Category: Asia Noise News

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Asia Noise News

Living with noise pollution: Serangoon, Bukit Timah and Clementi among the noisiest neighbourhoods in Singapore

Living with noise pollution: Serangoon, Bukit Timah and Clementi among the noisiest neighbourhoods in Singapore

For the past three decades, Mr K.C. Tang, 72, and his wife have been communicating by shouting at each other.

Even then, the couple can barely make out what each other is saying, due to the unceasing cacophony of horns, sirens and revving engines from the Central Expressway (CTE) around 40m away from their three-room flat at Block 115, Potong Pasir Avenue 1.

Said Mr Tang, a retiree, with a sigh: “We have grown used to this.”

Over in Yew Tee and Choa Chu Kang, where MRT tracks are within spitting distance from some Housing Board blocks, residents say that they, too, have become accustomed to living with noise.

Choa Chu Kang resident Nadia Begum, 29, whose home is some 30m away from a stretch of MRT track where a train rattles past every few minutes, said: “Closing all the windows is not sufficient. We have to use pillows over our heads to muffle the noises at night.”

Mr Tang and Ms Begum are among the tens of thousands living next to busy roads, MRT tracks, construction sites and shopping malls around Singapore, who are coping with din just outside their homes.

A new study from the National University of Singapore (NUS) found that Singapore’s average outdoor sound level throughout the day is 69.4 decibels, which is equivalent to the noise made by a vacuum cleaner.

This exceeds the National Environmental Agency’s recommendation of no more than 67 decibels averaged over an hour, and is a whisker shy of the World Health Organisation threshold of 70 decibels a day. Consistent exposure to that level can cause hearing impairment.

The study – led by NUS graduate student Diong Huey Ting and Professor William Hal Martin, who heads the university’s masters in audiology programme – took 18,768 outdoor sound measurements between last December and February to determine how noisy Singapore is. Worryingly, around 27 per cent of the gathered data exceeded 70 decibels, said Ms Diong.

The study also identified the noisiest places in Singapore. Serangoon tops the list of planning zones, with an average of 73.1 decibels from more than 100 noise readings.

Said Ms Diong, 27: “In densely populated Singapore, common amenities like shopping malls, hawker centres and playgrounds all contribute to community noise, on top of that created by traffic.”

Noise pollution is inevitable in big bustling cities around the world and Singapore is experiencing it too.

While there are no comparative studies, anecdotally, the city has become noisier over the years as it continues to develop – with more expressways, longer MRT lines and the cycle of construction and demolition playing out over and over again.

This is on top of new trends like the growing popularity of integrated mixed-use developments, with retail spaces, offices, transport hubs and homes in the same complex.

This worries Mr Spencer Tan, 30, of noise monitoring firm Dropnoise. “Even those who live on the higher floors will not be spared since sound travels upwards.”

To try to mitigate against noise pollution, the Government has put in place several measures, including tighter enforcement of construction sites and urban planning regulations. Several solutions are still undergoing trials and may be rolled out in the coming years.

But some are concerned that these measures may not be able to keep pace with a growing nation.

Mr Tang’s home became noisier when the CTE was widened from a three-lane to a four-lane dual carriageway in 2012 to accommodate more traffic. Said Mr Tang in Mandarin: “We complained then, but nothing much can be done about it since it is impossible to fight progress.”

Dropnoise, which produces noise reports for residents and condominium managements, has seen business boom since it started the monitoring service last year.

Mr Tan gets more than three inquiries from frustrated residents to attend to every week. Its reports can be used in court action against noisy neighbours, or submitted to regulatory bodies as proof of noise pollution.

Within Mr Tang’s home, for example, Dropnoise, using a sensitive sound meter, recorded an average of 66.6 decibels over a five- minute period.

“This means that the resident is hearing a constant background noise equivalent to a loud conversation. He will have to speak louder if he wants to be heard,” said Mr Tan.

Since the problem of noise pollution is here to stay, doctors said residents should be more aware of ways to protect their hearing. These include the use of hearing protection, such as ear plugs and ear muffs, as a temporary solution, said the head of Singapore General Hospital’s (SGH’s) otolaryngology department, Dr Barrie Tan.

Dr Low Wong Kein, senior ear specialist at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, said besides hearing impairment, constant exposure to loud noises can cause health problems such as hypertension and heart disease.

