Mekong River

This study aims at exploring the impact of water flows on rice cultivation and fisheries in Cambodia which will be used as an example of how three critical issues- feeding people, generating energy and maintaining functioning ecosystems — can be addressed thoughtfully and progressively in the developing world.

The team will study the relationship between river flows and fish catch, based on which an algorithm will be developed that will increase fish harvests and still generate power. The study suggest that the proposed solution will allow dam operators to generate power in ways that also protect — and possibly improve — food supplies and businesses throughout the Mekong river basin. The proposed solution, the first of its kind, can then be applied to other large river systems around the world facing similar trade-offs.

It is an interdisciplinary project that brings together experts from fisheries, forestry, engineering, nutrition, and epidemiology.