Groundwater Shared by Countries is a Knowledge Void

The Mekong River Delta is under immense pressure. Upstream, a cascade of dams in China trap water and silt, the building blocks of delta life. Downstream, demand for irrigation water is rising in the world’s rice bowl.

A tough task for any country, managing the delta’s water problems come with an extra degree of difficulty for Cambodia and Vietnam — water use in one country influences water availability in the other.

The ties between the two countries, however, are not solely about surface water. The Mekong Delta sits atop a groundwater system that cross the political border. Pump too much here and water levels drop way over there, where the national flag is of a different stripe and color. The Mekong River declines too, because the aquifer is an underground drip feed to the river.

http://www.circleofblue.org/2016/groundwater/groundwater-shared-countries-knowledge-void/

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