China's Mega Dams: The Threat To Asia's River Communities | Insight | Full Episode

Mega dams in China on the Mekong river have affected the flow of water along the river downstream into Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The dams have also affected fish life and the flow of sediments, contributing to the collapse of river banks and the destruction of communities that rely on the water for their livelihood. And now, China is planning to build the world’s biggest dam on what’s known in India as River Brahmaputra which flows through Tibet, Bangladesh and India.

What impact will that have on these states? Will the dams be used as a political tool to gain more concessions from these states? What are the ramifications for the people whose lives depend on the river?

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[crishhari]

Being a down stream country is just bad luck like being a land lock country. Things aren't under your control.
Daming up rivers leading to less water flow isn't a recent happening. US damed up the Colorado river, decreasing the water Mexico got back in 1950s.
Even until now, Mexico is powerless to do anything.
Today, engineering and scientific break through has made dams a lot more practical and the need to de-carbonize has given all the governments the political will to build more dams. Futhermore, it gives upstream countries a political bargaining tool and every country will use this tool.
Turkey, an upsteam country, has build many dams along the Tigris and Euphrates that Iraq is literally suffering from drought because the river is their only source of water in the desert climate. This maybe morally wrong but Turkeys government first priority is too look after is own people and the dam helps Turkeys economy and geo-politican landscape.
India is also taking advantage of their upstream location. India doesn't have the money and expertise like China so they are a bit behind but India has already started to many projects more plans to build more. Bangladesh and Pakistan has no say in what India can do inside their own border. Furthermore, India needs these dam because similar to China, India also needs more green energy and flood control methods. Of couse, there is also the matter of geo politics and India wants Pakistan feel the pinch.
China is building more dams to meet their green energy and water demands. The dams along the yellow and Yangtze also helps in the flood control. And like any country would, China is also using their geographical advantage for political reasons.
Ethiopia has now completed their great Renaissance Dam. This dam will affect the flow of Nile since the dam is build on the path of Blue Nile. Egypt isn't happy at all but Egypt can't dictate what Ethiopia does inside their own border and how Ethiopia uses its resources.
The answer to the problem is diplomacy but the upstream country will always have more power. That is unless, upstream country economy and military weaker than downstream country. Nepal is unable to take advantage because India is stronger that Nepal.

[k]

I am surprised that CNA actually dares to make a bad video about China.

[smling]

Mekon River only 13% originate from upstream China. Even the China hold all the 13%, most effect is 13% drop. But dam has to release water to generate electricity. Environmental change, downstream reckless sand mining and construction activities are the major causes..

[liveinsea]

I'm a chinese. This episode about the people who live along the international river. They are sad because their lives have been changed. It's emotional and sad to me too. However, I want to know the real effect of building dams to the enviroment, a scientific reaserch explains how the dams affect the river. for example, China said water could be controled within chinese border is only 13%. and china does not use up the water but stored the water for a while and let go later. So the majority of the water is out of control from China. there are other reasons why they got less fish, climate change, overfishing, polution, overpopulation...look at the water color in the river, in china part it's clean and fresh, but look at the other part, yellow, dirty. Why not water polution is main reason for less fish? Why don't cna interview more scientists instead of only fisherman,

[DevinTey]

Do Dams improve or deterioate the predictability of water flow? Given the changing climate nowadays? Producer seem like bias on one side with an hidden pre-sumption. There are over-fishing problem everywhere, not just at riverbank but also at sea. CNA need to up your game for missing too much critical arguements to get a balance view and reporting.

[dawatsering]

Thanks CNA insider Hi dear friends please save Tibetan plateau …Tibet is an unmanaged water tower, but China’s dance madness is massively threatening Asia’s water future from Bangalore middle-way Approach take a stand Tibetan plateau

[tomw]

for a serious topic like this, strongly suggest CNA interview more scientists and provide more scientific data, instead of only interview the so called environment activists and fisher men, saying sentimental words won’t analyze this topic objectively.

[ClutchinSwag]

Did i just here this guy complain that there is no more flood season?

[makamakolee]

This kind of interview with citizens to discuss the allocation of resources between countries is meaningless, because this is not an issue of the environment and people's livelihood, but an issue of interest and control between countries. You can refer to how India controls Pakistan and Nepal through industries, how India controls Bangladesh through Brahmaputra, how Iraq was broken down by the UK into a water-scarce country, and so on.

[wulung]

The US has been running this propaganda against Chinese dams on the Mekong for 2 decades now. China works closely with the Mekong River Commission comprising of nations along the Mekong to regulate the river flow. Floods during the monsoon period have been reduced while increased flow released from the dams during the dry season reduce the ingress of seawater into the delta and affecting the rice fields. More stable water flow and levels also increase fish populations, The proof is that there has been no shortages of fish for the last 20 years. The electricity from dams also reduce air pollution, reduce the fuel imports and enable the scarce funds to be diverted toward education, health facilities, etc. CNA is partly owned by US interests.

[Ilovecruise]

The first few sentence of this video is simply skewed, dam do not make the water vanish, dam only minimises the peak of inflow and outflow

[ALWH]

Interesting that CNA sounded more and more like BBC, did the ownership changed?

[kongtran]

I thinks thesse two Thai activists are on western paryroll. Thailand built the dam on the rivers and why China, , Laos and others can't built the dams on the own territories.

[suyiwu]

There are also hydroelectric power stations on other rivers in China. There is still a lot of water in the river

[youngzo]

All I can say is, Good luck to the country downstream of India

[solomonlee]

China by controlling the Mekong flow. China can coerce all the countries along the the Mekong to yield to its bidding.

[caiyunxu]

From the interview, I feel Thai fishermen blame all the changes of Mekong river to the dams. But actually climate change is already a world issue and they also have their own problems about pollution...

[Oldfogey]

The Chinese won’t care for others but themselves….

[rap]

Dams don't stop the flow of rivers, it just delays for a little bit so it can be harnessed to generate power. If there is no dam, the water will just flow straight to the sea. If there is a dam, you can delay and stretch the water supply a little bit until the next rainy season or spring again.

The instances where they are showing the river drying up or or lowering in depth will always happen during the dry season whether the dams are there or not. Frankly, the river drying up is delayed by the installation of the dams.

[Voxabonable]

For a documentary, this has some really scary ass background music. It this the trend? To pre-condition viewer's emotions?