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Isan Drought

71 images Created 13 Apr 2010

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  • 10 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: People try to fish in the bottom of Hua Hin Sanon reservoir in Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. The 600 acre reservoir was built in 1985 and this the first year it's been empty. According to people who live here, the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZPHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange102.jpg
  • 10 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: People try to fish in the bottom of Hua Hin Sanon reservoir in Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. The reservoir is so low tree stumps left behind when it was opened are now surfacing. The 600 acre reservoir was built in 1985 and this the first year it's been empty. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange101.jpg
  • 10 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: People try to fish in the bottom of Hua Hin Sanon reservoir in Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. The reservoir is so low tree stumps left behind when it was opened are now surfacing. The 600 acre reservoir was built in 1985 and this the first year it's been empty. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange100.jpg
  • 09 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON, PHANOM, THAILAND: UDOM, a woman in her 60's, burns brush out of her land to prepare it for planting potatoes. She said this is the first year she's planted potatoes and she is doing so because of the drought gripping the region. Potatoes require less water than rice, her preferred crop. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange099.jpg
  • 09 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON, PHANOM, THAILAND: UDOM, a woman in her 60's, burns brush out of her land to prepare it for planting potatoes. She said this is the first year she's planted potatoes and she is doing so because they require less water than rice, her preferred crop. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels The Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange098.jpg
  • 09 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON, PHANOM, THAILAND: UDOM, a woman in her 60's, burns brush out of her land to prepare it for planting potatoes. She said this is the first year she's planted potatoes and she is doing so because they require less water than rice, her preferred crop. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels The Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange097.jpg
  • 09 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON, PHANOM, THAILAND: UDOM, a woman in her 60's, burns brush out of her land to prepare it for planting potatoes. She said this is the first year she's planted potatoes and she is doing so because of the drought gripping the region. Potatoes require less water than rice, her preferred crop. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange096.jpg
  • 09 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON, PHANOM, THAILAND: UDOM, a woman in her 60's, burns brush out of her land to prepare it for planting potatoes. She said this is the first year she's planted potatoes and she is doing so because of the drought gripping the region. Potatoes require less water than rice, her preferred crop. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange095.jpg
  • 09 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON, PHANOM, THAILAND: A man walks along the riverbank at the confluence of the Mekong River (LEFT) and one of its Thai tributaries, the Songkram River (RIGHT). Normally the water level comes up the bottom left corner of the photo but this year is 30 feet below that level. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange094.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: A Thai rice farmer near her paddy in Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. She said this year's rice crop was not as good as last year and that there was less rain than last year. But she said it was more troubling that some rain fell when it is normally dry and very little rain fell during the rainy season. She said she is very concerned about her livestock, which graze off the rice stalks. She said with so little rice that were few rice stalks and she is concerned her ox and buffalo could die. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange093.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: Dry earth and a dry depth gauge in the bottom of Hua Hin Sanon reservoir in Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. The 600 acre reservoir was built in 1985 and this the first year it's been empty. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange092.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: Women leave a fishing pond in Non Siivilai, Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. The pond is controlled by a nearby Buddhist temple which allows people to pay a small fee and fish in the pond one day per year. It's a fund raiser for the temple. This year the pond was less than half its normal size and the fishing catch was much smaller than normal. According to people who live here, the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange091.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: A woman leaves a fishing pond in Non Siivilai, Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. The pond is controlled by a nearby Buddhist temple which allows people to pay a small fee and fish in the pond one day per year. It's a fund raiser for the temple. This year the pond was less than half its normal size and the fishing catch was much smaller than normal. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange090.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: Women leave a fishing pond in Non Siivilai, Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. The pond is controlled by a nearby Buddhist temple which allows people to pay a small fee and fish in the pond one day per year. It's a fund raiser for the temple. This year the pond was less than half its normal size and the fishing catch was much smaller than normal. According to people who live here, the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange089.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: People fish in a pond in Non Siivilai, Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. The pond is controlled by a nearby Buddhist temple which allows people to pay a small fee and fish in the pond one day per year. It's a fund raiser for the temple. This year the pond was less than half its normal size and the fishing catch was much smaller than normal. According to people who live here, the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange088.