but there is some hope. join us, as we head downstream in cambodia and meet the communities having to adapt to the changing nature of this river... translation: there will be no fish for the next generation. . ..and those trying desperately to save it. translation: when i see this, it makes me worry i about mekong's fate. mi lives in a world of water that was once predictable, reliable, renowned for

an abundance of fish. but in recent years, he and thousands like him have been asking, "where are they?" this is the tonle sap, south—east asia's largest freshwater lake. fish caught by communities here feed millions across cambodia. translation: these past few years, there is less and less i water and fewer and fewer fish. i didn't expect to get a lot of fish because when i felt the weight of the net, it was very light. i felt right around it and ijust couldn't

feel many fish. if they were there, i would feel them splashing around. this is not the catch mi and his family need. this is all they have to eat for four or five days. so how difficult is it for you to earn a living byjust fishing? translation: when we were just married and we had no children, l it was ok. but now, we have children, and every day, i need to send them to school. every morning, i need around $5 to pay for school. and these days, i have no income. it's taken four or five days,

and that's all i get. i have no fish to sell. mi believes the lake is slowly running dry. this year, water levels are far lower than normal, threatening his very existence. like hundreds of others, he has built a home on the water. he has no land. his wife goes through the meagre catch, discarding the snails and crabs. these bamboo houses on floating oil drums are moved with the ebb and flow of the lake, from wet season to dry. it's been this way for generations, but mi wants this way of life to end with him.

translation: my children, i i want them to study and finish grade 12, and i will send them to learn a language and find a job. i don't want them to live here on the lake. it is hard. but what can i do? no matter how hard it is to earn, i have to try so my children can graduate. more fish are caught in the tonle sap than anywhere else in the world. three—quarters of the protein cambodians eat is fish. without these stocks, millions could starve. a recent study suggests that

catch numbers over the last 20 years have fallen by more than 80%. a population boom has led to overfishing. but there are other problems, too. this year has been the hottest on record, bringing droughts in the dry season, which could be affecting the very nature of the lake. this lake is often called the beating heart of the mekong because it has a pulse. twice a year, something extraordinary happens. in wet season, monsoon rains fill the mekong, pushing water up the tonle sap river and into this lake, expanding it to six times its size and, crucially, bringing with it migrating fish. in the dry season, the opposite happens. the water is pushed back into the mekong and down towards vietnam.

but in the last few years, there are signs that this pulse is weakening. to find out why, we need to go to the source of the mekong. this flowing lifeline descends from the glaciers of the himalayas. since the 1990s, some have eyed it as a potentially powerful energy resource. china has built 11 dams on the mainstream. laos has two. dozens more are planned. this hydropower is valued at around $4 billion a year. experts who monitor water levels in the dams are worried. climate change and dams are working together to deliver a death of 1,000 cuts to the mekong system. we know this because we're seeing, through our work on the mekong dam monitor and the work of many others, that rainfall that typically would fall during the wet season is much lower than normal. but at the same time, upstream dams are restricting

water during that wet season. so that's bringing the pulse and bringing riverflows down much lower than they need to be. together, climate impacts and dam restrictions are changing the way that the mekong flows, much for the worse. the don sahong dam on the laos border was built despite concerns raised by cambodia, thailand and vietnam. in a bid to pull itself out of an economic crisis, laos aims to become the battery of south—east asia, provide this region with much—needed sources of green energy and turn them away from coal. the problem is, researchers believe that these numerous dams are fundamentally changing the function of this river. here, too, there are reports of declining fish stocks. river levels rise and fall outside of wet and dry season, altered when water is released from the dam.

studies suggest that the dams are also holding back the lifeblood of the mekong — its sediment. now, this water might look muddy, or even dirty to you, but actually it's full of sediment. these are nutrients that the water carries on itsjourney all the way through china. and it's that sediment that's essential for both the fish and for rice farming. if action is not taken now, the amount of sediment reaching the river basin could be reduced by more than 90%, according to the mekong river commission. dam building may restrict the movement of the river, but it forces the movement of people. translation: this | new village is nothing like our old village.

