<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false">
 <figure style="margin: auto;">
 <img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/finding-the-cause-a~/en-Mekong-river-map.png" alt="" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey=""
 data-align="center" data-size="," data-percentage="auto,auto" data-index="0" data-file-name="en-Mekong-river-map.png" data-file-size="0" data-origin="," style="width: 600px; height: auto;">
 </figure>
</div>

 

Are you familiar with the Mekong River, the lifeline of Southeast Asia, which stretches from the Tibetan Plateau to the Indochinese Peninsula? 
 The Mekong River, which flows through six countries including China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, is a treasure trove of the Southeast Asian economy, where various nations form
 their living spaces. As the demand for water increases to maintain the region's economy and daily life, the Mekong River has now become an indispensable water resource.

 

<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false">
 <figure style="margin: auto;">
 <img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/finding-the-cause-a~/en-Mekong-river-image.png" alt="" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey=""
 data-align="center" data-size="," data-percentage="auto,auto" data-index="1" data-file-name="en-Mekong-river-image.png" data-file-size="0" data-origin=",">
 </figure>
</div>

 

Due to climate change and extensive dam construction in China over the years, the Mekong River is gradually drying up. The decrease in water levels and frequent droughts in the
 lower reaches of the Mekong River have resulted in water shortages, posing significant challenges for countries located there. Despite this, the competitive development of dams for water supply and
 storage for agricultural production continues to this day.

 

<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false">
 <figure style="margin: auto;">
 <img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/finding-the-cause-a~/en-Comparison-of-monthly-precipitation-in-the-lower-Mekong-river-basin.png" alt="" data-rotate=""
 data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="," data-percentage="auto,auto" data-index="2"
 data-file-name="en-Comparison-of-monthly-precipitation-in-the-lower-Mekong-river-basin.png" data-file-size="0" data-origin=",">
 </figure>
</div>

 

Recent monthly precipitation (2018-2020) in the lower Mekong River Basin shows a completely different pattern compared to the past (2008-2017). The drought in the Mekong River Basin that began in
 2019 reached a severe level, recording the lowest water level in 100 years.

 

<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false">
 <figure style="margin: auto;">
 <img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/finding-the-cause-a~/en-Status-of-dam-and-reservoir-production-in-the-upper-Mekong-River.png" alt="" data-rotate="0"
 data-proportion="true" data-align="center" data-size="800px,auto" data-index="3" data-file-name="en-Status-of-dam-and-reservoir-production-in-the-upper-Mekong-River.png" data-file-size="0"
 data-origin="800px,auto" style="width: 800px; height: auto;">
 </figure>
</div>

<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false">
 <figure style="margin: auto;">
 <img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/finding-the-cause-a~/en-Annual-water-level-changes-after-Nuozhadu-Dam-operation.png" alt="" data-rotate="0"
 data-proportion="true" data-align="center" data-size="800px,auto" data-index="4" data-file-name="en-Annual-water-level-changes-after-Nuozhadu-Dam-operation.png" data-file-size="0"
 data-origin="800px,auto" style="width: 800px; height: auto;">
 </figure>
</div>

 

To manage water resources in the lower Mekong River Basin, the Mekong River Commission has also actively conducted research on the Nuozhadu Dam, which is located upstream and has the largest
 storage capacity among the dams in the Mekong River.

 

<blockquote class="__se__custom__vertical-blockquote">
 Conducting water resource monitoring analysis
</blockquote>

 

Nara Space also conducted water resource monitoring to assess the impact of dams constructed in the upper Mekong River on downstream areas and drought phenomena. We focused on China's 'Nuozhadu'
 Dam, with the largest reservoir capacity in the upper Mekong, and a reservoir in Vietnam, located at the lowermost part of the Mekong River. We used Sentinel-2 satellite images to detect the
 reservoir surface area of the Nuozhadu Dam in Yunnan Province, southwest China, and the reservoir in Ben Tre Province, southwest Vietnam, before (2018) and after the drought (2019-2020).

 

<blockquote class="__se__custom__normal-blockquote">
 Nuozhadu Dam, Upper Mekong River
</blockquote>

 

<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false">
 <figure style="margin: auto;">
 <img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/finding-the-cause-a~/en-Nuozhadu-Dam-Upper-Mekong-River-RGB-Satellite-image.png" alt="" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true"
 data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="," data-percentage="auto,auto" data-index="5" data-file-name="en-Nuozhadu-Dam-Upper-Mekong-River-RGB-Satellite-image.png"
 data-file-size="0" data-origin=",">
 </figure>
</div>

 

The upper Mekong River is located in Southeast Asia and is influenced by the monsoon climate. The seasons can be distinguished by the southwest monsoon, which brings warm and humid rainy seasons
 during the winter as winds blow from the continent towards the ocean, and the cool and dry seasons during the summer as the northeast monsoon blows from the ocean towards the continent.

 

<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false">
 <figure style="margin: auto;">
 <img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/finding-the-cause-a~/en-Mekong-Basin-Dry-Season-Wet-Season.png" alt="" data-rotate="0"
 data-proportion="true" data-align="center" data-size="800px,auto" data-index="6" data-file-name="en-Mekong-Basin-Dry-Season-Wet-Season.png" data-file-size="0"
 data-origin="800px,auto" style="width: 800px; height: auto;">
 </figure>
</div>

<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false">
 <figure style="margin: auto;">
 <img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/finding-the-cause-a~/en-2018-2020-Upper-Mekong_s-Nuozhadu-Dam-water-body-detection.png" alt="" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true"
 data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="," data-percentage="auto,auto" data-index="7" data-file-name="en-2018-2020-Upper-Mekong_s-Nuozhadu-Dam-water-body-detection.png"
 data-file-size="0" data-origin=",">
 </figure>
</div>

 

When comparing the dry and wet seasons of China's Nuozhadu Dam in 2018 and 2020, there was no significant difference in the water storage. However, when comparing the dry and wet seasons
 of 2019, the water body area was noticeably reduced compared to other years, and the water storage was maintained in 2020 after the wet season of 2019.