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: People fish in a pond in Non Siivilai, Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. The pond is controlled by a nearby Buddhist temple which allows people to pay a small fee and fish in the pond one day per year. It's a fund raiser for the temple. This year the pond was less than half its normal size and the fishing catch was much smaller than normal. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange087.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: People fish in a pond in Non Siivilai, Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. The pond is controlled by a nearby Buddhist temple which allows people to pay a small fee and fish in the pond one day per year. It's a fund raiser for the temple. This year the pond was less than half its normal size and the fishing catch was much smaller than normal. According to people who live here, the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange086.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: Red Ants scramble over mango tree leaves in an ant hunter's basket. The ant hunter said the ants favor dry weather and this year has been an excellent year for the ants (which is a delicacy among the local people). But she worries that the dry weather could harm the mango trees and without the mango trees there would be no ants. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange085.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: An ant hunter walks back to her village after collecting red ants in mango trees. She said the ants favor dry weather and this year has been an excellent year for the ants (which is a delicacy among the local people). But she worries that the dry weather could harm the mango trees and without the mango trees there would be no ants. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange084.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: A nearly dried out fish pond in Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange083.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: KUMHOON, a rice farmer in Nakhon Phanom province of Thailand, collects rice straw from his paddies. He will use the straw to feed livestock and as a bed for mushrooms he plans to plant. He said he doesn't know why the Mekong River is so low and why the region is gripped by drought. He said he heard on TV and in newspapers that "global warming" may be to blame, but that doesn't understand what global warming is. According to people who live here, the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange082.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: KUMHOON, a rice farmer in Nakhon Phanom province of Thailand, collects rice straw from his paddies. He will use the straw to feed livestock and as a bed for mushrooms he plans to plant. He said he doesn't know why the Mekong River is so low and why the region is gripped by drought. He said he heard on TV and in newspapers that "global warming" may be to blame, but that he doesn't understand what global warming is. He said he tried to grow potatoes because they use less water but he couldn't sell them in the local markets. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange081.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: KUMHOON, a rice farmer in Nakhon Phanom province of Thailand, collects rice straw from his paddies. He will use the straw to feed livestock and as a bed for mushrooms he plans to plant. He said he doesn't know why the Mekong River is so low and why the region is gripped by drought. He said he heard on TV and in newspapers that "global warming" may be to blame, but that he doesn't understand what global warming is. He said he tried to grow potatoes because they use less water but he couldn't sell them in the local markets. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange080.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: KUMHOON, a rice farmer in Nakhon Phanom province of Thailand, collects rice straw from his paddies. He will use the straw to feed livestock and as a bed for mushrooms he plans to plant. He said he doesn't know why the Mekong River is so low and why the region is gripped by drought. He said he heard on TV and in newspapers that "global warming" may be to blame, but that he doesn't understand what global warming is. He said he tried to grow potatoes because they use less water but he couldn't sell them in the local markets. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange079.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: KUMHOON, a rice farmer in Nakhon Phanom province of Thailand, collects rice straw from his paddies. He will use the straw to feed livestock and as a bed for mushrooms he plans to plant. He said he doesn't know why the Mekong River is so low and why the region is gripped by drought. He said he heard on TV and in newspapers that "global warming" may be to blame, but that doesn't understand what global warming is. According to people who live here, the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange078.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: KUMHOON, a rice farmer in Nakhon Phanom province of Thailand, collects rice straw from his paddies. He will use the straw to feed livestock and as a bed for mushrooms he plans to plant. He said he doesn't know why the Mekong River is so low and why the region is gripped by drought. He said he heard on TV and in newspapers that "global warming" may be to blame, but that he doesn't understand what global warming is. He said he tried to grow potatoes because they use less water but he couldn't sell them in the local markets. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange077.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: A man carries merchandise from Thailand to a boat crossing the Mekong River to Laos in That Phanom, Thailand. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange076.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: A Thai woman sells home made balms and ointments to shoppers along the Mekong River in That Phanom, Thailand. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange075.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: Thai Border Police search Laotian citizens entering Thailand after crossing the Mekong River to shop in the market in That Phanom. One police officer that it was easier for criminals, mostly drug runners and immigrant smugglers, to sneak into Thailand because they could just walk across the river. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange074.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: Thai Border Police search Laotian citizens entering Thailand after crossing the Mekong River to shop in the market in That Phanom. According to people who live here, the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange073.