How has this impacted those living in the Lower Mekong Basin?

Thailand: Climate Change, dams and Ban Pak Ing

In the Lower Mekong Basin, where the livelihood of millions depend on the Mekong River, many are or will experience ecological grief. Hazards associated with the fluctuations in river levels due to seasonality are being worsened by climate change. The construction of dams have made periods of floods and droughts even harder to predict. This leaves the local community unprepared for natural disasters.

Ban Pak Ing, a village located in northern Thailand is suffering from the consequences of dams. Prior to the construction of dams, the Mekong River was abundant with fishes of different species and of varying sizes. The community depended on fish for a living and the practice had been going on for generations.

The construction of dams altered the flow of the river and rapid changes in water levels have affected the migration and reproduction of fishes. The freshwater algae population, important for purifying the water was also impacted. The irregularity of the flow of the river affected the growth of vegetation, leading to the erosion of riverbanks, preventing the community from sustaining their riverbank gardens.

The local community had no other choice but to give up their way of life and the knowledge they had known best. Since the decline of the fish population, they had to resort to other means to make a living, such as growing corn and beans. Even so, lack of knowledge in crop cultivation, made more challenging by frequent and unpredictable flooding, make these unstable sources of income.

These events can trigger grief and fear within the community as their future and the future of their children are uncertain.