Mekong Dams Could Be a Threat to Cambodia’s Food Security

The construction of two hydroelectric dams proposed for the Mekong River would lead to steep declines in the availability of fish-an essential source of protein for Cambodians- potentially threatening food security, according to a new report by the fisheries administration. The study by the administration’s Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute, released Wednesday and conducted in collaboration with the Danish International Development Agency, WWF and Oxfam Australia, found that Cam­bodians depend on fish for nearly a fifth of their total food intake. Fish and other aquatic animals are also the source of more than three-quarters of protein consumed daily. … The report predicts that construction of the Stung Treng Dam alone would slash aquatic yields by between 6 and 24 percent by 2030, while the Sambor dam in Kratie province, with or without the construction of Stung Treng, would reduce yields by 16 to 31 percent. …

http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/mekong-dams-could-be-threat-to-cambodias-food-security-32202/