many aspects of our lives have changed. back then, we were happy. there was enough food to eat, unlike now. 18—year—old bopha and her daughter are part of a two—millennia—old indigenous tribe. limited electricity in this new village comes from a generator, not the nearby hydroelectric dam... ..a dam that forced them and thousands of others to leave their ancestral home. bopha once lived in kbal romeas, a self—sufficient village community next to the srepok river, which flows into the mekong. the creation of a dam and reservoirflooded large areas, destroying their homes. translation: i was scared and sad to lose our village i

because our village used to be beautiful and leafy. there were all kinds of plants and veggies and fruits everywhere, enough to eat. it's an hour's boat ride to bopha's former village, through a graveyard of trees, stripped of life by the flood. this house, they moved to the new village. that, the pagoda, school, and that is my house there. the flood dispersed a people with intimate attachments to this land. some accepted compensation or resettlement fees. others, like bopha, have built homes close by. she's one of millions of people who've been displaced by dams built across china and south—east asia. translation: 10096, i don't think we can forget our birth |

village because our ancestors gave life to us here. we remember them here. even their ghosts don't want to leave this village. this home is my soul. i'm deeply sad about losing this village because this is where i used to run around and be filled with joy. seeing it looking like this, it hurts. i can't help all these trees. i can only help myself. here's the old graveyard. you can usually see the old grave pillars, but it's all under the water now. she's searching this spiritual

site for her grandfather's grave but settles on giving her offerings wherever she can. prays. bopha still tries to connect with her past, even after the dam washed away 2,000 years of tradition. hydropower that hopes to modernise her country has altered the course of her life. the lower sesan dam is one of asia's widest. the cambodian government says it is living up to its potential and provides 20% of the country's electricity needs. some researchers doubt this figure. the government also argues that the reservoirs are useful for irrigation and can help with water supplies in dry season.

these benefits, however, come at a cost. it's now up to the next generation to find ways to adapt to man—made interventions in the mekong's course. these young people, most of them teenagers, are sacrificing their sleep for the sake of their river. they're on the hunt for those who would exploit the mekong's remaining bounty. the team navigate in the dark, only turning on their torches to scour the banks for fishermen who might be using dynamite or electrocution to illegally kill hundreds of fish.

translation: my name is u meta. _ i'm 19 years old. i choose to help patrol this river because i love our natural flooded forests. my dad is my role model. he's patrolled the river for 13 years. i thought to myself, "the least i can do is help out "and be part of these small patrols as a youth". this work can make the patrollers unpopular. at night, fishermen often turn to illegal methods when they're desperate to earn money. if we come across an illegal activity, we have to drive the boat fast to chase them and sometimes, ifear that the boat will capsize. i was also worried that some of them will be armed. what would i do? so, it was scary at first.

but it's important to guard the river now in wet season. this will give time for the fish to spawn and grow. at first light, the patrol head home. li meta also spends time with villagers, trying to help them understand that their river is in crisis. because i love our natural resources in the flooded forest, i want to preserve this river for the next generation. i also want to help tell local people that our flooded forest sites are at risk because of illegal fishing. if those illegal fishing activities increase, villagers won't be able to get enough fish for them and their family. there will be no fish for the next generation, as more and more fish

breeds become extinct. when i was young, whenever i went to the river with my dad, ifelt so happy, seeing the wide river. now, when i look at the river, it makes me feel like i want to protect it because it is almost gone. especially the fish. they are the most at risk. the balance of wet and dry season is crucial for these flooded forests. without it, they die, and so do the fish breeding grounds. the new river guardians can't control climate change or dam building, but they do hope to conserve fish numbers. there are signs that life is returning. the world wildlife fund has helped create a safe haven for a pod of endangered irrawaddy river dolphins. this area is their last refuge. the numbers of newborn calves are rising.

