Site of the Day for Wednesday, September 28, 2016
The Mekong River: Stories from the Heart of the Climate Crisis
Today's site from The Guardian offers a report on the conditions along
Southeast Asia's Mekong River, describing how climate change is affecting the
lives of those who live along its course. Gentle Subscribers will find a
compelling account of the situation in the region and its prospects for the
future.
"The fate of 70 million people rests on what happens to the Mekong river. ...
John Vidal journeys down south-east Asia's vast waterway - a place that
encapsulates some of the dilemmas they must solve. He meets people struggling
to deal with the impacts of climate change as well as the ecological havoc
created by giant dams, deforestation, coastal erosion and fast-growing cities."
- from the website
Divided into six chapters, this interactive presentation is replete with
stunning and evocative photography, useful maps, along with video and audio
clips of the voices of those who live within the Mekong's embrace. Describing
the concerns of the people whose livelihoods are linked to the river in various
ways, from the rice farmers to those dependent on the forestry industry, the
story reports on the critical impact that untrammeled development is having on
the region. It chronicles political goals which seem oriented towards
short-term economic development, coupled with a tendency to downplay the
ecological fragility of the area and its vulnerability to ill-considered
industrial expansion. Within that context, the report's trenchant analysis
leans towards a pessimistic view of the future unless a new sensitivity to the
delicate environmental balance occurs.
Paddle to a noteworthy production on climate change in Southeast Asia at:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2015/nov/26/the-mekong-river-stories-from-the-heart-of-the-climate-crisis-interactive
If the above URL wraps in your e-mail client, enter it all on one line in your
browser or use this TinyURL:
http://tinyurl.com/q3x3h8x
A.M. Holm
Comments? Suggestions? amholm@xxxxxxxxxxx
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