At an October 19th-20th workshop, Dr. Xuezhong Yu made a presentation on the impact of hydropower on Mekong River health to government, academic, engineering and institutional specialists from China, Laos, and Myanmar; during which he described project activities, methodologies, results and recommendations. Project partners from China and Laos also presented their research on the trans-boundary environmental impact of hydropower and shared management strategies between the two countries. The consultation workshop was accompanied by a field trip in Yunnan Province, China where participants visited the Gongguoqiao Dam, Miaowei Dam, and Jidu River (tributary of the Lancang) to focus attention on restoring fish biomass and biodiversity.
“Balancing River Health and Hydropower Requirements in the Lancang River Basin” is an Ecofish-led project that began in 2015 in partnership with the Asian International Rivers Center of Yunnan University and the Faculty of Agriculture of the National University of Laos. The ultimate goal of this WLE Mekong funded project is to promote best practices for the maintenance of river health, while meeting the ongoing socio-economic demands for hydropower.
Field visit to the Miaowei Dam and tributary restoration for fish species
Workshop participants at Yunnan University