World Rivers Review – December 2014: Focus on the Mekong

Date: 
Wednesday, December 3, 2014

The Mekong feeds millions with its rich fisheries and sediment-laden waters. More than 40 million people rely on it for their food and livelihoods. Yet despite its importance as a food source, a dam boom on Southeast Asia's "Mother River" is underway, which could push the river's rich fisheries and ecosystems to a tipping point. This special issue will give you the full picture of what is at stake. We pulled together a number of Mekong experts to explore the implications of the dam boom on the river and its people, the particular risks of specific dams and dam cascades, and what local people are trying to do to protect their river. A lively infographic summarizes key issues in visual form. Interviews with local partners round out a rich issue that will make you think, make you mad, and make you want get involved.

Download the December 2014 issue or view it below.

What's Inside

Food security: Hydropower vs. food could prove a devil's bargain for millions of people in the Mekong basin.

Commentary: River memories and hopes from a Thai member of our Mekong team.

Don Sahong: Controversies abound on Laos' latest dam project.

Legal Action: Downstream Communities File Groundbreaking Complaint Over Don Sahong Dam

Fish passage: Guesswork is the name of the game for the fish ladder design on Xayaburi Dam in Laos.

Infographic: A visual look at the biological richness of the Mekong, and how the current dam boom will harm the river's rich fisheries and life-giving sediments.

Nam Theun 2 Dam: The World Bank’s narrative of success falls apart.

Energy Planning: Why flawed energy planning leads to flawed dams and other energy projects in the Mekong.

China: What changes will Upper Mekong dams bring to downstream countries?

Climate: A changing climate has many implications for hydropower on the Mekong, yet the risks are not well understood.

Lessons for Change: From the Mekong School - one activist's story

Bonus Articles:

Pak Mun Dam: A struggle of fishers, an epic of river protection.

Power Development in the Mekong: Critical Assesment of the Mekong Region's Power Development at risk of being shelved. 

NB: There was no September 2014 issue of WRR.

World Rivers Review December 2014 by International Rivers