 

<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false">
 <figure style="margin: auto;">
 <img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/finding-the-cause-a~/en-Nuozhadu-Dam-water-body-changes-Mekong-River-Upper-Basin.png" alt="" data-rotate="0"
 data-proportion="true" data-align="center" data-size="800px,auto" data-index="8" data-file-name="en-Nuozhadu-Dam-water-body-changes-Mekong-River-Upper-Basin.png" data-file-size="0"
 data-origin="800px,auto" style="width: 800px; height: auto;">
 </figure>
</div>

 

Satellite analysis revealed that the difference in water body area between dry and wet seasons in 2018 and 2019 decreased by 841%. However, the difference in water body area in
 2020 showed a similar value to before the drought in 2018, indicating that the water body area of the Nuozhadu Dam located in the upper Mekong River is being maintained.

 

<blockquote class="__se__custom__normal-blockquote">
 Lower Mekong River Basin Vietnam Reservoir
</blockquote>

 

<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false">
 <figure style="margin: auto;">
 <img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/finding-the-cause-a~/en-Lower-Mekong-River-Basin-Vietnam-Reservoir-RGB-Satellite-image.png" alt="" data-rotate=""
 data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="," data-percentage="auto,auto" data-index="9"
 data-file-name="en-Lower-Mekong-River-Basin-Vietnam-Reservoir-RGB-Satellite-image.png" data-file-size="0" data-origin=",">
 </figure>
</div>

 

In order to compare the water surface areas before and after the drought, water detection was carried out on the Ben Tre Reservoir in the lower Mekong River Basin of Vietnam..

 

<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false">
 <figure style="margin: auto;">
 <img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/finding-the-cause-a~/en-2018-2020-lower-Mekong-River-Vietnam-water-body-detection.png" alt="" data-rotate=""
 data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="," data-percentage="auto,auto" data-index="10"
 data-file-name="en-2018-2020-lower-Mekong-River-Vietnam-water-body-detection.png" data-file-size="0" data-origin=",">
 </figure>
</div>

 

Unlike the water detection results of the Nuozhadu Dam in the upper Mekong River Basin, where the difference in water surface area between the dry and wet seasons in 2019 was significant, the water
 surface area difference in the Ben Tre Reservoir of the lower Mekong River Basin showed a distinct difference in the following year, 2020.

 

<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false">
 <figure style="margin: auto;">
 <img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/finding-the-cause-a~/en-Mekong-River-Lower-Basin-Vietnam-water-body-changes.png" alt="" data-rotate="0"
 data-proportion="true" data-align="center" data-size="800px,auto" data-index="11" data-file-name="en-Mekong-River-Lower-Basin-Vietnam-water-body-changes.png" data-file-size="0"
 data-origin="800px,auto" style="width: 800px; height: auto;">
 </figure>
</div>

 

The Ben Tre Reservoir in the lower Mekong River Basin of Vietnam showed an increase in wet season water area compared to the dry season in 2018, but since 2019, more water has been observed during
 the wet season. In 2020, which was hit by severe drought to the extent of issuing a drought warning, there was a significant difference in water area between dry and wet seasons, and despite being
 in the wet season, the reservoir was observed to be dried up.

 

<blockquote class="__se__custom__normal-blockquote">
 Comparison of water body detection between 2018 and 2020
</blockquote>

 

<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false">
 <figure style="margin: auto;">
 <img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/finding-the-cause-a~/en-2018-2020-Water-area-difference-of-Nujadu-Dam-Vietnam-Reservoir.png" alt="" data-rotate="0"
 data-proportion="true" data-align="center" data-size="800px,auto" data-index="12" data-file-name="en-2018-2020-Water-area-difference-of-Nujadu-Dam-Vietnam-Reservoir.png" data-file-size="0"
 data-origin="800px,auto" style="width: 800px; height: auto;">
 </figure>
</div>

 

<ul>
 <li>Comparison of water detection between dry and wet seasons (2018-2020)</li>
</ul>

The analysis of the upper and lower Mekong River during the same period showed that it is difficult to determine whether the construction of the upper dam is the cause of the decrease in water
 surface area in the lower reservoir, as both showed a decrease in water surface area since the 2019 drought. However, considering the significant decrease in the water surface area of the lower
 reservoir compared to the upper dam in 2020, the influence of dam construction cannot be completely excluded.

 

 One limitation of this analysis is that only the lower reservoir of Ben Tre was examined based on the storage capacity of the largest Nuozhadu dam among numerous dams in the Mekong River basin. As
 there are various factors that can affect the water level of the Mekong River, which spans about 4,900km, it is difficult to clearly identify the cause of the drought phenomenon. However, it is
 expected that the numerous dams to be built in the future will certainly have an impact on the decreasing water level in the lower Mekong River.

 

 Through water surface area analysis like this, various water resource problems that were not previously solvable can be resolved, and this is another example of how satellite images can be used as a
 problem-solving tool. If quick decision-making is necessary in rapidly changing environment, meet Nara Space's satellite data utilization solutions.

Finding the Cause and Sustainable Solutions for the Mekong River Drought Phenomenon Through Satellite Analysis

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