Psychologist Nishta Geetha Thevaraja from the SGH department of psychiatry said personal and work relationships can be affected by irritability and anger issues brought about by noise pollution. Those who have become accustomed to loud noises are “usually unaware of these implicit effects noise pollution has on their lives”, she added.

NO SOUND OF SILENCE

World Health Organisation guidelines say 70 decibels is the sound level which – if someone is exposed to it consistently for a full day – can lead to hearing impairment. Here’s how Singapore and other cities stack up.

SINGAPORE

The mean noise level is 69.4 decibels, according to an NUS study. It is averaged from more than 18,000 sound readings taken over a 2½-month period.

NEW YORK CITY

Noise generally hovers around 70 decibels on the streets of Manhattan, according to measurements taken by magazine NYMag.

TAINAN

A 2009 traffic noise study conducted in Taiwan’s Tainan city in 2009 found that 90 per cent of the population was exposed to more than an average of 62 decibels during peak hours.

HONG KONG

In one of Asia’s busiest financial hubs, 13.6 per cent of the population is exposed to a noise level of above 70 decibels, according to the government’s Environmental Protection Department.

SHANGHAI

Road noise on Shanghai’s streets hits an average of 71.9 decibels during the day and drops to 65.9 decibels at night, according to newspaper Shanghai Daily.

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Train Passes Through An Apartment Building In Chongqing China

Train Passes Through An Apartment Building In Chongqing China

 

People who will see it for the first time might actually think that there was some sort of a collision between a train and a building: the light railway train in China called the Chongqing Rail Transit No.2 literally travels inside a residential building in the city of Chongqing.

This special railway station was strategically constructed into the sixth to eighth floors of the 19-story block of residential flats in southwest China’s Chongqing. Chongqing Rail Transit No.2 goes through the hole at the center of the building where the residents can directly hop on the train in their own Liziba station.

According to the Telegraph, the idea of Chongqing Rail Transit No.2’s route in the said residential tower has been built in response to space issues due to increasing number of skyscrapers along Chongqing which thereafter obstructs the construction of railway systems. At present, Chongqing is the largest municipality in China with over 49 million residents. It is located in southwest China and is one of the country’s five central cities.

An interview by China News to one of the residents in the ninth floor of the residential building confirmed that from the beginning of the operations of Chongqing Rail Transit No.2, residents have never experienced any noise nuisance and complaints. As a matter of fact, the resident furthered that the noise generated by the large vehicles on street are actually louder compared to the noise made by Chongqing Rail Transit No.2.

Ye Tianyi, Design Lead of the station, explained that the support structures of the building are alienated by about 20 centimetres from the pillars of the rail. Therefore, the building does not feel the intensity of the vibrations coming from the train.

“It isn’t really noise and doesn’t hurt the ears,” the resident said. Chongqing Rail Transit No.2. only produces 75.8 decibels of sound because the train usually runs on rubber tires with air suspension on them, making it one of the quietest rail lines in the world.

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Pink noise’ may improve memory, sleep in elderly

Washington, March 12

Gentle sound stimulation such as the rush of a waterfall synchronised to the rhythm of brain waves – also known as pink noise – may significantly enhance deep sleep in older adults and improve their ability to recall words, a new study has found.Deep sleep is critical for memory consolidation.

However, beginning in middle age, deep sleep decreases substantially, which scientists believe contributes to memory loss in ageing.The sound stimulation significantly enhanced deep sleep in participants and their scores on a memory test.”This is an innovative, simple and safe non-medication approach that may help improve brain health,” said Phyllis Zee, professor at Northwestern University in the US.”This is a potential tool for enhancing memory in older populations and attenuating normal age-related memory decline,” said Zee.In the study, 13 participants received one night of acoustic stimulation and one night of sham stimulation.The sham stimulation procedure was identical to the acoustic one, but participants did not hear any noise during sleep. For both sessions, the individuals took a memory test at night and again the next morning.Recall ability after the sham stimulation generally improved on the morning test by a few percent. However, the average improvement was three times larger after pink-noise stimulation.

The degree of slow wave sleep enhancement was related to the degree of memory improvement, suggesting slow wave sleep remains important for memory, even in old age.Although the scientists have not yet studied the effect of repeated nights of stimulation, this method could be a viable intervention for longer-term use in the home, Zee said.Previous research showed acoustic simulation played during deep sleep could improve memory consolidation in young people.But it has not been tested in older adults.The new study targeted older individuals – who have much more to gain memory-wise from enhanced deep sleep – and used a novel sound system that increased the effectiveness of the sound stimulation in older populations.

