Mekong
The Mekong is a major river in Southeast Asia, flowing from the Tibetan Plateau through China and mainland Southeast Asia to the South China Sea.
Mekong River basin: The drainage area whose waters flow into the Mekong and its tributaries. Its vast catchment supplies the river’s water and links distant landscapes.
Mekong fisheries: Capture fisheries in the Mekong and its floodplains, among the world’s most productive inland fisheries. Seasonal migration and inundated habitats underpin major food supplies and livelihoods.
Tibetan Plateau: A high-altitude region of Central Asia that contains the Mekong’s headwaters. The river begins in this plateau’s highlands before descending toward Southeast Asia.
Mekong giant catfish: A critically endangered, large freshwater catfish native to the Mekong basin. Its decline reflects pressures on migratory fish and river habitats.
Mekong River Commission: An intergovernmental organization established by Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam to cooperate on Mekong water resources. Its mandate and membership leave key upstream decisions outside its direct authority.
Mekong flood pulse: The annual rise and fall of Mekong waters that inundates floodplains and reverses flows in connected waterways. Seasonal expansion sustains floodplain habitats and fisheries along the river.
Mekong River dams: Hydropower and other dams built or planned on the Mekong and its tributaries. Dams generate electricity but alter flows, fish migration, and sediment movement.
Lancang River: The Chinese name for the upper Mekong as it flows through China. The river is known as the Lancang in China before entering mainland Southeast Asia.
Irrawaddy dolphin: A coastal and freshwater dolphin species found in fragmented populations, including a stretch of the Mekong in Cambodia and Laos. Its small Mekong population depends on a limited river habitat exposed to human pressures.
Mekong climate change: Observed and projected climate-related changes affecting the Mekong’s rainfall, flows, ecosystems, and delta. The scale and timing of future flow changes remain uncertain amid dams and shifting rainfall.