Publications

@article{Soukhaphon2021b,
title = {The Impacts of Hydropower Dams in the Mekong River Basin: A Review},
author = {Arkarath Soukhaphon, Ian G. Baird, and Zeb S. Hogan},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/w13030265},
doi = {10.3390/w13030265},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-01-22},
journal = {Water},
volume = {13},
number = {3},
abstract = {The Mekong River, well known for its aquatic biodiversity, is important to the social, physical, and economic health of millions living in China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. This paper explores the social and environmental impacts of several Mekong basin hydropower dams and groupings of dams and the geographies of their impacts. Specifically, we examined the 3S (Sesan, Sekong Srepok) river system in northeastern Cambodia, the Central Highlands of Vietnam, and southern Laos; the Khone Falls area in southern Laos; the lower Mun River Basin in northeastern Thailand; and the upper Mekong River in Yunnan Province, China, northeastern Myanmar, northern Laos, and northern Thailand. Evidence shows that these dams and groupings of dams are affecting fish migrations, river hydrology, and sediment transfers. Such changes are negatively impacting riparian communities up to 1000 km away. Because many communities depend on the river and its resources for their food and livelihood, changes to the river have impacted, and will continue to negatively impact, food and economic security. While social and environmental impact assessments have been carried out for these projects, greater consideration of the scale and cumulative impacts of dams is necessary. },
keywords = {fisheries, hydropower, livelihoods, Mekong},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Baird2020,
title = {Opening the Gates of the Pak Mun Dam: Fish Migrations, Domestic Water Supply, Irrigation Projects and Politics},
author = {Ian G. Baird and Kanokwan Manorom and Aurore Phenow and Sirisak Gaja-Svasti},
url = {http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol13/v13issue1/568-a13-1-7, Water Alternatives journal link
http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol13/v13issue1/568-a13-1-7/file, Water Alternatives PDF link},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-02-08},
journal = {Water Alternatives},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {141-159},
abstract = {The Pak Mun Dam on the Mun River in Ubon Ratchathani Province in northeastern Thailand has long been one of the most controversial hydropower projects in Southeast Asia. The environmental and social impacts associated with blocking important fish migrations between the mainstream Mekong River and the Mun River Basin are particularly well known. Fishers, non-governmental organisations and academics have advocated for opening the gates of the dam either year-round or at least for an extended period, and especially at the beginning of the rainy season when a large number of fish migrate upstream. Crucially, however, the dam's gates are not always opened at the beginning of the rainy season as required by previous agreements. Water management issues associated with opening the Pak Mun Dam have become increasingly complex and fraught because of additional challenges relating to the construction of new infrastructure such as irrigation dams on tributaries, and because of an increasing demand for piped domestic water to supply urban dwellers in Ubon Ratchathani City. In this paper, we adopt a political ecology approach to examine the present economic, ecological and political circumstances associated with the management of the Pak Mun Dam, including the trade-offs associated with different possible management decisions.},
keywords = {fish migration, fisheries, hydropower dams, infrastructure, Pak Mun, Thailand},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Baird2019,
title = {What about the tributaries of the tributaries? Fish migrations, fisheries, dams and fishers’ knowledge in North-Eastern Thailand},
author = {Ian G. Baird and Kanokwan Manorom and Aurore Phenow and Sirasak Gaja-Svasti},
doi = {10.1080/07900627.2019.1611549},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-05-28},
journal = {International Journal of Water Resources Development},
volume = {36},
number = {1},
pages = {170-199},
abstract = {The Pak Mun dam is among the most controversial hydropower projects in Thailand. However, the dam’s impacts on upriver tributaries have been neglected. We engaged fishers living in three villages along the Sebok River – a major tributary of the Mun River, upstream of the Pak Mun dam – to collect fish catch data for 24 months between 2014 and 2016. Using these data and fishers’ knowledge, the negative fishery impacts of the Pak Mun dam and the Ban Ot irrigation dam on the Sebok River were assessed. Both dams have negatively impacted Sebok River fisheries for migratory species.},
keywords = {fisheries, hydropower dams, irrigation dams, Mekong, Sebok River, Thailand},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}