"Mekong river groups urge China to show transparency after dam report", 15 April 2020

Groups working to protect the Mekong River have called for greater transparency and cooperation from China after a report that Chinese dams held back water during a damaging drought in downstream countries ...

China has disputed the findings of the US government-funded study and said it will do its utmost to guarantee a reasonable discharge of water to the Mekong basin countries of Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The study, by research and consulting company Eyes on Earth Inc, said that according to satellite data 11 Chinese dams held back water at a time when China had higher-than-average levels …

The Mekong River Commission (MRC), …, said the study did not prove that the withholding of water caused the drought…

"China, as an MRC dialogue partner, has provided its water level and rainfall data during flood season, from only two of its stations on the upper Mekong," it said ... "The MRC has attempted to acquire dry season data from China, but no agreement has yet been reached."

… "We cannot just sit around and wait for China to say when they are releasing the water from their dams; Mekong countries need to have a say on this too," said Niwat Roykaew, an environmental activist in northern Thailand…

In Cambodia, Hok Menghoin of the NGO Forum on Cambodia said the report would at least help downstream governments to press their case in their discussions with China.

"China's actions must go well beyond periodic releases of water," said Pianporn Deetes, a Thai activist for the International Rivers pressure group…