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2nd most biodiverse river in the world, following the Amazon (Ziv et al., 2012)

Habitat to 1,300 species of fish (Ziv et al., 2012)

Flows south 2,858 miles long south the Tibetan Himalayas in China, through Myanamar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and finally Vietnam where it empties into the South China Sea (Mekong, 2018)

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The river drains more than 313,000 square miles of land, with the Mun River, which joins the Mekong in Ban Dan, Thailand, being one of the most important tributaries that drains the majority of the plateau (Mekong, 2018)

The Mekong’s flow primarily originates from rainfall in the lower basin, with flows in April typically being the lowest and flows in August- September presenting as the highest (Mekong, 2018)

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The Mekong River is home to 70-75 million people (Hecht et al., 2018)

Two-thirds of the population lives in rural areas that greatly depend on the river’s resources, which are primarily fish and water (Mekong, 2018)

In Cambodia and Vietnam alone, over one-million tons of freshwater fish are caught annually (Ziv et al., 2012)

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The river serves as the main source of water for consumption, farming, and fishing, both for food and revenue (Serrano, 2016)

Mekong's water is vital to agricultural production, because without it, rice and other crop cultivation would be nearly impossible without irrigation (Mekong, 2018)

Fish is the main source of protein for the surrounding population and provides essential micronutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, that rice and other accessible crops cannot, or, do not, provide in beneficial quantities (Pittock, Dumaresq, & Orr, 2017)

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Ready Player One: Technological Advances Impacting the Mekong

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Ready Player One: Technological Advances Impacting the Mekong

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With the rise in technology, comes the rise in dependence of fossil fuels to provide us with such an extravagant lifestyle

The characters in Ready Player One experienced this first hand with increased carbon emissions, a global energy crisis, and depleted fossil fuels, resulting in a dystopian society

In order to accommodate increased demands of energy in Southeast Asia, particularly China, developers are planning to build hydropower dams along the Mekong River (Hecht et al., 2018)

This too will not come without a price as research indicates additional hydropower dams will continue to negatively affect the biodiversity of the Mekong River and the local community surrounding it

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Rising energy demands and efforts to reduce fossil-fuel dependence has propelled the expansion of hydropower dams along the Mekong River (Hecht et al., 2018)

Recent plans have been made to construct eighty-eight hydropower dams by 2030, primarily along the Lower Mekong Basin (Pittock, Dumaresq, & Orr, 2017)

The electricity output from these dams is estimated to increase energy production by 900% (Pittock, Dumaresq, & Orr, 2017)

Advocates assert there are several benefits to building the dams, including  helping with flood control and allowing the ability to store water to utilize during dry seasons, which would provide the opportunity to produce more crops (Mekong, 2018)

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The majority of the hydropower energy would be exported to China, leaving those in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand to see minimal energy gains, if any at all (Pittock, Dumaresq, & Orr, 2017).

Research has found that climate change, which has resulted in increased water temperatures, even during the winter months, has already affected the Mekong River, with studies showing that hydropower dams further negatively affect water temperature, streamflow, and nutrient and sediment transport (Yadu et al, 2018)

From 2010-2014, researchers attributed hydropower development to 62% of the observed changes in flow of the river (Hecht et al., 2018)

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

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It is projected the construction of hydropower dams along the river would reduce access to freshwater fish by 495,000- 792,000 tons a year, which would result in malnutrition amongst the people who rely so heavily on fish consumption (Pittock, Dumaresq, & Orr, 2017)

Research suggests in order to maintain local food security due to the loss of fish, agricultural land would have to expand by 19%-63% (Hecht et al., 2018)

Between 1980-2000, the population surrounding the river increased by 45% and is projected to continue to increase, placing additional burdens on land and water use for additional food production (Yadu et al, 2018)

Further construction of the hydropower dams could result in catastrophic effects on the surrounding communities, agriculture, fisheries, and biodiversity of the Mekong River

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China Mekong Dam Project Generates Growing Controversy

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China Mekong Dam Project Generates Growing Controversy

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Watch this brief video for more information about the controversy China has created by building hydropower dams:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmYghvqqToo

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Chinese Dams Compromising Mekong River’s Biodiversity

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Chinese Dams Compromising Mekong River’s Biodiversity

