Abstract
Over the past 20 years, Southeast Asia has seen the intensification of dam-building projects across and within nations. This chapter exams the construction of dams along Mekong tributaries and their impact on the livelihood of local communities. It focuses closely on the Pak Mun Dam case in northeastern Thailand to show how local communities have been left to bear the negative impacts of dam construction , and how these have affected both fisheries and local knowledge . This chapter argues that the Pak Mun Dam case can serve as a departure point to understand the socio-environmental changes that will arise with the construction of a new dam in the region, the Lower Sesan 2 Dam in Cambodia . Ultimately, this chapter shows what is at stake in the construction of both the dams in terms of impacts upon fish diversity, the loss of fisheries in the Mekong River , and human displacement.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
According to the data registered as of 2009, it has been confirmed that the 781 fish species found in the Mekong River are second only to the 1271 species of the Amazon River, showing that the Mekong River is second in the world for fish diversity.
- 2.
The CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems. https://wle-mekong.cgiar.org/maps/ (accessed on August 22, 2016).
- 3.
Countries in the riparian zone are Cambodia , Lao PDR, Thailand , and Vietnam .
- 4.
For example, in the vicinity of the Khone Falls in southern Laos, the Mekong River mainstream fishing industry supports more than 65,000 households. The average household in this area is thought to catch an annual average of 355 kg of fish, and consume 249 kg of fish. The total catch in the area close to the Khone Falls is estimated at 4000 tons, worth between US$ 450,000 and US$ 1 million (Baran et al. 2007).
- 5.
Villagers who own the customary rights of using Luang are known as Cao Khong (master, owner), however those people do not really own a place, but only the right to exclude other people from using it. Therefore, without permission from Cao Khong, other households cannot freely use Luang.
- 6.
Toum means “a fishing trap made from bamboo” and yai “big”.
- 7.
Interview with villagers in Khonjiam District, November 2013.
- 8.
Interview with villagers who opposed the dam in 1999.
- 9.
Interview with affected people of the Pak Mun Dam during research, 2001.
- 10.
Gates were opened between July and October. This decision was canceled after the collapse of Thaksin Shinawatra government with a military coup d’etat in 2006. The schedule to reopen the dam gate is uncertain. In 2015, the dam’s gate was opened between August and October.
- 11.
Interview with Mr. Somboon, October, 29, 2015 in K Village.
- 12.
Interview with Mr. Viriya, October 29, 2015 in D Village.
- 13.
This region is known as the “3S region” by taking the initial “S” of the names of the three rivers in English. They are international rivers that flow into northeastern Cambodia from their sources in the plateaus of central Vietnam and Laos. The dominant residents in this area are not ethnic Khmer, but indigenous and ethnic minority groups from Cambodia , such as Punong, Brao, and Lao ethnicities (3 SPN and Mekong Watch 2015).
- 14.
Information from a local resident, September 8–12, 2015.
- 15.
World Bank Safeguard Policies can be found online at the site’s homepage. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/PROJECTS/EXTPOLICIES/EXTSAFEPOL/0,,menuPK:584441~pagePK:64168427~piPK:64168435~theSitePK:584435,00.html (accessed on August 22, 2016)
- 16.
ADB Safeguard Policies: http://www.adb.org/site/safeguards/main (accessed on August 22, 2016).
- 17.
JICA Environmental Guideline: http://www.jica.go.jp/english/our_work/social_environmental/guideline/index.html (accessed on 22 August, 2016).
- 18.
Interview with villagers in Ratanakiri Province, September 8–12, 2015.
- 19.
International Rivers; https://www.internationalrivers.org/campaigns/lower-sesan-2-dam, Southeast Asia Globe; http://sea-globe.com/lower-sesan-2-dam-communities-threatened-southeast-asia-globe/, EarthRights International; https://www.earthrights.org/media/lower-sesan-ii-dam-developers-urged-ensure-accountability-severe-impacts.
- 20.
Information in the meeting, June 2016.
- 21.
Interview, on villagers in Ratanakiri Province, September 8, 2015.
- 22.
