"On the Sesan River, Indigenous Villagers Struggle For Traditional Lifestyle Amidst Illegal Fishing, Hydroelectric Dams" 26 February 2024

The indigenous peoples of the Sesan River basin in Cambodia’s far northern uplands rely on the Sesan and other tributaries of the Mekong River for their once-abundant fisheries, as well as for gathering other natural foods and goods...

This traditional way of life is on the verge of disappearing as the river ecosystem changes through hydroelectric damming...

Located about 80 kilometers upstream of the Lower Sesan 2 dam on the Sesan River, residents of Tiem Leu said they receive no irrigation benefits from the various Sesan dams...Now, two more dams reportedly in the process of being approved for construction could push what’s left of the natural fisheries past their breaking point.

On a recent visit, CamboJA found villagers struggling to catch any fish at all...Meanwhile, what remains of the natural fishery is being further damaged by illegal fishing methods...

The Lower Sesan 2 dam is Cambodia’s largest with a total capacity of 400 megawatts, and was built under an $816 [million] joint venture of Hydrolancang International Energy, which is a subsidiary of the China Huaneng Group, and Royal Group of Cambodia. The state-owned utility Vietnam Electricity also holds a minor stake in the dam...

Along with the fishery collapse has come erratic fluctuation of the river’s flow. The villagers told CamboJA they receive only little information about the timing of dam openings and closings...The unpredictable water levels have killed off both natural and cultivated vegetables along the banks...and villagers are concerned that a sudden rise could flood their homes....

A villager said her peers in the village are opposed to the construction of more dams in their area. As authorities make little to no information about hydroelectric projects publicly available, she feels that local people are left in the dark...