The Resiliency of Mekong Riverbank Gardeners Amidst Uncertainties

Just at the beginning of April – a month that is usually dry – the water flow in the Mekong River has once again spiked, flooding small riverbank farms. This unnatural river flow, linked to water releases from upstream mega dams, has altered the river’s natural balance. It has also created a massive impact on a farming practice that is highly reliant on the river’s natural flow.

The Mekong river bank farming practice, known as Khaset Rim Khong in Thai has been passed down to generations, including Samniang Srikaya, who is now 62 years old.

Srikaya learned to farm on a communal land in the Mekong Riverbank when he was just 12 years old. We meet Srikaya at the same Mekong riverbank in Song Khon Village in Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand in early December 2024. He is planting yam bean and peanuts, taking advantage of the chilly afternoon that spares him from the sun’s intense heat. The Mekong River’s water level had only recently subsided after an extended rainy season, making the land ready for planting seasonal crops, typically harvested between March to April.

Srikaya worries that the unpredictable water flow of the Mekong River will wash away the crops he just planted. As a precaution, he has prepared extra seedlings in case flooding occurs later. His fears happened in early March of the previous year, when flooding happened due to water releases from upstream Mekong dams. Fortunately, Srikaya had already harvested his crops by then. Some of his friends, however, were not fortunate.

“I harvested my yam bean produced in late March (2024), so it wasn’t affected by the rise in water shortly after,” Samniang tells us. “However, some other villagers’ gardens were damaged by the fluctuation in the Mekong”.

Unpredictable water levels are just one of the current problems small-scale farmers along the Mekong riverbank currently face.     

Sediments and nutrients support plants growth in challenging environment

Reliance on the Mekong resources is a part of life for Srikaya.

He learned how to garden on the Mekong riverbank from his parents at a young age. The knowledge and skills have been passed down to him and enriched through his own lived experience. He tells us that the Mekong riverbank gardening period usually begins during the dry season, around November each year. It is indicated by the cultural event following the end of Buddhist lent.

“In the flooding season, the riverbank would be submerged. Normally, planting yam bean starts in November or after the Buddhist lent”, Samniang recalls, reflecting from the local way of life.

For Samniang, yam bean is the main crop he grows. It is one of the common crops, along with peanuts and varieties of vegetables, that local people cultivate on the Mekong riverbank. Each year, Samniang saves stem cuttings from his farm to replant next season. 

Planting yam bean usually begins around the same time each year; however, he has noticed changes in the crop’s yield over the years. He expresses concern that the produce has declined compared to his parents’ time.

According to reports, 15 years ago, the Mekong carried 143 million tons of sediment annually from its origin in China’s Yunnan Province to Vietnam’s delta. By 2020, sediment declined by 67% with a 97% reduction projected by 20401. Reports indicate that hydropower development has disrupted sediment flow2^,3.

The reduced yield of yam bean from Samniang’s garden may be linked to declining soil quality and decreased sediment flow caused by the operation of upstream dams.

“[My] yam bean produce is less than before” Samniang tells us, as he looks over his river garden. “I am not sure what has caused this problem. Is it the quality of the yam bean itself? Eventhough I’ve planted more stems, the harvest I got was not as much as it was back in my parents’ time. Back then, we didn’t need to plant a lot of them, but the produce was abundant. The soil was fertile. The yam beans had big roots. Nowadays, their roots are smaller.”

He also mentions that the water flow and flood patterns have changed. When he was young, the water from the Mekong would reach his village every flooding season. He recalls that since around after 2521 B.E. (1978), the flood waters levels have decreased and no longer reach to his village as they used to.

“Another change that I notice is that during the flooding season, the water in the Mekong is less than before. In the past, floodwaters came naturally and reached my village. I’ve heard that dams were built in China and Laos. Nowadays, the water [level] is not as high as it used to be,” says Samniang. 

The Mekong riverbank and customary tenure

The riverbank plot where Samniang has grown his yam bean does not have a land title. It is considered a common resource by the riverine villagers of Song Khon, who practiced collective land rights through informal ownership. They manage the Mekong riverbank plots based on recognition of ancestral ownership, which is passed down to family members or shared with relatives and other villagers. This practice allows them to access and manage the Mekong riverbank area – in many cases through a reciprocal approach, where the owner may receive a share of the produce from plots they have shared with others as a compensation for allowing non-owners to use the riverbank plots for gardening.

“The area where I plant my yam bean belongs to my relatives. They have shared a plot with me. They have a big riverbank area, but they don’t have enough labor to use it,” Samniang shares with us.

He tells us that boundaries of the riverbank plots are known by villagers, who recognize which plot belongs to whom. These boundaries were originally established by the first villagers who began planting in the area during their parents’ time. Since then, the ownership of the riverbank land has been passed down to their family members.

