Dam-building threatens Mekong fisheries

Stone, Richard

doi:10.1126/science.354.6316.1084

Cited by 62 publications

(45 citation statements)

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“…Besides the Amazon region, the impacts of hydroelectric dams on the fish fauna and the decline of important commercial species have also been found in other aquatic ecosystems around the world (e.g., Agostinho et al., ; Assis et al., ; Dugan et al., ; Neraas & Spruell, ; Stone, ; Zhong & Power, ). For instance, a study of the effects of the Tallowa dam on the Shoalhaven River (south‐east Australia) found a reduction in the abundance of four species of migratory fish and possibly the extinction of another ten species (Gehrke, Gillgian & Barwick, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The decline of fisheries on the Madeira River, Brazil: The high cost of the hydroelectric dams in the Amazon Basin

Santos

Pinto‐Coelho

Fonseca

et al. 2018

Fisheries Management Eco

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Despite being considered beneficial by providing a clean and renewable source of energy, the construction of hydroelectric dams has extremely negative implications for Amazonian fisheries. This study investigated the impacts of the Santo Antônio and Jirau hydroelectric dams on the fishery stocks of the Madeira River. This investigation was based on fish catch data from the Z‐31 fishing colony, located in the municipality of Humaitá, in Amazonas State, Northern Brazil. Data were collected daily and provided information on the date of return from each trip, the fish species targeted, and the total catch (kg) between January 2002 and September 2017. The results indicated reductions of 39% in the mean annual catch and 34% in the mean monthly catches. These results highlight the high price paid by local fish communities for the development of hydroelectric power in the Amazon basin.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The decline of fisheries on the Madeira River, Brazil: The high cost of the hydroelectric dams in the Amazon Basin

Santos

Pinto‐Coelho

Fonseca

et al. 2018

Fisheries Management Eco

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“…These existing upper Mekong dams have already caused large-scale and trans-boundary impacts throughout the basin and the Lower Mekong dams are expected to largely compound these impacts by causing abrupt changes in water levels, altering sediment transport, and blocking fish migration [17]. Since there is still great untapped potential in the Lower Mekong, downstream countries have also been accelerating dam construction.…”

Section: Dams In the Mekong And Their Hydro-agro-ecological Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since there is still great untapped potential in the Lower Mekong, downstream countries have also been accelerating dam construction. While some large dam projects have recently been completed, others are under construction, and hundreds of others are planned [17] (Figure 1). Among those planned are 16 dams in the main stem (11 in the LMRB) and over 100 in the tributaries, most of which are expected to be completed by 2030 [2,4,5,[8][9][10]; of the 11 planned in the LMRB, the Xayaburi is the first that is expected to go into operation in 2020.…”

Section: Dams In the Mekong And Their Hydro-agro-ecological Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among those planned are 16 dams in the main stem (11 in the LMRB) and over 100 in the tributaries, most of which are expected to be completed by 2030 [2,4,5,[8][9][10]; of the 11 planned in the LMRB, the Xayaburi is the first that is expected to go into operation in 2020. While Xayaburi dam has been built to fulfill the growing regional energy needs (its installed capacity will be 1,285 MW), experts believe that the energy supply will come with unprecedented and devastating costs to the environment and livelihoods of tens of millions of people in the region [9,17,39]. The dam will likely cause irreversible and permanent ecological change to the Mekong by altering the natural flow regime and adversely affecting fisheries and other aquatic resources; it will also affect flood-recession ecosystems in the lowlands and impede sediment delivery to the Mekong delta region [39][40][41][42][43].…”

Section: Dams In the Mekong And Their Hydro-agro-ecological Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Construction of these two dams has been approved despite significant controversies due to the complaints about their environmental impacts and long-term implications for ecological well-being and regional food security [17]. Similar to the Xayaburi dam, these two dams could irreversibly alter fish migration throughout the LMRB, with potentially devastating consequences for the river's richest ecosystems and the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people [45].…”

Section: Dams In the Mekong And Their Hydro-agro-ecological Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Review of the Integrated Effects of Changing Climate, Land Use, and Dams on Mekong River Hydrology

Pokhrel

Burbano

Roush

et al. 2018

Water

186

112

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Abstract:The ongoing and proposed construction of large-scale hydropower dams in the Mekong river basin is a subject of intense debate and growing international concern due to the unprecedented and potentially irreversible impacts these dams are likely to have on the hydrological, agricultural, and ecological systems across the basin. Studies have shown that some of the dams built in the tributaries and the main stem of the upper Mekong have already caused basin-wide impacts by altering the magnitude and seasonality of flows, blocking sediment transport, affecting fisheries and livelihoods of downstream inhabitants, and changing the flood pulse to the Tonle Sap Lake. There are hundreds of additional dams planned for the near future that would result in further changes, potentially causing permanent damage to the highly productive agricultural systems and fisheries, as well as the riverine and floodplain ecosystems. Several studies have examined the potential impacts of existing and planned dams but the integrated effects of the dams when combined with the adverse hydrologic consequences of climate change remain largely unknown. Here, we provide a detailed review of the existing literature on the changes in climate, land use, and dam construction and the resulting impacts on hydrological, agricultural, and ecological systems across the Mekong. The review provides a basis to better understand the effects of climate change and accelerating human water management activities on the coupled hydrological-agricultural-ecological systems, and identifies existing challenges to study the region's Water, Energy, and Food (WEF) nexus with emphasis on the influence of future dams and projected climate change. In the last section, we synthesize the results and highlight the urgent need to develop integrated models to holistically study the coupled natural-human systems across the basin that account for the impacts of climate change and water infrastructure development. This review provides a framework for future research in the Mekong, including studies that integrate hydrological, agricultural, and ecological modeling systems.

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Study on the key ecological factors for the reproduction of Gymnocypris eckloni in the upper reaches of the Yellow River

Guo,

Li,

Zhang

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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The development of hydroelectric projects has adversely affected the reproductive activities of downstream fish species. To facilitate the natural reproduction of fish and restore spawning grounds post‐dam construction, it is imperative to explore the ecological factors crucial for their reproduction. Currently, various research methods with different advantages and limitations are employed for this purpose. Using identified spawning locations and periods as clues, we quantitatively investigate the flow velocity, water depth, water temperature, and riverbed substrate required for spawning. The results are validated using habitat simulation methods, aiming to establish a more scientific approach to explore ecological factors affecting fish reproduction. This study provides a more scientific, systematic, and detailed report on the ecological factors required for the spawning of Gymnocypris eckloni: flow velocity ranging from 0.19 to 0.97 m/s, water depth from 0.28 to 1.12 m, water temperature between 11.4 and 15.2°C, and predominantly gravel substrate. The reliability of the results was verified in another spawning ground, with good verification results. This research provides crucial data for the bio‐mimetic reproductive technology of Gymnocypris eckloni and the restoration of spawning grounds for natural fish reproduction post‐dam construction. It addresses the lack of suitable ecological factor data for protective fish species in the upper reaches of the Yellow River. The method exhibits strong scientific, accurate, and implementable characteristics.

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Dam-building threatens Mekong fisheries

Abstract: With scores of dams planned, scientists debate measures to soften the impact.

Cited by 62 publications

References 0 publications

The decline of fisheries on the Madeira River, Brazil: The high cost of the hydroelectric dams in the Amazon Basin

The decline of fisheries on the Madeira River, Brazil: The high cost of the hydroelectric dams in the Amazon Basin

A Review of the Integrated Effects of Changing Climate, Land Use, and Dams on Mekong River Hydrology

Study on the key ecological factors for the reproduction of Gymnocypris eckloni in the upper reaches of the Yellow River

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