Chapter 05 of 5
A Rhythm Under Siege
How distant upstream dams threaten the heartbeat of the lower Mekong.
- The Disruption
A Cycle in Peril
For millennia, the Tonle Sap’s pulse was governed by nature. Today, human engineering hundreds of miles away is rewriting that rhythm.
- Upstream Influence
The Hydropower Boom
China and Laos have constructed massive hydroelectric dams along the upper Mekong. These structures trap water that once fueled the flood pulse.
- Mechanism
Flattening the Curve
Dams release water during the dry season and hold it during the monsoon. This artificial regulation prevents the Mekong from reaching the volume needed to reverse the river.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
How do upstream hydroelectric dams primarily disrupt the Tonle Sap's river reversal?
💧 Where the Rivers Flow Backward
- 01The Great ReversalWitness the Mekong's massive monsoon pulse force a river to flow backward.
- 02The Pulsing LakeA liquid map that expands fivefold, swallowing forests and plains.
- 03Life on the VerticalHow 10-meter stilts and buoyant foundations define Cambodian architecture.
- 04The Flooded ForestNavigating a submerged jungle that feeds a nation through rich biodiversity.
- 05A Rhythm Under SiegeHow distant upstream dams threaten the heartbeat of the lower Mekong.