"We will release emergency water supply from Jinghong Hydropower Station from May 15 till April 10," the ministry's spokesperson Lu Kang said at a regular news briefing.
Vietnam has asked China to discharge more water from the hydropower station in southwest China's Yunnan Province to help overcome drought on the Mekong Delta.
Mekong River originates in China and runs through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is known as Lancang in the Chinese stretch.
China and the five countries along the Mekong are friendly neighbors and assistance like this is natural, Lu said.
Since late 2015, countries along the Lancang-Mekong River have suffered from drought to varying extents due to the impact of the El Nino phenomenon, the spokesperson said, adding the situation has worsened recently and threatens people's livelihoods.
"In order to accommodate the concerns of countries at the lower reach of the Mekong River, the Chinese government decides to overcome its own difficulties to offer emergency water flows," Lu said.
He said water resources cooperation is an important component of the cooperation mechanism being worked on by China and other Mekong River countries.
"China is willing to enhance coordination and practical cooperation with related countries in accordance with the mechanism in water resources management and disaster response to benefit the people in the region," the spokesperson added.
[Xinhua -china.org.cn]
15/3/16
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Mekong Drought Worsens Amid Doubts Over Lao Promises ...
ReplyDeleteDrought in Southeast Asia is raising concerns in the Cambodian and Vietnamese countryside where salinity levels are rising in the Mekong River and people are skeptical about fresh promises from Laos that it will respect the rights of downstream countries in dam construction.
The reassurances from Vientiane were delivered by Bounhang Vorachith, who was recently named secretary-general of the Laos Communist Party, sparking hopes he might show a more conciliatory approach to negotiations with countries who share use of the Mekong River.
“Laos will make an effort to ensure that there will be no impact,” Bounhang recently told the Cambodia government in regards to Vientaine’s plans to build 11 dams along the Mekong River and their impact on neighboring countries.
He also reminded Prime Minister Hun Sen that Laos had studied the potential impact of the dams and promised to limit the impact of the controversial Don Sahong hydropower dam, The Phnom Penh Post reported, to be built just north of the Cambodian border.......http://www.voanews.com/content/mekong-drought-worsens-amid-doubts-over-lao-promises/3247019.html
21/3/16