The Salween River, at around 3,300 kilometers, or 2,000 miles, is Asia’s longest free-flowing river, running from Tibet through Myanmar to the Andaman Sea. But Indigenous groups and communities living along its banks in China, Myanmar and Thailand say they fear hydropower development might cause the river to suffer the same fate as the Mekong River, Mongabay’s Gerald Flynn reported in June. “If we compare our rivers, the Mekong is dead already because of so many dams that have strangled the river,” renowned Thai environmentalist and Goldman Prize winner Niwat Roykaew was quoted saying in March to residents of Sob Moei village in northeastern Thailand. “I feel good that there are no dams on the Salween River yet, but I came here today to share the grief and sadness of the Mekong River — so don’t let them build dams on this river.” Sob Moei is among the communities that would be affected by the planned hydropower projects. The Hatgyi Dam, proposed to be built 47 km (29 mi) south of the village, prompted villagers and other concerned groups to protest in the past, although the military coup in neighboring Myanmar seems to have delayed construction of the dam, Flynn reported. The Salween is home to more than 200 fish species, a quarter of them endemic to the river. As it irrigates farmland, the Salween is crucial for food security, livelihoods and drinking water for many Indigenous communities across the three countries. “We get our food from the river, so if the Salween…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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