User:Smoua00/sandbox

Environmental issues

Drought linked to a changing climate and dozens of hydroelectric dams are damaging the Mekong ecosystem.[57][58] When drought ends and the inevitable floods begin, the effects of Mekong dams on flood pulse dynamics over the entire Lower Mekong are poorly understood.[59]

Sewage treatment is rudimentary in towns and urban areas throughout much of the Mekong's length, such as Vientiane in Laos. Water pollution impacts the river's ecological integrity as a result.[citation needed]

Much of the 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic present on earth[60] makes its way to the oceans. Ninety percent of plastic in the oceans is flushed there by just 10 rivers. The Mekong is one of them.[61]

A growing number of academics, NGOs, and scientists urge the international community and the Mekong River Commission to put to rest the myth of sustainable hydro power. They urge an immediate moratorium on new construction and a shift to solar and other forms of renewable energy, already highly competitive and faster to install.[62]