PHNOM PENH: The Mekong River Commission (MRC) has called on the six countries along the Mekong River to pay attention to the issue of the river, as this will affect the lives of people and ecosystems along the river through these countries.

For three consecutive years, the Mekong River Commission has said that the problem of low water flow or lack of water, irregular water level, shallow river and drought have occurred along the Mekong River and has called on China and Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam to take urgent measures to resolve these crises.

The MRC's remarks come after the release of a 100-page report noting that in the last three years, from 2019 to 2021, the Mekong River's water flow has dropped significantly by 2020 considered as the driest year ever in more than six decades.

According to the report, these issues will affect the livelihoods of people who depend on fishing and agriculture, as well as the Mekong River ecosystem.

The Executive Director of the Mekong River Commission, An OPich Hatta has said that the Mekong River water crisis will have a serious impact on fisheries and agriculture, affecting the livelihoods of people who depend on those livelihoods, as well as threatening the river's ecosystem even more.

He has added that this cooperation is not only with the participation of China, but also with the member countries of the Mekong River Commission.

Hatta has suggested that the six Mekong countries make a joint notification on water status and coordinate the management of reservoirs and dams along the river. In addition, countries along the Mekong River should consider establishing more reservoirs to manage drought and flood conditions.