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: WON BORIBOON, a Laotian boatman, walks back to his long tail boat on the Thai side of the Mekong River in That Phanom, Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. He said that in 50 years on the river he's never seen it as low as it is now. He doesn't know why the river is so low but speculates that it could be dams in China. He said the low water and numerous sand bars in the river makes it harder the navigate the crossing, but jokes that he uses much less gasoline for his motor now because the river is half its old width. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange072.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: A Laotian woman sits in a "long tail boat," small passenger boats that ply the rivers in the region, waiting to return to Laos after shopping in Thailand. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange071.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: Passengers from Laos disembark a passenger ferry from Laos on the Thai side of the Mekong River near That Phanom, Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange070.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: Passengers from Laos disembark a passenger ferry from Laos on the Thai side of the Mekong River near That Phanom, Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange069.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: A passenger ferry from Laos approaches the Thai side of the Mekong River near That Phanom, Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange068.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: Stevedores from Laos carry charcoal made in Laos into the market in That Phanom, Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Researchers have not been able to identify the reasons the river levels have dropped. Some blame global warming, others blame dam construction in China and tributaries of the Mekong in Thailand and Laos. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange067.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: Stevedores from Laos carry charcoal made in Laos into the market in That Phanom, Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange066.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: People entering Thailand from Laos pay 20 Thai Baht (about .60¢ US) so they can shop and sell their merchandise in the market in That Phanom, Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange065.jpg
  • 08 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: A woman from Laos sorts eels she catches in her rice paddies in Laos and then brings to Thailand to sell in the market in That Phanom, Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange064.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND:  A couple nets fish in a channel in the Mekong River. They said they used to have use a boat for this but now the river is so low they do it on foot. He said he doesn't know why the river is so low, that some people say it's global warming. "But I don't know what that is. I think it's when the factories send too much smoke into the air, but I don't understand it." He went onto to say that they catch much fewer fish now than they did in the past. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange063.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND:  A couple nets fish in a channel in the Mekong River. They said they used to have use a boat for this but now the river is so low they do it on foot. He said he doesn't know why the river is so low, that some people say it's global warming. "But I don't know what that is. I think it's when the factories send too much smoke into the air, but I don't understand it." He went onto to say that they catch much fewer fish now than they did in the past. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange062.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND:  A couple nets fish in a channel in the Mekong River. They said they used to have use a boat for this but now the river is so low they do it on foot. He said he doesn't know why the river is so low, that some people say it's global warming. "But I don't know what that is. I think it's when the factories send too much smoke into the air, but I don't understand it." He went onto to say that they catch much fewer fish now than they did in the past. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange061.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND:  A couple nets fish in a channel in the Mekong River. They said they used to have use a boat for this but now the river is so low they do it on foot. He said he doesn't know why the river is so low, that some people say it's global warming. "But I don't know what that is. I think it's when the factories send too much smoke into the air, but I don't understand it." He went onto to say that they catch much fewer fish now than they did in the past. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange060.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND:  A couple nets fish in a channel in the Mekong River. They said they used to have use a boat for this but now the river is so low they do it on foot. He said he doesn't know why the river is so low, that some people say it's global warming. "But I don't know what that is. I think it's when the factories send too much smoke into the air, but I don't understand it." He went onto to say that they catch much fewer fish now than they did in the past. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange059.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND:  A couple nets fish in a channel in the Mekong River. They said they used to have use a boat for this but now the river is so low they do it on foot. He said he doesn't know why the river is so low, that some people say it's global warming. "But I don't know what that is. I think it's when the factories send too much smoke into the air, but I don't understand it." He went onto to say that they catch much fewer fish now than they did in the past. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange058.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND:  A couple nets fish in a channel in the Mekong River. They said they used to have use a boat for this but now the river is so low they do it on foot. He said he doesn't know why the river is so low, that some people say it's global warming. "But I don't know what that is. I think it's when the factories send too much smoke into the air, but I don't understand it." He went onto to say that they catch much fewer fish now than they did in the past. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange057.