China has provided considerable funding for upgrading Cambodian river ports as well as dredging operations in the Lower Mekong, and even for blasting a channel in the Sambor rapids to increase draft. These operations come in addition to Chinese offers for financial backing of future hydropower projects in Cambodia, several of which are already undergoing feasibility studies.
The main obstacle to river transport between Phnom Penh and Vietnam's Mekong Delta has been a lack of proper all-weather and nighttime navigation aids. This situation is now being rectified by the Mekong River Commission's Navigation Programme (NAP). Channel markers, buoys, beacons and shore marks have been installed to aid navigation and increase efficiency of river transportation from Phnom Penh to the South China Sea. Plans are also under consideration to dredge and widen the Hau River (Bassac) in the Mekong Delta to allow 10,000 to 20,000 ton ships to transit Tra Vinh Province. The Hau/Bassac splits from the Mekong mainstream at Phnom Penh and is a second major outlet to the South China Sea.
Economic growth is undeniably the driving force behind developments on the Mekong River. The implementation of modern transportation networks is clearly a necessary means by which to increase economic opportunity. There are however, a number of concerns regarding how this process has unfolded to date. The Mekong stands out for its incredible biodiversity and the massive population whose livelihoods depend on it. These factors make equitable development of this unique resource incredibly complex. There have been very few serious environmental or socioeconomic impact studies regarding Mekong navigation improvement. Hasty efforts to bring about regional integration could spell disaster for the very communities whose lives these projects aim to improve