The study used a new approach, which reads an individual’s brain waves in real time and locks in the gentle sound stimulation during a precise moment of neuron communication during deep sleep, which varies for each person.During deep sleep, each brain wave or oscillation slows to about one per second compared to 10 oscillations per second during wakefulness.Giovanni Santostasi, a study coauthor, developed an algorithm that delivers the sound during the rising portion of slow wave oscillations. This stimulation enhances synchronisation of the neurons’ activity.After the sound stimulation, the older participants’ slow waves increased during sleep.The study was published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. — PTI

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Big Ben’s bong noise mapped for the first time

The physics behind the unmistakable sound of one of Britain’s most iconic landmarks is revealed in new study from the University of Leicester.

The famous chime of Britain’s most famous bell is one of the most unmistakable sounds of our culture. But until now, the physics behind its iconic ring has been a mystery.

A team from the Advanced Structural Dynamics Centre at the University of Leicester have now had a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a sound map of Big Ben. They wanted to measure the distinct vibrations of different regions on the surface of the bell as it rang, which all contribute to a unique sound that no other bell can create.

The technique they used, called ‘laser Doppler vibrometry’, pointed hundreds of lasers at the bell, and measured how much the light beams were disrupted by vibrations at different points. “Many of the vibrations in the metal of Big Ben are too tiny to be seen by the naked eye,” says Martin Cockrill, from the Department of Engineering at the University of Leicester. “But this is what we were able to map using the lasers…we (got) over 500 measurements across the surface, which just wouldn’t have been possible with previous technologies”.

The vibration patterns of Big Ben © University of Leicester

The cutting-edge method ensured that the map could be created without damaging the bell. “You cannot just glue sensors to a national treasure such as Big Ben. Our ability to do the whole thing without touching the bell was key to the whole project”, adds Martin.

But the experiment didn’t come without hardships. Setting up the technology at the top of Big Ben’s home, the Elizabeth Tower (often mistakenly called Big Ben itself), was no mean feat. “One of the most challenging parts of the job was carrying all of our equipment up the 334 seps of the spiral staircase to the belfry. Then to get everything set up before the first chime, we were literally working against the clock”.

In the end, the team managed to make an intricately detailed 3D map of the Big Ben, which clearly shows different frequencies of vibrations, or vibrational modes, at different regions of the bell. The distinct patterns of the vibrations all contribute to producing Big Ben’s iconic peal.


© BBC

The project is now the subject of a documentary called Sound Waves: The Symphony of Physics, presented by BBC Focus magazine columnist Helen Czerski. You can catch it nowon BBC iPlayer.

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City noise pollution linked to hearing loss: study

Urban noise pollution and hearing loss are closely linked, according to rankings of 50 large cities in both categories released on Friday.

High-decibel urban areas — such as Guangzhou, New Delhi, Cairo and Istanbul — topped the list of cities where hearing was most degraded, researchers reported.

Likewise, cities least afflicted by noise pollution — including Zurich, Vienna, Oslo and Munich — registered the lowest levels of decline in hearing.

This statistical link does not necessarily mean the constant din of city life is the main driver of hearing loss, which can also be caused by infections, genetic disorders, premature birth, and even some medicines.

The findings are also preliminary, and have yet to be submitted for peer-reviewed publication.

“But this is a robust result,” said Henrik Matthies, managing director of Mimi Hearing Technologies, a German company that has amassed data on 200,000 people drawn from a hearing test administered via cell phones.

“The fact that noise pollution and hearing loss have such a tight correlation points to an intricate relationship,” he told AFP.

Researchers at Mimi and Charite University Hospital in Berlin explored the link by constructing two separate databases.

The first combined information from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Norwegian-based technology research group SINTEF to create a noise pollution ranking for cities around the world.

Stockholm, Seoul, Amsterdam and Stuttgart were also among the least likely to assault one’s ears, while Shanghai, Hong Kong and Barcelona came out as big noise makers.

Paris — one of the most densely populated major cities in Europe — scored as the third most cacophonous.

The ranking for hearing loss drew from Mimi’s phone-based test, in which respondents indicated age and sex. Geo-location technology pinpointed the cities.

‘Silent epidemic’

The results were measured against a standard for age-adjusted hearing.

On average, people in the loudest cities were ten years “older” — in terms of hearing loss — than those in the quietest cities, the study found.

Stacked side-by-side, the two city rankings are remarkably similar, suggesting more than an incidental link.

