By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-01-13 01:07:52 | Updated at 2025-01-13 03:48:02
2 hours ago
A Chinese-backed canal in Cambodia is likely to put “fragile” ecosystems at risk, researchers in China and Britain have warned, calling for better mitigation efforts.
The Funan Techo canal, a 180km (112-mile) project to link the Mekong River to the Gulf of Thailand, is a flagship project expected to reduce Cambodia’s transport dependence on Vietnam.
However, according to recent correspondence in the journal Nature, the canal’s passage through various habitats crucial to biodiversity will cause ecological harm and could impact agriculture.
“There are not only concerns about the ecological effects of the canal on the region’s diverse and fragile ecosystems, but also underexplored opportunities for mitigation,” the authors said.
The study was led by Yang Hong, a professor in geography and environmental science at the University of Reading in Britain.
Yang’s co-authors included researchers from the Hubei University of Technology in China, as well as from University College London and British-headquartered charity Wildfowl and Wetland Trust.