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The following brief documentary explains the negative impacts hydropower dams have on the biodiversity of the Mekong River, how that affects the surrounding communities and its resources, and how many billions of dollars the economy of the lower Mekong River basin will be set back if the 11 mainstream dams are built (video repeats after 1:23):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwJRa7_hstQ

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Additional Complications Affecting the Mekong River

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Additional Complications Affecting the Mekong River

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In the last decade, overfishing of the Mekong giant catfish has resulted in a severe decrease in fish stock, causing the species to be listed as critically endangered (Mekong, 2018)

A single catfish can feed an entire village for a week, but has since become illegal to catch as a conservation effort to save the species from total extinction (Mekong, 2018)

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Depleted fish stocks from overfishing, decreased water quality, and/or accidentally getting caught in fishing nets, has also resulted in river dolphins from becoming extinct (Mekong, 2018)

Researchers estimate the dolphin population decreased by the thousands, to just hundreds, over the past several years (Mekong, 2018)

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Solution for Hydropower Dams: Managing River Flow

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Solution for Hydropower Dams: Managing River Flow

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Removing large dams that are already constructed and restoring the environment to its original condition is nearly impossible and would be very expensive (Sabo et al, 2017)

By managing the flow rates through the dams already constructed, fish migration could be maximized (Sabo et al, 2017)

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The majority of the energy harvested from the hydropower dams will be exported to China, leaving the surrounding countries along the Mekong River with no incentive or benefits for having current or future dams nearby

By exporting energy to the surrounding countries, as well as China, the dams could benefit a larger, more diverse population, which could help improve the quality of life for those living in more rural areas

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In order to preserve the Mekong giant catfish, it is currently illegal to fish for them (Mekong, 2018)

By making it illegal to fish for catfish, and limiting the amount of current fish that can be caught, the fish population could begin to expand

As fish stocks increase, the river dolphin will have more food, which could help prevent it from going extinct

Limiting ways people fish, such as how many large nets can be used, would also help limit river dolphins from getting accidentally caught and dying as a result

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The Mekong River Commission (MRC) was established in 1995 and is the only intergovernmental organization that works with officials from Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam

Vision: To provide an economically prosperous, socially just and environmentally sound Mekong River Basin

Mission: To promote and coordinate sustainable management and development of water and related resources for the countries' mutual benefit and the people's well-being

For more information: http://www.mrcmekong.org

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The Mekong River Commission continued...

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The Mekong River Commission continued...

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The establishment of the MRC has enabled the smaller surrounding countries to enter into a collaborative effort to improve the Mekong River Basin and its resources.

For example, in May 2016, the MRC and China agreed to work together on joint research projects regarding the river.

For more information visit: http://www.mrcmekong.org

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The video referenced below was created by the MRC and explains the joint coordination efforts between the surrounding countries of the Mekong River to improve the management of shared water resources, including establishing cooperation for water use negotiations, research data sharing, and flow monitoring

Five bilateral projects have been established to focus on delta, fishery, lake, river, and wetlands management

To watch the video, click on the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=49&v=45rqjz6qXRo

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Click on the following link for information about visiting the Mekong River:

https://www.mekongtourism.org/interactive-map/

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Click on the following link for a video tour of the Mekong River and Pak Ou Cave, a Buddhist shrine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6vVC3U3TPg

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The following video is a brief tour of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. During the trip, the tourists enjoy transportation by a tuk-tuk, viewing the gorgeous greenery surrounding the river, a "coconut processing plant," a bicycle ride through the narrow streets of Vietnam, and a relaxing canoe trip to a location where they watch a local resident make spring roll "dough" out of flower.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fihHr8LGV-M

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                                References 

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                                References 

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Hecht et al. (2018). Hydropower dams of the Mekong River basin: A review of their hydrological impacts. Journal of Hydrology, Journal of Hydrology.

Mekong River. (2018). Britannica Online Academic Edition, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.

Pittock, J., Dumaresq, D., & Orr, S. (2017). The Mekong River: Trading off hydropower, fish, and food. Regional Environmental Change,17(8), 2443-2453.

Sabo et al. (2017). Designing river flows to improve food security futures in the Lower Mekong Basin. Science,358(6368), 1270.

Yadu et al. (2018). A Review of the Integrated Effects of Changing Climate, Land Use, and Dams on Mekong River Hydrology. Water, 10(3).

Ziv et al. (2012). Trading off biodiversity, food security, and hydropower in the Mekong River Basin. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved from http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/03/09/1201423109.