Hanoi (VNA) – The Mekong River Commission (MRC) releaseda study on October 9, highlighting the need for China and Southeast Asiannations to share data on storage levels and hydropower operations as water levels in the river at historic lows due to climate change and human activities.

The Joint Study on the Changing Pattern of HydrologicalConditions of the Lancang-Mekong River Basin and Adaptation Strategies, is conductedby the MRC in collaboration with the Lancang-Mekong Water Resources CooperationCentre (LMC Water Centre).

It said that the Mekong River's flow dropped to the lowestlevels in more than six decades from 2019 to 2021, impacting agriculture,fishery and livelihoods of more than 60 million people in Laos, Thailand,Cambodia and Vietnam.

The study attributed the situation to natural factors suchas rainfall patterns, evaporation rates and topography for the decline, butalso cited human activities such as infrastructure development and watermanagement as contributing to the dry conditions of the river.

The study recommended "real-time sharing of storagelevels and hydropower operations" and enhanced notifications of suddenchanges in the way water storage operates among Mekong countries, includingChina, which is crucial in improving management of the 4,350-km long river.

It also includes a call to action, beyond increaseddata sharing, with multiple medium-term recommendations that should be drivenby “sound science and common understanding.” They include coordinatedmanagement of water resources; a comprehensive drought and flood managementstrategy; more joint studies; and a capacity building plan for waterpolicymakers, managers, engineers, and scientists, addressing knowledge gapsthrough formal and informal training.”

Data showed that there are currently 13 hydropower damsbuilt on the mainstream of the Mekong River./.