researchers hope this indicates that the health of the river is being restored. further downstream, however, the mekong has other gifts to give. sand. river sand is much more coarse than the sand you'd find on a beach, which makes it idealfor concrete and construction. large barges dredge it from the river to supply developing south—east asian cities. 25—year—old kunthea was jailed for more than a year for organising a protest to preserve the mekong. translation: when i see this, it makes me worry i about the mekong's fate and its impact on the cambodian people as a whole. does your mother, does your

family, worry about you? yes, she's worried, but she's never told me to stop doing what i do. at first, of course, a parent will always worry about their child. however, i try to tell her that this problem on the mekong is a problem for all of us. the mekong's sediment—rich sand has played a key part in the rapid urbanisation and transformation of phnom penh. kunthea organised a one—woman march after hearing that the government was using it to fill in lakes and rivers and create new land for real estate and shopping malls. before i was arrested, i announced that i would wear all white and would walk from hun sen, our prime minister's house.

the reason i wanted to wear white was because in cambodia, the tradition of wearing white represents mourning and i wanted to mourn nearly 20 lakes that have been filled. each of these barges can hold enough sand to fill an olympic—sized swimming pool. the government has long been accused of profiting from plundering the country's natural resources, which it denies. it says it supports environmental activism but claims the group mother nature encourages social unrest. kunthea continues to post videos of her investigations online and she says the risks are worth it. i want to do something for positive change. i don't want to see this continue to happen to cambodia, to cambodian people, and to our next generation ever again. when i feel tired sometimes, once i meet people, young people from the community always encourage me and that motivates me to keep going.

around 60 million tonnes of sand a year is dredged from the mekong, according to research by newcastle university. this is unsustainable, they add. where i'm standing was actually once the river but they've not just used this sand to create a new island, they've built office blocks, condos, skyscrapers. even the windows will need sand. but cambodia is not alone in its insatiable desire for sand. it is the world's most mined mineral. the problem here is they are dredging at an already fragile ecosystem that scientists fear is on the edge of irreversible collapse. the mekong is called �*the mother of water�* in the many languages spoken along its banks.

for centuries, through war and peace, she has been a one true constant. it may never be that way again. human development, coupled with a changing climate, will continue to alter the river's course and alter lives. but its flow has not yet been stilled. environmentalists believe that the mighty can once again be restored to the mekong. its fate may depend on the resilience of the people it supports and how far they are willing to go to defend it.

hello there. well, love it or loathe it, new year's eve is just around the corner and it's likely that the weather will play an important role in closing out the year of 2023. yes, there's more rain to come, some of it heavy and snow likely at lower levels into the north, and still, there's a risk of gale force gusts of winds with the heaviest of the rain. it's this area of low pressure, it's drifting in from the atlantic, bringing that wet weather with it. ahead of it, we've got this little brief ridge of high pressure, so that means a bitterly cold start to saturday morning across scotland and north east england but you will keep the sunshine for most of the day. clouding over from the west. heavy rain moving out of northern ireland into scotland. we'll start to see some snow at lower levels as well. heavy rain across north west england, wales down into the south—west, accompanied by gale force gusts, but central and south—eastern england should stay dry during daylight hours with temperatures around 11 or 12 degrees.

cool in scotland — five degrees at the very best for some — and that means a further risk of some snow, some of it at lower levels, which could cause an impact if you're out and about, so keep abreast of the forecast. keep tuned into your bbc local radio station for traffic and travel updates. that frontal system will start to ease away but we're still under this influence of low pressure centred to the north—west and so, circulating around that low will be a rash of sharp showers. most of those showers will be out towards the west. sheltered eastern areas a little dry and brighter but some will tend to drift further inland. so, let's take a look at new year's eve in the afternoon. some showers out towards the south—west into wales, southern england. blustery winds here. temperatures between eight and ten degrees. a few sharp showers. some of these could be thundery across north west england into northern ireland, western scotland as well. but a slightly quieter story across north—east scotland in comparison to of late.

