Warning of the harmful effects of China 'holding back floods' in the Mekong

Leading Mekong expert asserts that China's hydropower dams hold back water to reduce downstream flooding, causing negative impacts on Vietnam.

China's Xiaowan Hydroelectric Dam has a total capacity of 15 billion cubic meters. Photo:Vietnamese English

The West is in danger of disappearing because there are no more floods.

"In recent years, the Mekong Delta has suffered from floods, which is very dangerous. We need to understand the concept of beautiful floods, which means floods help regulate water sources in the delta, clean the fields. Floods will also bring alluvium for cultivation, floating food sources for many types of fish and help reduce saltwater intrusion in this area," he said.Dao Trong Tu, formerDeputy Secretary General of the Vietnam Mekong River Commission, speaking with VnExpress.

According to the Southern Hydrometeorological Station, the water level in the upper Mekong River in mid-August was very low. On the Tien River, at Tan Chau, the highest water level was only 1.36 m; on the Hau River at Chau Doc it was 1.20 m; about 40-50 cm lower than the same period last year.

"Up to now, there have been no signs of flooding in the upstream area," said Mr. Khuong Le Binh, Director of the Hydrometeorological Station of Dong Thap province.

As a leading expert on the Mekong River issue, Mr. Tu saidHydroelectric dams have retained a large amount of the river's silt, while an estimated 50% of the Mekong Delta's silt comes from upstream.

On the Chinese side, Chinese officials, speaking with a group of Vietnamese reporters who visited some of the country's hydroelectric dams in mid-June, said:China currently has a total of six hydroelectric dams operating on the upper Mekong River, in order from North to South: Gongguoqiao, Xiaowan, Manwan, Dachaoshan, Nuozhadu and Jinghong.

Mr. Wang Hongming, Department of International Cooperation, Science and Technology, Ministry of Water Resources of China, said.The general characteristic of hydroelectric dams is that they are used to generate electricity, not to "consume water". China retains water upstream but then releases it downstream, only "changing the process but not losing water elsewhere".

"KWhen the downstream countries are in the rainy season, they do not need much water, at that time China will store water for the power plant to operate. When the dry season comes, China will release water. This process has the effect of preventing floods and drought for the downstream countries," said Mr.Mr. Vuong said.

In response to this opinion, Mr. Tu commented:When a country stores water from a natural river, the water release mechanism will operate according to the electricity load of that country.

"Building a hydroelectric dam is not to release water. If there is no water storage, there can be no electricity generation. That story with the Mekong Delta is causing flooding," said Mr. Tu.

Lack of information sharing mechanism

As someone who has been following the situation on the Mekong River for many years, Mr. Tu said that one of the main problems in this region is that China has not yet shared information about the operating mechanism of its hydropower dams with the four downstream countries, including Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. These are members of the Mekong River Commission (MRC). That makes the downstream countries passive in using water resources, especially when drought occurs during the dry season.

Dams on the Mekong River threaten the lives of millions of people downstream.

Explaining this, Mr. Wang Hongming, China's Ministry of Water Resources, said that Beijing shares information during flood season with MRC countries, but they do not do this during the dry season.

"In the dry season, information about upstream flow is affected by factors such as evaporation, groundwater, and rainfall, so it is not very useful for forecasting. According to international practice, we do not provide information during this season," said Mr. Vuong.

Disagreeing with this argument, Mr. Tu saidInformation on the operation of hydroelectric dams should be shared during both the dry and wet seasons. Currently, countries around the world apply the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses 1997. That is, information sharing should be ensured for year-round cooperation between countries.

The former official of the Vietnam Mekong River Commission also noted that it is necessary to consider what kind of regulating reservoirs China's hydropower dams have.If it is a multi-year regulating lake, the amount of water stored is not for one year but for many years.

Assessing the dialogue mechanism in the Lancang-Mekong cooperation formed in March this year, Mr. Tu said that this depends a lot on the relationship between the countries.He hopes that China will join the MRC in the near future.to work with downstream countries to develop water resource development plans.China and Myanmar are not currently members of this Commission.When the Lancang-Mekong mechanism does not have specific agreements, water management issues only have a general meaning of cooperation, while sustainable development cooperation in the Mekong still faces many challenges.

"With international rivers, it is very important for countries to have a cooperation mechanism. Countries cannot say you go your way, I go mine. Parties need to cooperate in the spirit of mutual benefit, on the basis of goodwill and based on international law.I hope the Lancang-Mekong mechanism will help overcome the shortcomings in cooperation between China and downstream countries.", Mr. Tu said.

According to VNE

According to VNE