That was in 2013, when many people were unable to get their livestock, boats or crops to safety. To prevent this from happening, Eyler has developed an online warning tool called Mekong Dam Monitor. “We monitor China’s available river level data and confirm that the change was caused by a dam.”
This actually seems to be making a difference. This year, the waves were all just under fifty centimeters, so Eyler reported fewer alarms. “You adapt on the upper reaches because you know that someone is watching, reporting on it and a diplomatic letter might come from Thailand.”
Eyler is not the only one keeping a close eye on the Mekong. In Chiang Khong, an elderly man sweeps the premises of the environmental organization “Mekong School” in the morning. People honorably call him Kru Thi, the teacher. His long, braided hair is graying, but his dark brown eyes are wide awake: Niwat Roykaew, founder of the organization, has been campaigning for an intact Mekong for a long time.