The Mekong River basin has a level of fish biodiversity that is rivalled only by the Amazon River basin.
The Mighty Mekong
The mighty Mekong River.
Contact
Ms Trang Dangthuy
Mekong River Ecoregion Coordinator
trang.dangthuy@
wwfgreatermekong.org
Mekong River Ecoregion Coordinator
trang.dangthuy@
wwfgreatermekong.org
From the Mekong’s turbulent headwaters to its placid delta and confluence with the sea, its metamorphosis through each season – dry, hot, and wet – the river’s natural evolution is symbolic of change.
Today, this change is mirrored in the region’s aspirations for a better life, the likes of which are shaping the future of the Mekong and that of its people.
Everyday life for the people of the Mekong basin is entwined with the natural rhythm of the river. Its active floodplains and biodiversity rich fisheries support food security and livelihoods. Its calm waters are used in recreation and for transportation. It replenishes crops, livestock and households, and for centuries, has brought meaning to an array of cultures.
Weaving 4,800 km from its icy headwaters on the Tibetan Plateau, the river flows through steep canyons of China (the upper basin), through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam (the lower basin), fanning out across the tropical lowlands of the Mekong Delta then draining into the South China Sea.
Today, the lower Mekong River mainstream remains free-flowing, unlike so many of the world's other great rivers. The people of the Greater Mekong have a unique opportunity to become a model of sustainable development, improving living standards through conservation of this vast natural resources and the ecosystem services it provides.
Everyday life for the people of the Mekong basin is entwined with the natural rhythm of the river. Its active floodplains and biodiversity rich fisheries support food security and livelihoods. Its calm waters are used in recreation and for transportation. It replenishes crops, livestock and households, and for centuries, has brought meaning to an array of cultures.
Weaving 4,800 km from its icy headwaters on the Tibetan Plateau, the river flows through steep canyons of China (the upper basin), through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam (the lower basin), fanning out across the tropical lowlands of the Mekong Delta then draining into the South China Sea.
Today, the lower Mekong River mainstream remains free-flowing, unlike so many of the world's other great rivers. The people of the Greater Mekong have a unique opportunity to become a model of sustainable development, improving living standards through conservation of this vast natural resources and the ecosystem services it provides.
Today, the lower Mekong River mainstream remains wild and free-flowing, unlike so many other great rivers of the world. Maintaining its health is one of the region's best defences against the impacts of climate change.
Sampans meet at early morning market in the Mekong Delta where rivers converge. Vietnam