The findings highlight the need for better monitoring, the researchers said.

“While eye and sight checks are routine, ear and hearing exams are not,” said Manfred Gross, head of the department of Audiology and Phoniatrics at Charite University Hospital.

“The earlier hearing loss is detected, the better the chances are for preventing further damage.”

Collaborations between scientists and private companies that collect health-related information from consumers are becoming more common in the era of Big Data.

California-based DNA genetic testing company 23andMe, for example, has worked extensively with university researchers to ferret out rare genetic disorders by combing through mountains of anonymous data from its clients.

Also on Friday, World Hearing Day, the WHO released figures showing annual costs of unaddressed hearing loss of between US$750 billion and US$790 billion globally.

Direct health care costs were calculated to be up to US$107 billion, with loss of productivity due to unemployment or early retirement about the same.

“Societal costs” — stemming from social isolation, inability to communicate and stigma — were estimated at more than US$500 billion.

In a recent editorial, the medical journal The Lancet said hearing loss is a “silent epidemic,”noting that proper care remains out of reach for millions of people.

Mimi Hearing Technologies develops music applications that adjust to the individual hearing deficiencies of listeners.

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Upgrade to Hong Kong’s tram tracks is music to the ears of residents

Hong Kong’s double-decker trams will tiptoe through busy neighbourhoods and spare residents the usual screeching when upgrades to the tracks are completed over the next three years.

Affectionately nicknamed “ding dings” by locals for their bell sound, the trams generate a less desirable noise when they negotiate sharp bends or junctions.

Operator Hong Kong Tramways said work was now under way to replace the noisiest sections of the tracks with a design that was 16 decibels quieter.

“Don’t underestimate this number – for every two decibels we reduce, it translates to a 50 per cent noise reduction to the human ear,” senior engineering manager Steven Chan Si-yiu said.

The new design, featuring a rubber coating made up of recycled tyres, was successfully tested along a 100-metre stretch near the Shau Kei Wan terminus in 2016.

“Some residents nearby asked if services had been suspended because they could not hear the trams pass through anymore,” Chan said.

Additional benefits over the traditional concrete-lined tracks include better durability and shortened repaving time. But the upgrades come at a hefty price – each metre can cost up to HK$18,000, 40 per cent more than the current method.

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying offered a much-needed financial boost in his policy address on Wednesday, promising subsidies to cover 2.4km of track.

Managing director Emmanuel Vivant estimated this grant would help them save HK$20 million. He revealed that four 90-degree bends around the Kennedy Town loop would be the first section to be upgraded, with other busy junctions in the pipeline.

In a separate development, the operator confirmed that more 10 air-conditioned trams would join the fleet next year after a pilot scheme last summer received overwhelmingly positive feedback.

A “cooler tram” has been in operation since June, picking up around 300,000 passengers and receiving a 98 per cent satisfaction rate.

The goal is to retrofit air-conditioning systems into 30 to 40 trams, subject to government approval as well as the capacity of the electricity grid.

The fares would be “different” from normal trams, but the management would not reveal details at this stage.Source

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Road Noise: rolling noise

A noisy cabin can be irritating, especially if you want some peace and quiet after a stressful day at work. There are many reasons why they happen, but surprisingly, one of the most common culprits is your tires. Generally, when your moving tire’s rubber meets head-on with the road’s surface, it creates friction and noise that transfer inside your car.

Types of Tire Noise

There are many kinds of tire noise. These sounds may be caused by:

  • Tire tread in contact with the road.
  • Air getting compressed inside the tread grooves.
  • Air chamber inside the tire that causes a low-frequency hum when tires roll.

You can significantly lessen the level of road noise inside your car by choosing the right tire. Make sure to look for the following factors:

Tire’s Weight and Speed

You probably already know that different tires cater to different speed and weight limits.

What the car aspect ratio numbers and letters mean
@http://www.michelin.com.ph

You can see this in a car’s aspect ratio, which basically says that the higher load your tire can handle, the noisier it will be because they’re harder and stronger. Similarly, the faster speed your tire can handle, the more noise it’s going to generate.

Load index and speed rating tire chart
@http://www.michelin.com.ph

Tire’s Wheel Size

The size of the wheel matters. This is because the thicker the height of a tire’s rubber that rolls on the road, the noisier it gets. So an 18-inch tire is quieter on the road compared to a 20-inch tire.

