Friday, 19 November 2010

Cambodian PM insists Chinese dam not be blamed for low Mekong level

via CAAI

November 18, 2010

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Wednesday that disasters or floods are not caused by Chinese dams, but due to the global climate change.

"Floods in Takhmao district and Phnom Penh, is it caused by the hydro-power dam Storms in Thailand? is it caused by the hydro power? Water rises and drops along the Mekong river, is it caused by the hydropower?" asked Hun Sen in response to the question from a reporter in a press conference.

The question is about hydro power dams in China that is threatening the low Mekong River and a concern about recent approval in principle of the Cambodia to a Vietnamese firm to construct a hydro power dam along Mekong River.

The press conference was held after the conclusion of a series summits held among the heads of government of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.

Hun Sen said that in 1998, the Mekong river water was only 7.5 meters high, the lowest level of water, at that time the Chinese dams were not built, but in 2000, the water in the river in front of the Royal Palace rose to more than 12 meters that threatened the flood in Phnom Penh.

"But this year the water is small, is the issue caused by the hydro power?" Hun Sen asked, adding that "it is not like that you have to think, this irregular rainfall maybe caused by the climate change in the world."

He said that for Mekong river and other rivers, less or more water is dependent on rainfall.

"I do not defend China and I also do not defend Laos that built hydro power dam, I also do not defend the hydro power dam that the Cambodian government allowed to build," the premier stressed. "But you should think when strong rains come, it cause floods, when no rain, it is draught."

Source: Xinhua

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