Organisations concerned over rivers’ water quality
11 May 2018
Two international organisations have expressed concerns over water quality in the Sesan, Srepok and Sekong rivers which threatens the livelihood of about 3.4 million people in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam because of human activity and hydropower dam development.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Conservation International, in collaboration with the Cambodia National Mekong Committee, yesterday disseminated a report on the Freshwater Health Index, a new tool to assess freshwater ecosystem health in the Sesan, Srepok and Sekong rivers, which are major tributaries of the Mekong River.

The research and assessment on freshwater ecosystem health through the FHI device found that the water quality in the three basin systems was fairly good despite dam construction.

The basin’s ecosystem has faced increasing stress while investment in conservation and restoration remains very low, according to the report.

Nicholas Souter, freshwater research manager Asia-Pacific of Conservation International, said the factors polluting water quality in the three rivers included more pollution from human activities, especially in the lower areas.

Water pollution from agriculture included the use of pesticides in farming and construction of new roads that led to erosion, especially in areas where heavy rains and water discharged from various uses.

“In order to ensure the continued health of this vital system, improved governance, and in particular, improved access to information both between agencies and between the countries, will be critical,” Mr Souter said.

The researchers began studying the three rivers in 2016 by using existing data from relevant institutions, especially data from the Mekong River Commission, and satellite and models from New Zealand and the United States for measuring and evaluating the health index of water in the three rivers.

As a result, the three rivers received a score of 66 related to ecosystem power, which showed that the water ecosystem had medium quality while water ecosystem service received 80 points, meaning that the river basin could meet the needs of people who depended on it.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50488561/o ... r-quality/

Dams threaten local basin: report
11 May 2018
A river basin hosting three Mekong tributaries and providing a livelihood for 3.4 million people is under threat because of the construction of 65 dams, according to a study issued in Phnom Penh on Thursday by conservation groups.
The groups pointed out that the dam constructions on 3S are seriously impacting the seasonal flows, sediment transports and fish migration.

Nick Souter, Asia-Pacific’s freshwater research manager at CI [Conservative International], who presented the study’s key results, said that 65 dams were constructed on the 3S basin, mostly for generating electricity. Of those, 59 are in Vietnam, five in Laos and two in Cambodia. In addition, one dam is under construction in Vietnam, seven in Laos and over 30 dams have the potential to be built in the basin.

“The dams cause sediment transports on the stream because [dams] block water flows . . . However, we don’t have specific data on water pollution,” Souter said.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ ... sin-report

Ratanakkiri villagers warned over poisonous water
21 May 2018
Authorities have warned villagers in Ratanakkiri province’s Veun Sai district to be precautious when using water from the Sesan river after four people came down with rashes on Friday.

Two members each from separate families used the water to shower after returning home from a day of farming, according to Toeu Phouthorng, the district police chief of Veun Sai.

“They used the water for washing their face and hands, and it irritated their hands causing small red spots,” he said.
He added that the four villagers are recovering, while other locals are using the water normally even though officials from the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Industry and Handicraft inspected the water source and alerted them over the issue.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ ... nous-water

False alarm. The water from the Sesan River is fine, officials say.

22 May 2018
RATANAKKIRI - Health officials in Ratanakkiri province have moved to quash reports of ill-effects from Sesan river water.

Officials said some local media had reported that villagers in Veun Sai district complained of unusual itching of their hands.

However, health department officials who went to the place where the itching was reported found no such cases.
They said there was no evidence of any itching last week caused by using water from the river.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50492132/r ... s-a-blank/