Water levels in the northern Mekong River are at record-low levels, posing a threat to water supply, navigation and irrigation along a stretch of water that is home to millions, a regional official said.

Northern Thailand, northern Laos and southern China have all been affected, Jeremy Bird, chief executive officer of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) secretariat, told AFP.

“The flows are much lower than we’ve got records on in the last 20 years,” said Bird, whose inter-governmental body deals with all Mekong River-related activities including fisheries, agriculture and flood management.