The Lake That Feeds The Mekong Basin Is Facing A Shortage Of Fish
As Cambodia kicks off a three-day water festival, fishermen are struggling to make a living in the face of climate change and hydropower dams.
In the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, where the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers meet, workers are putting the final touches on the grandstand for Bon Om Touk, the annual water festival which begins this weekend. It's a huge party—the country pretty much shuts down for the three-day holiday, with dragon boat races and plenty of drink and dance.
It's a celebration of the water's bounty. This year, though, there will be less to celebrate.
Upriver dams and a devastating drought this year brought the Mekong to its lowest level ever recorded. And the combination has left the Tonle Sap Lake—Southeast Asia's largest—in crisis.
