Trifter

The Mekong River is located on the continent of Asia and is one of the world’s great rivers. At 2,703 miles, it is the 12th longest river in the world and 7th longest in Asia.

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The source of the Mekong River is on the Tibetan Plateau in China’s Qinghai Province.

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From there the river flows generally southeast through China’s Yunnan province, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam where it opens into the Mekong Delta and then flows into the South China Sea.

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Overall the Mekong is a difficult river to navigate due to steep descents and swift rapids especially along the upper river.

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Flooding in various parts of the river and at varying times of the year also hamper navigation.

The first European to discover the Mekong River was Antonio de Faria from Portugal in 1540. However the river was not extensively explored until the mid 19th century when France captured Saigon and then continued to gradually move upriver.

To the native populations who have lived along the Mekong, the river has long provided them with means of survival. From floods to fertilize their crops to the abundant and varied fish populations the Mekong River has provided a steady stream of natural resources.

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Over 1,500 species of fish live in the Mekong and fishing today is still a very important part of the economic activities along the river.

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Fish found in the upper Mekong include loaches, carp and sucker catfish. The lower parts of the river are dominated by much larger fish like the Giant Mekong Catfish. Also living in the river are some rare and endangered inhabitants like the Siamese Crocodile and the Irrawaddy Dolphin.

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Today the Mekong River is a source of great discontent among the nations along the river. Most of the discontent has to do with the Mekong’s northern most inhabitant, China. The Chinese have built, and have many more plans to build, dams along the upper Mekong River. The dams already built by China have caused changes in the lower parts of the river and greatly affected river navigation and fishing, making life more difficult for the already impoverished people living along the lower Mekong. Decreased water levels and pollution are already causing losses in fish harvests and will only get worse as more dams are built.

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The Mekong River Commission was formed in 1995 to deal with these issues but China, along with Burma, does not belong to the Commission. The environmental impact of China’s globalization continues along the Mekong River today.

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For more on rivers read Great Rivers of Planet Earth.