Tire’s Width

The narrower your tire’s width, the quieter it is because there’s only a small portion of rubber that comes in contact with the road.

Tread Design (Pitch Pattern)

Believe it or not, even the grooves in your tire–or tread style–can create different noise levels. Short, repetitive tread pitch patterns like the lug or block type patterns can create a “whining” sound, while those with rib tread patterns are often the quietest. Those with variations, such as the rib-lug lug tread patterns, stand in the middle when it comes to noise levels.

Tread pitch patterns
@https://www.huntertires.com

Tread Rubber

Tires perform better depending on how they’re made. When you match them to the right specifications, you’ll find that they don’t generate too much noise.

For instance, tread rubber (or compound) determines how much traction can be made on the road when it’s wet. The softer tread rubber gives the car a tighter grip during slippery conditions. It also helps create more heat in the tire, making it stick better on the surface. When used for this purpose, there is less noise generated, since the tires are working efficiently.

Materials (Road and Tires)

The road’s surface can also affect noise, especially when taken together with your tire’s composition. Rough roads that come in contact with tires will generate more noise compared to those with smoother surfaces.

On the other hand, softer rubber compositions are quieter, while the harder ones can generate more noise. Nevertheless, it’s important to consider your needs and priorities first. Yes, the softer ones can lessen road noise, but you might spend a lot on fuel each month if you drive huge distances or drive on bumpy roads daily. In this case, you should choose which matters to you more: saving money or a quieter, more comfortable ride.

Tire Pressure

Tire pressure matters.  Over- or under- inflated tires will greatly diminish your tire’s efficiency, even if you’re using the right tread rubber and tire pattern. For instance, the level of noise that goes inside your cabin may be louder if your tire’s under-inflated. Not only is this bad for your tire, but it can also waste a lot of fuel in the process.

Kinds of tire pressure
@https://www.baileygreer.com

Choosing the right tires is often a trial-and-error process, and it may take a bit of time to find out what works best for you. The good news is there are many tires to choose from these days, and technology has manufactured innovative ones that create less noise than the traditional tires. They’re certainly worth every penny, if peace and comfort are what you’re looking for in a vehicle.

Source link Carmundi

 

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Asia Noise News

25% of Chinese cities struggle with noise pollution

(ECNS)–A silent night is a luxury for 25 percent of Chinese cities, according to a report by China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection.

Among 308 Chinese cities that measured noise levels last year, about 92 percent were within limits during the daytime, but 74 percent were too loud at night, the report said.

Provincial capitals had better readings than lower level cities, according to the report.

A women surnamed Zhang from Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, has long been bothered by the food market below her window.

“The noise usually lasts from around 8 p.m. till 2 a.m. the next day. Every night I can barely sleep,” said Zhang.

The report said the ministry received some 354,000 complaints about noise nationwide last year, accounting for 35 percent of all pollution complaints -falling only behind air pollution.

Among the complaints about noise, half concerned construction work, 30 percent were related to social and commercial activities, 16.9 percent came from industrial production and 12 percent from transportation.

Experts at the Shandong Academy of Environmental Sciences said noises measuring 40 to 50 db are enough to break deep sleep. Long-term exposure to noises over 60 db can affect hearing and may lead to deafness.

Noise and poor sleep can also aggravate tinnitus and heart problems, the experts added.

In 2015, China published nine national and local standards for noise control. Local governments also rolled out eight related laws and regulations to tackle the problem.

Gan Hui, an associate professor at Fujian Normal University, said noise pollution is usually overlooked because it is invisible.

Cheng Mingkun, a researcher from the Institute of Acoustics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the ambiguity of regulatory responsibility contributes to the weak effort to control noise pollution.

He added that government departments should clarify their liabilities and step up coordination to tackle the problem.

Other experts suggested measures such as better city planning and severe punishments for violators.

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Quiet Thailand Loud music banned on Phu Thap Boek, offender fined

Quiet Thailand Loud music banned on Phu Thap Boek, offender fined

PHETCHABUN – Holidaymakers visiting popular Phu Thap Boek in Lom Kao district have been warned not to make a loud noise after 10pm or they will be asked to leave the scenic mountain.

The announcement of the restriction came as a 38-year-old man who played loud music while holidaying on Phu Thap Boek reported to police in Phetchabun on Thursday. Thaen Jai-eua, of Suphan Buri’s Song Phi Nong district, was charged with causing a public nuisance and fined 1,000 baht, reduced to 500 baht because he confessed. Deputy Phetchabun governor Kaisorn Kongcha-lard had  ordered district authorities to take action after a video clip of the partying tourist went viral on social media.

