Dam it! Man-made changes to Mekong River threatens delta dwellers

Ailing river: A Cambodian woman washes fish in the Mekong River in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Mekong Delta dwellers are suffering from the effects of climate change and upstream hydropower projects. - EPA

Dams, climate change and development – all are causing problems for Mekong delta dwellers.

Vo Van Co, a 49-year-old farmer at Vuon Man Ba Ho orchard in the Mekong Delta province of Can Tho in southern Vietnam, feels the environment has changed, as rain and water levels have fluctuated in recent years and affected his work – but he doesn’t know why. “Too much rain and water is not good for fruit gardens, but flood and erosion are worse for us as we plant on the bank of the river,” he says.