Current exploitation rate to deplete Mekong Delta sand within 10 years: study
The Mekong Delta’s rivers could run out of sand before 2035 at the current extraction rate of 35-55 million cubic meters a year, a new study has found.
The study released last week by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Vietnam said the volume of sand flowing down to the delta was less than four million cubic meters last year, much lower than the 6.8-7 million average in the past due to the construction of hydropower dams in the Mekong River’s upstream areas.
The research team predicted that if the sand reserves are fully depleted, the river depth will increase by 0.5-1 m, causing an additional 180-200 thousand hectares to be affected by salinity, and worsening erosion and subsidence in the delta.
Thu Hang - Huy Phong
