MEKONG RIVER

MEKONG

The Mekong River and its network of tributaries form the vast Mekong River Basin, draining parts of six riparian countries: Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The river is an international water body which fl ows from its source in the Tanggula mountain range in Qinghai province, China for 2 161 km through Qinghai province, the Tibet Autonomous region and Yunnan province of China, and another 2 719 km through countries of the Southeast Asian peninsula to the south of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, where it discharges to the South China Sea. Its total length is about 4 900 km. The boundary of the Mekong River region includes the entire Mekong River Basin (MRB) and the coastal area adjacent to the Mekong Delta. The total catchment area is about 795 000 km², producing a run-off of approximately 475 000 million³ during the rainy

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The most abundant resources in the Mekong Basin are water and biodiversity. Only the Amazon River Basin has greater diversity of plant and animal life. So much water flows into the mainstream Mekong from the surrounding basin area that, on average, 15,000 cubic meters of water passes by every second. In many parts of the world, that's enough water to supply all the needs of 100,000 people – the population of a large town – for a whole day. This water nourishes large tracts of forest and wetlands which produce building materials, medicines and food, provides habitats for thousands of species of plants and animals and supports an inland capture fishery with an estimated commercial value of US$3 billion dollars per year. Known mineral resources include tin, copper, iron ore, natural gas, potash, gem stones and gold. Currently. To keep the water to support for agricutural.China, Lao, Cmbodia, Thailan built 19 dams in Mekong rivers. Currently. China, Lao, Cmbodia, Thailan built 19 dams in Mekong rivers.

The Mekong River is a transboundary international waterway that traverses six countries. The land, water, forest and fi sh resources are shared in a number of senses and at a number of scales among the riparian countries in the region. Thus, water used by an upstream country may become unavailable to a downstream country on a temporary, seasonal or even permanent basis. Many transboundary environmental issues, such as the upstream-downstream watershed dynamics of water quantity, quality and timing, the trade in timber and non-timber forest products, and air pollution, have begun to receive attention as regional issues. Similarly, some actors and decision-makers in the region have begun to consider issues such as livestock movements, labour migration and public health as being of importance to the regional environment.
Mekong rivers contributed to development of agricultural of many contries. It supply recourses and water for 6 milion people who live near Mekong river. And dams in Mekong rivers is contributed to prevent the development of plan and fish in Mekong. It is changing current water and make the rivers is dried up. So countries should have a solution for this problem because it is effecting to people who are living in lower course.
  Referencing

# Milton Osborne. 1976. River Road to China: The Mekong River Expedition 1866–1873. George Allen & Unwin.

# Milton Osborne. 2000. The Mekong, Turbulent Past, Uncertain Future Atlantic Monthly Press, New York.

# Edward A. Gargan. 2002. The River's Tale. First published by Alfred A. Knopf.