Mr Taen told police on Thursday he worked as a system installer at a car audio shop in Phitsanulok and had been at Phu Thap Boek for the first time. He admitted he was impetuous in playing music so loudly on his  car stereo system at 9pm, and again in the morning.

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cambodian-villagers-say-dam-construction-is-forcing-endangered-dolphins-upstream-due-to-noise-from-the-dam-construction-site

Cambodian villagers are worried that the few remaining Irrawaddy dolphins in a pool in the Mekong River could die off as they are forced to migrate upstream into Laos to escape disturbances caused by the construction of a massive hydropower dam project, local residents and activists said Thursday.

Only three endangered Irrawaddy dolphins, also known as Mekong River dolphins, are now left in the Cheuteal transboundary pool between southern Laos and northern Cambodia’s Stung Treng province, whereas eight were in the area in 2010.

Members of the Preah Rumkel ecotourism community in the province’s Thalaborivat district said Irrawaddy dolphins have been moving two miles upstream into Laotian waters because of noise from explosions at the construction of the 260-megawatt Don Sahong Dam along the Mekong River in southern Laos, less than a mile from the Cambodian border.

The small Mekong River village of Preah Rumkel was set up in 2007 with assistance from an environmental NGO as a community-based ecotourism site to support the local community and improve residents’ livelihoods. Community members manage the tourism site themselves. The half-completed dam lies about one kilometer (0.6 mile) away from the community.

Besides the noise from the dam construction site, the chemicals discarded into the river by construction workers have also forced the dolphins upstream, said Phay Vanna, a member of the Preah Rumkel ecotourism community.

He said he wants the Cambodian government to hold Laos, which is building the dam, accountable.

“I would like the prime minister and civil society organizations to send some experts to conduct additional feasibility studies to hold Laos accountable for the impact caused by the dam’s construction,” he said. “I am a community member. I have witnessed the real impact.”

Gone for good?

Residents are also concerned that their incomes will fall as fewer tourists visit the area when the dolphins are gone for good.

Once in Laotian waters, the Irrawaddy dolphins may succumb to gill nets—vertical panels of nets lined up across a river to catch fish—whose use is not prohibited in Laotian waters as it is in Cambodian ones.

Switzerland-based World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) says use of the nets is one of the main reasons for the decline in the population of Irrawaddy dolphins, which become entangled in the nets and drown.

The organization wants gill nets banned from a two-kilometer (1.2-mile) radius around the Cheuteal Pool, where they are currently in use, and increased enforcement against fisherman who violate the ban.

Huoth Seng, a Preah Rumkel villager, said he is not happy with recent remarks by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen regarding his approval of the Don Sahong Dam.

On Nov 23, during a meeting in Siem Reap with leaders from Laos and Vietnam about development in the Golden Triangle area, Hun Sen said feasibility studies had been conducted and that the dam project would have no impact in terms of lack of water or fish migrations.

But the dam construction is affecting several thousand families who rely on selling souvenirs, accessories, and food to tourists who come to see the dolphins, he said.

“I didn’t see any transnational studies or research on the impact of the dam project,” he told RFA’s Khmer Service. “What I have seen is that the project is implemented. Now that the communities have been impacted, I wonder who will be held accountable.”

irrawaddy dolphin scared from noise of dam construction site cambodia
irrawaddy dolphin scared from noise of dam construction site cambodia

‘We don’t agree with him’

Civil society groups also accuse the prime minister of turning a blind eye to other issues related to the dam’s construction that are affecting thousands of people in the area.

Ek Chamroeun, coordinator of the Fisheries Action Coalition Team (FACT), a group of NGOs that advocate for fisheries issues and monitor policy reforms, said the dam project has also been a disaster for food security.

“Though Hun Sen said there is no impact, we don’t agree with him,” he said. “We are concerned because we see the real impact on the communities regarding the dam project.”

According to WWF, the Irrawaddy dolphin population has dropped by 50 percent this year in Cambodia, and the large aquatic mammals are functionally extinct in Laos with too few potential breeding pairs available to ensure the population’s survival.

About 80 Irrawaddy dolphins remain in the Mekong River in Cambodia.

Reported by Sothy Men for RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

Source: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/cambodia-villagers-say-dam-construction-is-forcing-endangered-dolphins-upstream-12082016162753.html

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