https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180531162304.htm

A new paper from the University of Illinois and Iowa State University urges a participatory approach for managing the Mekong River basin that engages local residents who have deep knowledge of the river. This local knowledge, combined with technical and scientific findings, is important for developing effective strategies to adapt to the changing flows and uses of the river.

"Due to years of civil wars that destroyed infrastructure and hindered modernization, only a little more than half of the Cambodian population has access to electricity. Hydropower is a critical building block for needed modernization. However, using the water resources for power presents difficult trade-offs for fishers and farmers," explains Kenneth Olson, professor emeritus in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at U of I and co-author of the article.