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND:  A couple nets fish in a channel in the Mekong River. They said they used to have use a boat for this but now the river is so low they do it on foot. He said he doesn't know why the river is so low, that some people say it's global warming. "But I don't know what that is. I think it's when the factories send too much smoke into the air, but I don't understand it." He went onto to say that they catch much fewer fish now than they did in the past. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange056.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND:  A couple nets fish in a channel in the Mekong River. They said they used to have use a boat for this but now the river is so low they do it on foot. He said he doesn't know why the river is so low, that some people say it's global warming. "But I don't know what that is. I think it's when the factories send too much smoke into the air, but I don't understand it." He went onto to say that they catch much fewer fish now than they did in the past. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange055.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND:  A couple nets fish in a channel in the Mekong River. They said they used to have use a boat for this but now the river is so low they do it on foot. He said he doesn't know why the river is so low, that some people say it's global warming. "But I don't know what that is. I think it's when the factories send too much smoke into the air, but I don't understand it." He went onto to say that they catch much fewer fish now than they did in the past. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange054.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND:  Villagers collect shell fish in a channel in the Mekong River in Thailand. One of the women said the river is so low now that she can walk out into the channel and scrape the river bottom with her hands and feet for the mussels she uses in her soups but that in the past they worked from boats. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange053.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND:  Villagers collect shell fish in a channel in the Mekong River in Thailand. One of the women said the river is so low now that she can walk out into the channel and scrape the river bottom with her hands and feet for the mussels she uses in her soups. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange052.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND:  Villagers collect shell fish in a channel in the Mekong River in Thailand. One of the women said the river is so low now that she can walk out into the channel and scrape the river bottom with her hands and feet for the mussels she uses in her soups. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange051.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND:  Villagers collect shell fish in a channel in the Mekong River in Thailand. One of the women said the river is so low now that she can walk out into the channel and scrape the river bottom with her hands and feet for the mussels she uses in her soups. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange050.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND:  Thai children play in a channel in the Mekong River. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange049.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - LAO NOI, NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: PRIK, harvests celery and dill from her garden near the Mekong River. She grows vegetables and her husband fishes. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange048.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - LAO NOI, NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: PRIK, harvests celery and dill from her garden near the Mekong River, which is behind her. She said her yield this year will be a fraction of what was last year. She grows vegetables and her husband fishes. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Prik said she doesn't know why the river is so low "Some say China has built dams that stops the water. Others say it is less rain. I don't know, I just know that when it floods it is much worse and much faster now - sometimes the river rises three meters in one day - and when it is dry, it is very, very dry." Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange047.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - LAO NOI, NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: PRIK, harvests celery and dill from her garden near the Mekong River, which is behind her. She said her yield this year will be a fraction of what was last year. She grows vegetables and her husband fishes. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Prik said she doesn't know why the river is so low "Some say China has built dams that stops the water. Others say it is less rain. I don't know, I just know that when it floods it is much worse and much faster now - sometimes the river rises three meters in one day - and when it is dry, it is very, very dry." Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange046.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - LAO NOI, NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: PRIK, harvests celery and dill from her garden near the Mekong River, which is behind her. She said her yield this year will be a fraction of what was last year. She grows vegetables and her husband fishes. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Prik said she doesn't know why the river is so low "Some say China has built dams that stops the water. Others say it is less rain. I don't know, I just know that when it floods it is much worse and much faster now - sometimes the river rises three meters in one day - and when it is dry, it is very, very dry." Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange045.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - LAO NOI, NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: PRIK, harvests celery and dill from her garden near the Mekong River, which is behind her. She said her yield this year will be a fraction of what was last year and that some days her husband comes home with no fish. She grows vegetables and her husband fishes. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Prik said she doesn't know why the river is so low "Some say China has built dams that stops the water. Others say it is less rain. I don't know, I just know that when it floods it is much worse and much faster now - sometimes the river rises three meters in one day - and when it is dry, it is very, very dry." Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange044.