Green Options » Mekong River

163 New Species Discovered in Asia

Jake Richardson — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:03:41 +0000

A World Wildlife Fund report released in late September, 2009 details the discovery over the last year of new species including 100 plants, 28 fish, 18 reptiles, 14 amphibians, 2 mammals and a bird.

Mekong River Dams Ruin Livelihoods of 65 Million - 11 More Are Planned

Bryan Nelson — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:45:24 +0000

17 dams recently built on the Mekong River in Southeast Asia are threatening fisheries, destroying a vast ecosystem, and starving millions. And 11 more dams are currently in the planning process.

The dams already in place are blocking fish from traveling upstream to spawn, and the new dams– many of which will sit nearer the river’s headwaters– could threaten the entire river ecosystem. 65 million people currently live and rely upon the Mekong for their sustenance and livelihood, and about 80 percent of their protein intake comes from the river’s fisheries.

Who Will Save Asia’s Mekong River?

Gavin Hudson — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:20:35 +0000

Researchers turn to international cooperation to save Asia’s 7′th longest river.

Urbanization, growing slums, intensive farming, damming, and warring political ideologies are just a few of the hurdles that researchers from Helsinki University of Technology will need to overcome to protect the Mekong River, one of the most important water sources in Southeast Asia.

Luckily, they have a plan. To save the river, researchers have developed what they are calling the ‘3E principle’: the idea that “waters should be used to provide economic well-being to the people, without compromising social equity and environmental sustainability.”

Putting this principle into practice means working closely with each of the countries that benefits from the Mekong River (China and Tibet, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam) to safeguard the river’s life-giving water.