‘Buying’ Mekong water from China a farfetched scheme
Several researchers have reacted with skepticism and criticism to American experts’ suggestions of Mekong downstream countries paying China for water to avoid drought. Some said it was not just impractical but also something that would set a “bad precedent.”
In recent years, MRC has repeatedly asked China to cooperate with downstream countries to find solutions for droughts and floods in lower Mekong, without explicitly accusing China’s dams for causing those problems.
Dao Trong Tu, former deputy general secretary of the Vietnam National Mekong Committee, said the feasibility of a water buying agreement was quite obscure. Downstream countries should clarify how much water is needed to reach a target area, for example, how many cubic meters that China releases will reach Vietnam’s Mekong Delta.
Viet Anh
