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Riverbank erosion forces villagers inland

By Somsack Pongkhao
Vientiane Times June 10, 2008

About 600 families in Tonpheung district of Bokeo province have been forced to relocate their homes because of riverbank erosion over the past three years, according to the Bokeo province Deputy Governor.

Mr Amphone Chantha-somboun yesterday said villagers had been moving further inland, away from the Mekong River , to escape the problem.

“In some areas, the riverbank is now 20 metres further inland than it was before, and this has been caused by erosion,” he said.

“If the situation continues like this, more villagers will be forced to move out.”

Bokeo provincial authorities have funded projects to reinforce the riverbank in the worst-affected areas, and have also encouraged villagers to replace disappearing land with rocks, as a way of stalling complete erosion.

Mr Amphone has urged the government to respond by initiating a project to reinforce the banks of the river.

Lao National Mekong Committee senior official, Mr Sourasay Phoumavong, said his committee was currently conducting a fact-finding survey with the Mekong River Commission's Flood Management and Mitigation Programme.

The survey aims to identify causes of erosion, and how much funding would be needed for a project to address the problem.

Mr Sourasay believes the erosion is caused by increasing river traffic between China and Xiengsaen in Thailand , which has been encouraged by trade agreements between the two countries.

Concrete embankments have also been constructed on the Thai side of the river, and Mr Sourasay says this has changed the way the river flows and negatively impacted the Lao side of the river.

The survey will be completed at the end of this year and the results will then be discussed at a meeting in Myanmar , which will be attended by representatives from Laos , Cambodia , Vietnam , Thailand , China and Myanmar .

Mr Sourasay said Laos could approach China to fund a project to repair areas of the riverbank.

He said the Lao and Thai governments would soon meet to discuss the environmental impacts of Thailand 's plans to construct more concrete embankments in Xiengsaen district of Xieng Rai province

Chinese companies are currently reinforcing the riverbank in areas where they plan to establish infrastructure including hotels, restaurants and shopping centres.

Riverbank erosion is also a serious issue in Vientiane and the provinces of Khammuan and Borikhamxay, where some villagers have lost parts of their farmland.

Many metres of the Xingxou Island banks in Vientiane have been destroyed by erosion. Some believe this is caused by the removal of rocks and sand from the river for construction purposes.

 
 

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