15 January 2013: The Global Water Forum (GWF) has released a discussion paper titled “Dams on the Mekong,” which evaluates the direct and indirect impacts of the construction of 11 dams on the Mekong. The paper finds that the projects would have significant negative impacts on fisheries and agriculture and calls for more detailed understanding of the indirect consequences of the dams to inform decision making.

The paper cites research carried out by WWF and the Australian National University on the potential impacts of 11 proposed dams on the mainstream of the lower Mekong River, and highlights that the proposed dams are estimated to lead to: a fall in production of fish by 60-70%; a greater amount of land required for agricultural production, to replace the calories and protein from fish catches that would be affected by the dams; and increased water scarcity.

The paper estimate fisheries losses from the dams, excluding coastal and delta fisheries, at US$476 million per year, and agricultural losses, from riverbank gardens and other inundated cultivation land, at US$25.1 million per year. The report suggests that the evaluation of hydropower projects often considers only the social and economic impacts on areas directly affected by dam construction and inundation, and calls for the inclusion of indirect impacts when considering the trade-offs involved in these projects.

GWF was established in 2010 as an initiative of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair in Water Economics and Transboundary Water Governance in order to present knowledge and insight from leading water researchers and practitioners. [GWF Press Release] [Publication: Dams on the Mekong]