My team's take on new evidence that #China's upstream #Mekong dams drove 2019 Lower Mekong drought. @StimsonCenter. @MSullivanSEAsia @ShibaniMahtani @RobinsonBKK @HannahEP @David_H_Boyle @TylerRoney @larsonchristina @_aswesterman @stefanlovgren @SBengali https://www.stimson.org/2020/new-evidence-how-china-turned-off-the-mekong-tap/

/2 Major findings: From April-Nov 2019 while downstream portions of #Mekong suffered extreme drought & no monsoons, #China's upstream had abnormal high level of rain & snowmelt. China's dams restricted an enormous amount of water when the downstream needed it. image: @regankwan

3/ China's dams held back so much water that they entirely prevented the annual monsoon-driven rise in river level at Chiang Saen, Thailand. This has NEVER been recorded before. Blue line = predicted natural flow w/o dams; orange= @MRCMekong MRC gauge @marcgoichot @Stuart_Orr

4/ China's restriction of water over last 2 decades tracks closely to instance of drought in the basin. The increasing frequency of drought in the Lower Basin tracks closely to the way China restricts water upstream during the dry season. @jjopperman @paideetes @intlrivers

5/ China is impounding much more water than it ever has in the past. After the completion of the Nuozhadu dam in 2012, China’s dams collectively impounded considerably more water than the previous 20 year period and also began restricting much more water than they released.

6/ China’s dams cause erratic & devastating changes in water levels down stream. Graph below shows a tidal wave of water suddenly released in late 2014 which caused massive unexpected flooding in #GoldenTriangle communities with no warning from China.

7/ These findings are determined via satellite data collected by Eyes on Earth and used to model river flow if dams weren't built. EoE compares model to @MRCMekong data fully available on MRC website. #LowerMekong can use this method to pursue equitable share of water from China.

8/ @Eyesonearth2 will be online for a press call facilitated by @Stimson_SEAsia 4/13 9pm EDT. DM me for details