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - LAO NOI, NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: PRIK, harvests celery and dill from her garden near the Mekong River, which is behind her. She said her yield this year will be a fraction of what was last year. She grows vegetables and her husband fishes. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Prik said she doesn't know why the river is so low "Some say China has built dams that stops the water. Others say it is less rain. I don't know, I just know that when it floods it is much worse and much faster now - sometimes the river rises three meters in one day - and when it is dry, it is very, very dry." Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange043.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - LAO NOI, NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: PRIK, harvests celery and dill from her garden near the Mekong River, which is behind her. She said her yield this year will be a fraction of what was last year. She grows vegetables and her husband fishes. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Prik said she doesn't know why the river is so low "Some say China has built dams that stops the water. Others say it is less rain. I don't know, I just know that when it floods it is much worse and much faster now - sometimes the river rises three meters in one day - and when it is dry, it is very, very dry." Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange042.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND:  Sun baked land in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. The region is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange041.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND:  Sun baked land in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange040.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND:  Sun baked land in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. The region is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange039.jpg
  • 07 APRIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND:  A boat is poled down the Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand (Laos is in the background). Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange038.jpg
  • 05 ARPIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: People leave the "beach" on the Thai side of the Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom, on the Thai-Lao border, Apr. 5. Normally the river flows from just below the motorcycle in the bottom left of the photo but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. Thais have turned their side of the nearly empty river into a beach and playground. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. No one has determined the exact reason the river is so low. Some blame global warming, others the construction of dams in China.  PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange037.jpg
  • 05 ARPIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: People leave the "beach" on the Thai side of the Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom, on the Thai-Lao border, Apr. 5. Normally the river flows from just below the motorcycle in the bottom left of the photo but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. Thais have turned their side of the nearly empty river into a beach and playground. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. No one has determined the exact reason the river is so low. Some blame global warming, others the construction of dams in China.  PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange036.jpg
  • 05 ARPIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: People leave the "beach" on the Thai side of the Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom, on the Thai-Lao border, Apr. 5. Normally the river flows from just below the motorcycle in the bottom left of the photo but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. Thais have turned their side of the nearly empty river into a beach and playground. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. No one has determined the exact reason the river is so low. Some blame global warming, others the construction of dams in China.  PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange035.jpg
  • 05 ARPIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: People leave the "beach" on the Thai side of the Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom, on the Thai-Lao border, Apr. 5. Normally the river flows from just below the motorcycle in the bottom left of the photo but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. Thais have turned their side of the nearly empty river into a beach and playground. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years. No one has determined the exact reason the river is so low. Some blame global warming, others the construction of dams in China.  PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange034.jpg
  • 05 ARPIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: Sisters play in the empty Mekong River near Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. Normally the river flows through the entire river bed, but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed, not visible in the background of the photo. Thais have turned their side of the nearly empty river into a beach and playground. According to people who live here, the river is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange033.jpg
  • 05 ARPIL 2010 - NAKHON PHANOM, THAILAND: A tuk-tuk (three wheeled taxi) takes visitors out of the Mekong River bed in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. Normally the river flows completely through the river bed but it's currently running through a channel in the bottom of the river bed. Thais have turned their side of the nearly empty river into a beach and playground. The region is in the midst of a record setting drought and the Mekong River is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, setting up an environmental disaster the region has never seen before. Many of the people who live along the river farm and fish. They claim their crops yields are greatly reduced and that many days they return from fishing with empty nets. The river is so shallow now that fisherman who used to go out in boats now work from the banks and sandbars on foot or wade into the river. In addition to low river levels the Isan region of Thailand is also in the midst of a record drought and heat wave. Farmers have been encouraged to switch from rice to less water intensive crops and to expect lower yields. Farmers here rely more on rain fall than irrigation to water their crops.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ClimateChange032.jpg
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Jack Kurtz, Photojournalist & Travel Photographer

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