Cambodian government gives green light to controversial canal project
The estimated 1.6 billion Euro canal is expected to be completed by 2028. It will connect Phnom Penh with the key ports in the Gulf of Thailand.
Currently, around a third of the Mekong cargo coming to and from Cambodia is handled through Vietnamese ports. Authorities aim to reduce this to about ten percent upon completion of the canal. However, the limited capacity of the waterway, which is 100 meters wide and 5.40 meters deep, has raised questions about whether this ambitious goal can be achieved.
Other uncertainties include funding and potential impacts on the Mekong's flow. Environmentalists warn of threats to the river, which is also crucial for Vietnam, from infrastructure projects, pollution, sand mining, and climate change.
The Mekong is Southeast Asia's longest river, stretching 4,350 kilometers. It is home to over a thousand fish species - up to a quarter of the world's freshwater fish catch comes from the Mekong. Additionally, the river's water is the lifeblood for nearly half of Vietnam's important rice production.
The following project, the 1.6 billion Euro canal, aims to significantly reduce the reliance on Vietnamese ports for Cambodian cargo, with authorities hoping to decrease it to about ten percent upon completion. However, concerns about funding and potential impacts on the Mekong's flow have arisen, as environmentalists warn of threats to the river due to infrastructure projects, pollution, sand mining, and climate change.
