The Mekong River. Photo: tashandsmoked(flickr)

Before it reaches the sea, the Mekong River travels more than 2,500 miles through Tibet, China, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is estimated that more than 60 million people depend on the river in some way. But the dams are changing the river and impacting the people who depend on it.

For better or worse, four dams are already in place and 11 are on their way, most of which will be in China.

China is working to reduce their dependence on coal, and get more power from renewable sources like hydroelectricity, according to IRIN, the UN news agency, which reports that "governments downstream claim the hydroelectric dams will cut electricity costs."

The dams currently generate over 3,000 megawatts of electricity, says Radio Free Asia. A Portland General Electric representative told me that's enough electricity to power a city about the size of Portland, Oregon — with a population of 575,000 people — for an entire year.

Besides energy, the dams also help to regulate the rivers flow. As IRIN reports, supporters are saying this is a pretty impressive perk, since the region's unpredictable rains often times cause a flood or drought.

But others, including locals, don't think so highly of the dams.

According to the Foundation for Ecological Recovery, the river's fishing industry alone is worth up to $3 billion annually, and the existing dams are already decreasing that profit. Mekong fisherman Ouy Chai tells Al Jazeera that "before you could catch 10-20 fish in one day and now you can fish all week and not catch anything." His wife says, "I'm scared. What will be left for our children and grandchildren to eat?"

In the same vein, many environmentalists are saying that the dams are harsh on the environment, causing erosion and harming biodiversity. Nguyen Huu Chien, head of the environment and natural resource management program at Can Tho University, tells Radio Free Asia that "it is like a blood vessel in the human body. When we build dams, it is like a blockage in the veins: it will definitely affect other areas."

Despite the protesting and petitioning efforts of those against the dams, IRIN reports that two new ones are currently underway.

Photo: Thatcher Cook for Mercy Corps

Taiwan’s mid-March elections show that residents there may be willing to have a closer relationship with China if it benefits them economically.

Taiwanese voters favored Hong Kong-born Ma Ying-jeou's promise of economic prosperity over his rivals' campaigns to ensure further confrontation with China. Ma Ying-jeou won the presidential election in a landslide victory with his message for closer economic ties with China. He proposed reviving the economy by inviting more Chinese investment and tourism for Taiwan.

This is a new tack for a country that has long struggled to become separate from China and find its own identity in the international arena.

Tibet could learn from Taiwan’s strategy. The BBC’s Humphrey Hawksley, writing in YaleGlobal, contends that Tibet’s embrace of a national identity prevents them from enjoying China’s economic benefits. With India and China as neighbors, Tibet is in a prime position to benefit from the global market. Hawksley suggests that if both countries focused on their economic relationship, Tibet could enjoy a Taiwan-like success story. But it might mean giving up some of its traditions and its fight for independence.

Taiwan’s decision highlights how the lure of closer of economic ties is affecting the way countries formulate their foreign policy. It seems as if Tibet could better its struggling economy by putting aside its hostility to China — but at what expense?