agriculture.
The increasing number of more severe storms is believed to be the result of climate change brought on by human activity.
Climate change has become an issue of global concern and is always on the table for discussion at regional and international conferences.
According to the Inter Press Service, climate change could produce eight million refugees in the Pacific Islands , along with 75 million refugees in the Asia Pacific region in the next 40 years, warns a new report by aid agency, Oxfam Australia .
"For countries like Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tokelau, the Marshall Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and the Federated States of Micronesia, climate change is not something that could happen in the future but something they are experiencing now," states the report. |