“The riverbank area doesn’t have land title. It can be rented from the people who have been planting there before. Mostly, villagers don’t rent it out for financial return. They just allow their relatives to use it. We don’t have to pay back [with money],” says Samniang.

The traditional land tenure and land management practices along the Mekong in Song Khon Village reflect a non-monetary approach that local people use to maintain their relationships with one another. 

Threats in the “River of Life”

The Mekong is considered as a ‘river of life’ for riverine communities. Spanning 4,900 kilometers and covering a basin area of 795,000 square kilometers, the river originates on the Tibetan Plateau and flows through six countries: China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam - making it the longest river in Southeast Asia.

The Mekong’s water resources provided sources of protein from inland fishery for approximately 60 million people in its lower basin. The Mekong natural resources also include riverbank areas where riverine communities have also long practiced subsistence livelihoods through riverbank gardening.

Normally, when the water level subsides with natural seasonal cycle, sediments carried by the water during the monsoon rains are deposited along the riverbank each year. These sediments  replenish the nutrients in the soil, allowing variety of vegetables and plants to grow – often without the need for chemical fertilizer.

The Mekong flows through eight provinces of Thailand: Chiang Rai, Loei, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen, and Ubon Ratchathani. The ecology team of Heinrich Böll Stiftung Southeast Asia visited the Mekong River community in Ubon Rachathani Province in December 2024.

We learned from the local villagers about the traditional practice of riverbank gardening, the management of communal land along the Mekong, and the challenges they face in relation to development and climate change. Amidst the changes affecting their livelihoods, we also witnessed their adaptation and resilience highlighting the importance of maintaining a healthy river system and pursuing just, inclusive development for the security and sustainable future of Mekong riverine communities.

Over the past 20-30 years, hydropower development has expanded along the upper stretch of the Mekong known as Lancang in China, with the first dam built in 19934. Today, 12 dams are operational5 in that region. Additionally, two dams in the lower Mekong basin are operational in Laos, with many more projects proposed.

The operations of these dams has led to cumulative impacts on the Mekong ecosystems – one of the most affected being the river’s soil. Water level fluctuations caused by dam operations disrupt the natural flow of water and sediment, reducing the river’s ability to sustain its natural cycle replenishing riverbanks and maintaining soil fertility. In addition, sand dredging activity driven by increased demand from construction industry accelerates riverbank erosion, affecting the availability of fertile area for food production, which is a key source of livelihood and supplemental income for local communities.

Resilient living

Hydropower development on the Mekong mainstream and other activities such as sand and gravel mining, coupled with climate change has increased the uncertainty of Mekong natural resources. These changes are undermining traditional practices of riverbank land use that support subsistence and sustainable living for local communities.

Amidst these challenges, local villagers like Samniang have observed changes in the Mekong over the years. Having lived in the area for most of his life and witnessed the irregular flow and unpredictable rise of the Mekong’s water, he feels the need to always prepare for the worst when planning his riverbank gardening strategy.

“It is unpredictable when the water will rise. In some years, the water flooded the [gardening] area while in some years, the water significantly recedes. I am used to living here because it is my home. I notice when the water is rising, so that I will avoid planting too close to the riverbank. Some years, this entire riverbank area was flooded and damaged the crops. If people still have extra saplings, they can replant, once the water recedes. But if they don’t prepare for it, it means losing everything.”

For Samniang, continuing to grow crops along the Mekong riverbank is a way of life. It provides additional income apart from rice farming. He earns modestly from riverbank gardening, but it contributes to his family’s self-sufficiency and fosters a culture of reciprocity within the community.

“In the dry season, after the rice harvest, we don’t have other jobs. Apart from having produce from riverbank gardening to provide to our family’s consumption, we also sell some of it. When our relatives visit, we can also share it with them,” says Samniang.

Our conversation with Samniang, left us wondering: how far-reaching are the impacts of dams on the availability and quality of soil for planting. And in turn, how might this affect traditional non-monetary land sharing practices?

As the Mekong ecosystem changes, including the loss of fertility along the riverbank, the affects go beyond reduced crop yields. These shifts may also alter long-standing reciprocity practice, especially if the gardeners are forced to rely on purchased chemical inputs to maintain productivity. Over time, the use of chemical fertilizers could degrade common resources and environmental conditions. Ironically, this may lead to the monetization of relationships that were once rooted in mutual support and stewardship between local communities and their environment. 

Only time will tell how the fate the Mekong riverbank gardeners like Samniang will unfold - especially as many of the Mekong’s ecological changes now affecting them stem from decisions made without their involvement.