Hydrological alterations and sediment changes caused by dams in the Mekong River Basin

ABSTRACT River streamflow and sediment data in the Mekong River Basin are not continuously measured, which limits quantitative assessments of dam impacts on hydrological processes in the lower basin. This study addresses the impact of dam construction on river discharge and sediment transport by integrating historical observed data with numerical modelling. Specifically, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model and the suspended sediment-discharge rating curves are employed to evaluate changes in river discharge and sediment caused by dams. Results indicate that the discharge at Chiang Saen increased by 73.65% in the dry season during 2012–2019 compared to the 1970–1991 period. Conversely, the analysis shows a substantial reduction (29.46%) in the wet-season discharge. The sediment loads were reduced by 68.5% at downstream stations due to heavy regulation caused by numerous dams (2012–2019). Altogether, the results highlight the need for cooperation among all transboundary stakeholders to minimize hydrological alterations and sediment reduction.

• Publication year

  2025

• Venue

  Hydrological Sciences Journal

• Publication date

  2025-04-30

• Fields of study

  Not labeled

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1080/02626667.2025.2498684
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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