Projects per year
Abstract
Recent hydropower development in the Mekong River has triggered a lot of discussion about its impact on flood dynamics along the river, as well as in one of the world's most productive lake-floodplain systems-the Tonle Sap Lake. A recent article by Wang et al (2020 Environ. Res. Lett. 15 0940a1) in this journal conclude that changes in precipitation have played a much larger role than the operation of hydropower dams, contradicting existing research. However, we argue that by using an annual mean discharge and inundation area Wang et al (2020 Environ. Res. Lett. 15 0940a1) ignore the fundamentals of the system: the difference between dry season water level and peak water level, and thus the extent of the flooded area, which is the key function of the flood pulse. Further, by using annual mean discharge authors are not able to capture the actual operation of hydropower dams, and thus their impacts. Hydropower dams consume very little water through evaporation, but shift the flow regime from wet to dry season. We show here that when taking into account the characteristics of the system, and analysing changes from anthropogenic impacts on low and high flows separately, dams play a central role in recent changes in the flood characteristics of the Mekong.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Article number | 058001 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Environmental Research Letters |
Volume | 16 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - May 2021 |
MoE publication type | Not Eligible |
Keywords
- large river basin
- flood pulse
- hydropower operation
- climatic changes
- RESERVOIR OPERATION
- MEKONG
- IMPACT
- BASIN
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Comment on 'Changes of inundation area and water turbidity of Tonle Sap Lake : responses to climate changes or upstream dam construction?''. Together they form a unique fingerprint.-
SOS.aquaterra: Respecting safe operating spaces: opportunities to meet future food demand with sustainable use of water and land resources
Kummu, M., Porkka, M., Hounkpatin, K., Sandström, V., Chrisendo, D., Piipponen, J., Virkki, V., Niva, V., Chrysafi, A., Heikonen, S., Jalava, M. & Kallio, M.
01/04/2019 → 28/02/2025
Project: EU: ERC grants
-
Water and vulnerability in fragile societies
Kummu, M., Heino, M., Horton, A. & Kallio, M.
01/03/2018 → 28/02/2022
Project: Academy of Finland: Other research funding