Interview, on villagers in Ratanakiri Province, September 9, 2015.
- 23.
Interview, on villagers in Ratanakiri Province, September 10, 2015
- 24.
Based on author’s fieldwork in September, 2015.
- 25.
Interview with a supporter of the Pak Mun affected people in October 28, 2015.
References
3S Rivers Protection Network (3SPN) and Mekong Watch. (2015). Fact Sheet: Lower Sesan 2 Hydropower Project. Northeastern Cambodia: 3SPN and Mekong Watch.
Baird, I. G. (2009). Best practices in compensation and resettlement for large dams: The case of the planned lower Sesan 2 hydropower project in northeastern Cambodia. The River Coalition in Cambodia, Phnom Penh: Cambodia. https://www.academia.edu/1049246/Best_Practices_in_Compensation_and_Resettlement_for_Large_Dams_The_Case_of_the_Planned_Lower_Sesan_2_Hydropower_Project_in_Northeastern_Cambodia. Accessed: 22. Aug. 2016.
Baran, E. (2010). Mekong fisheries and mainstream dams. Fisheries sections in: ICEM 2010. Mekong River Commission Strategic Environmental Assessment of Hydropower on the Mekong mainstream. Hanoi & VietNam: International Centre for Environmental Management.
Baran, E., Jantunen, T., & Chiew K. C. (2007). Value of inland fisheries in the Mekong river basin. Phnom Penh: WorldFish Center. http://pubs.iclarm.net/resource_centre/WF_895.pdf. Accessed: 22. Aug. 2016.
Baran, E., et al. (2013). Fish And fisheries In the Sekong, Sesan And Srepok basin (3S Rivers, Mekong watershed), with special reference to the Sesan river. Phnom Penh: World Fish Center.
Claridge, G. et al. (1997). Community fisheries in Lao PDR: A survey of techniques and issues. Vientiane: The World Conservation Union (IUCN).
Foran, T., & Manorom, K. (2009). Pak Mun Dam: Perpetually contested? In F. Molle, T. Foran, & M. Kakonen (eds.), Contested waterscapes in the Mekong river: Hydropower, livelihoods and governance (pp. 55–80). London: Earthscan.
Gatke, P. et al. (2013). Fish passage opportunities for the Lower Sesan 2 Dam in Cambodia – lessons from South America. Project report. Hanoi: International Centre for Environmental Management (ICEM). https://wle-mekong.cgiar.org/download/mk3-optimizing-cascades/MK3-Fish-passage-opportunities.pdf. Accessed: 22. Aug. 2016.
Kanokwan, M. (2004). Atalak chang sangkhom chao pramong mae nam mun ton lang: mun phitcarana cak rabop niweat [Identities of fisheries in the Lower Mun River: Focus on its ecology]. In W. Prachayakan (ed.), Watakam atalak (pp. 71–115). Sirinthorn anthropology center (in Thai).
Kiguchi, Y. (2006). The Impacts of the Pak Mun Dam’s construction on fishing and livelihoods in the Lower Mun river region of Northeast Thailand. Masters thesis, Graduate school of Asian and African Area Studies (ASAFAS), Kyoto University (in Japanese).
Kiguchi, Y. (2014). The change in the usage of toum yai fishing gear in north eastern Thailand. In Mekong sub-region social research center (ed.), Changing way of life of ethnicities in the Mekong region (pp. 105–125). Ubon Ratchathani: Faculty of Liberal Arts, Ubon Ratchathani University.
Mekong River Commission. (2002). Fish migrations of the Lower Mekong river basin: implications for development, planning and environmental management. Phnom Penh: Mekong River Commission.
Mekong River Commission. (2007). Consumption and the yield of fish and other aquatic animal from the Lower Mekong Basin. (MRC Technical Paper No.16). Phnom Penh: Mekong River Commission.
Mekong River Commission. (2010). State of the Basin Report. Phnom Penh: Mekong.
Mekong Watch. (2004). A River, its fish and its people: Local knowledge of the national environment at the mouth of the Mun River. Tokyo: Mekong Watch.