still the risk of more persistent rain into the northern isles and still pretty blustery here. but as we move out of new year's eve into new year's day, we need to keep a close eye on this frontal system that's drifting in from the south. that could bring some rain into the channel isles, into parts of cornwall and across the isles of scilly. but for most of us, it will be a slightly quieter day. there'll be a few scattered showers around, the winds not quite as strong and, hopefully, some winter sunshine to look out for. so, if you're going to get out and about and just walk off some of the excess, we're looking at around 5—10 degrees at the very best. now, moving out of monday into tuesday and wednesday, if you're lucky enough still to have a couple of days at home, there will be some rain around. this makes it look pretty dismal but there will be showers with some brighter interludes from time to time and just that little bit cooler as well. now, that trend for the first week of january will start to ease away. as the low pressure moves through, we could see this area of high pressure building

and quieting things down. now, if that happens, we could actually drag in more of a north—easterly wind, so it potentially could get colder as well. a lot of uncertainty about this — keep watching the forecast for updates. but after that low moves away, early january could see a gradual change to some drier but colder weather. there'll be some winter sunshine by day but also the risk of some overnight frost and fog. there you go — something to look forward to. whatever you're doing, happy new year and take care. hi, i'm zof with the catch—up. tonight, a look ahead to next year. the teenage figure skating champion. and a dancing lemur. this is our very last show of 2023, so we thought we would run through some

of the big stories to look out for in the new year. it's basically looking like a huge 12 months for politics and sports. first up, prime minister rishi sunak says there will be a general election in 2024, where anyone over 18 can vote. the conservatives face a tough challenge to hold off labour. there's no date confirmed for voting yet but there's lots of speculation it could be in either spring or autumn. and there's a huge sporting summer to look forward to with the euros in germany kicking off injune and the olympics in paris in latejuly. then, in november, a presidential election in the us. and the big story is whether donald trump comes back to challenge current presidentjoe biden. we will, of course, being you all the latest right here on the catch—up. some good news now, this is very impressive. jack is a 15—year—old figure skater from nottingham and he has become an advanced british champion. he has been doing it since he was

just three years old and he trains at the national ice centre in nottingham. we leave you now with ten seconds of a dancing lemur, this rare species has been born at chester zoo. zookeepers say that the newborn is already wide—eyed and full of personality. look at it, it is adorable. you are all caught up now, butjust before i sign off, i will have to be that annoying person and say it, i will see you next year. see you later.

live from washington, this is bbc news. a deadly day in ukraine: russian attacks kill dozens of people, and wound many more as a barrage of attack drones and missiles strike targets across the country. translation: i was woken up at half past seven - by a horrible sound. it was so frightening. in gaza, israeli airstrikes kill scores, as the country's military defends the offensive as "essential" to root out hamas. and we ask what lies ahead in the us 2024 presidential election, as states decide on donald trump being on the ballot.

hello, i'm sumi somaskanda. thank you forjoining us. at least 30 people have been killed and more than 160 injured in ukraine after a wave of aerial attacks across the country on friday. ukrainian officials called it the largest missile bombardment of the war so far, saying it has "never seen so many locations "targeted simultaneously." cities hit include kyiv, lviv in the west, 0desa in the south, and dnipro, kharkiv and zaporizhzhia in eastern ukraine. this was the scene in dnipro, where a maternity hospital and a shopping centre were hit. at an emergency un security council meeting on friday, countries including the uk, japan and france condemned the russian attack as appalling. translation: russia | is deliberately attacking civilian infrastructure and killing innocent people. this violation of international humanitarian law must be added to the long list of atrocities already committed by russia since the launching of its war of aggression. meanwhile, poland has

put its air defence forces on high alert after a suspected russian missile briefly entered