The Mekong River in Southesast Asia is one of the world’s longest waterways, and flows through 6 countries: China, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. In November of 2014, NWNL followed the Mekong River from Chiang Khong, Thailand to Luang Prabang, Laos. This is part of the main stem of the river.
Development along the Mekong, Chiang Khong, Thailand, 2014Mekong water used for crop irrigation, Chiang Khong, ThailandFishery, Chiang Khong, Thailand
Fish make up 80% of the Southeast Asian diet.
Ame Trandem, Southeast Asia program director for the environmental group International Rivers, says the dam-building rush and climate change have brought the Mekong River Basin close to a “catastrophic tipping point”.
Dam construction in Laos
The proposal of several hydrodams would be devastating to millions of people who depend on the Mekong River for their livelihoods, food security, crop irrigation and let’s not forget wildlife!
No Water No Life® is an LLC project founded in 2006 to raise awareness of the values and vulnerability of our freshwater resources, plus solutions to their sustainable management. NWNL Director and lead photographer Alison M Jones is Sr Fellow of International League of Conservation Photographers and International League of Conservation Writers, a Fellow of The Explorers Club, and member of North American Nature Photography Assoc., Society of Environmental Journalists, Tewksbury Land Trust Board (NJ), and other related organizations.
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One thought on “Future of the Mekong River is at risk”
Horrible!