Mekong Watch. (2015). Interview at affected village in February 2015 regarding asset survey held on Lower Sesan 2 Dam (Field Note). Tokyo: Mekong Watch.
Research Committee of the Villagers of Rasi Salai. (2004). Rasi Salai: Traditional knowledge, rights and ways of the Mun river’s flood forest. Three-Province People’s Organization Network for protecting wetlands in the Mun River (in Thai).
Roberts, T. R. (1993). Just another dammed river? Negative impact of Pak Mun Dam on fishes of the Mekong basin. Natural History of Bulletin of the Siam Society, 4, 105–133.
Roberts, T. R. (2001). On the river of no returns: Thailand’s Pak Mun Dam and its fish ladder. Natural History of Bulletin of the Siam Society, 49, 189–230.
TEAM Consulting Engineers. (1982). Environmental and ecological impact assessment of Pak Mun Project, Vol. 1, Summary Report.
The Assembly of the Poor (AOP) and Southeast Asia rivers network (SEARIN). (2002a). Mae Mun: Kaan klap ma khong khon ha pla [The river Mun: Return of the fishing people]. Chiang Mai: Southeast Asia Rivers Network. (in Thai).
The Assembly of the Poor (AOP) and Southeast Asia rivers network (SEARIN). (2002b). Mae Mun: Kan klap ma khong khon ha pla: bot sarup lae khwaam ruu ruang plaa khong khon paak muun [The river Mun: Return of the fishing people: Summary of local knowledge of fish]. Chiang Mai: Southeast Asia Rivers Network. (in Thai).
Thompson, C. (2008). Wild Mekong Report. WWF Greater Mekong Programme. http://www.wwf.be/_media/greater_mekong_species_report_web_ready_version_nov_14_2011_1_678824.pdf. Accessed: 22. Aug. 2016.
Ubon Ratchatani University. (2002). Khrong kan sueksa naew tang fuen fu rabop niwet withi chiwit lae chumchon thi dai rap phon krathop chak kan sang khuean pak mun [Project to study approaches to restoration of the ecology, livelihood, and communities receiving impacts from construction of the Pak Mun Dam]. Ubon Rachatani: Ubon Ratchatani University (in Thai).
World Commission on Dams (WCD). (2000). WCD case study: Pak Mun Dam Mekong River Basin, Thailand. World Commission on Dams.
Ziv, G. et al. (2012). Trading-off fish biodiversity, food security, and hydropower in the Mekong River Basin. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 109.15: -5614. http://www.pnas.org/content/109/15/5609.full. Accessed: 22 Aug. 2016.
Acknowledgements
At the field research, Dr. Kanokwan Manorom, Ubon Ratchathani University and Ms. Sompharn Khundee, Supporter of Assembly of the Poor helped me to conduct fieldwork in Thailand . Dr. Akihisa Iwata, Professor at the Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies (ASAFAS), Kyoto University, provided valuable advice for collecting data. 3S Rivers Protection Network (3SPN) helped me to interview villagers in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia . Colleagues of the Mekong Watch provided invaluable support to continue working on this issue. This survey would not have been possible without those who kindly allowed me to interview them, and I thank them all. I also would like to express my appreciation to Ms. Wanida Thantiwithayaphitak. Her devotion to those villagers who have suffered from the Pak Mun Dam has inspired me to keep researching this issue. Field research was supported by the Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund and two ASAFAS programs, Initiatives for Attractive Education in Graduate Schools and the 21st Century COE program: Aiming for COE of Integrated Area Studies. At Ubon Ratchathani, The Mekong Sub-region Social Research Center (MSSRC) assisted to provide me with formal research status to conduct field surveys in Thailand .
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kiguchi, Y. (2018). Livelihood After the Dams: Experiences of Tributary Dams in the Mekong River. In: Lopez, M., Suryomenggolo, J. (eds) Environmental Resources Use and Challenges in Contemporary Southeast Asia. Asia in Transition, vol 7. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8881-0_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8881-0_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-8880-3
Online ISBN: 978-981-10-8881-0
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)