The Mekong Biophysical Environment of an International River Basin

About this book

The Mekong is the most controversial river in Southeast Asia, and increasingly the focus of international attention. It flows through 6 counties, China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam. The 4 downstream countries have formed the Mekong River Commission to promote sustainable development of the river and many of their people depend on it for their subsistence ? it has possible the largest freshwater fishery in the world, and the Mekong waters support rice agriculture in the delta in Viet Nam (which produces about 40% of that country?s food) as well as in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.

China is now building the first large mainstream dam on the river, and has proposals for several more. These dams are likely to affect the downstream countries. Several of the downstream countries also have plans for large scale hydropower and irrigation development which could also impact the river.

This book provides a solid overview of the biophysical environment of the Mekong together with a discussion of the possible impacts, biophysical, economic and social, of some possible development scenarios. It is intended to provide a technical basis which can inform the growing political and conservation debate about the future of the Mekong River, and those who depend on it. It is aimed at river ecologists, geographers, environmentalists and development specialists both in the basin and (especially) outside for whom access to this material is most difficult.

Contents

1. Introduction - the Mekong in historical and political context - Ian Campbell; 2. Physical geography and geology Arvijit Gupta (Leeds University and NUS); 3. Landuse and landuse change- Christoff Feldkoetter (MRC); 4. Basin Vegetation? (Philip Rundell UC); 5. Hydrology - Peter Adamson (Hydrology Consultant) & Brian Finlayson (Geography Department Melbourne University); 6. Fluvial Geomorphology Paul Carling (Geography Department, University of Southampton); 7. Sediment Transport Des Walling (Geography Department, Exeter University); 8. Water quality Ian Campbell & Ed Ongley (Water Quality Consultant, formerly with Canadian Center for Inland Waters); 9. Upper Mekong He Daming (Director, Center for River Studies, Kunming University); 10. Aquatic Invertebrates and river ecology Ian Campbell, Vince Resh (Berkeley) & Bruce Chessman (Department of Land and Water, NSW, Australia); 11. Schistosomaisis and Mekong Parasites Stephen Attwood (British Museum); 12. Fish diversity David Coates (Convention on Biodiversity Secretariat) ; 13. Fishery Kent Hortle & Chris Barlow (MRC); 14. Dolphins Isabel Beasley (Graduate Student, James Cook University); 15. Tonle Sap Lake Ian Campbell & Samal Say (Graduate Student, Monash University); 17. Scenarios for Mekong Basin Development Robyn Johnson (Ausaid) & Richard Beecham; 18. Water Resources Development and the Economic Future (RAM)? Petrina Rowcroft (Economics and Development Consultant); 19. Managing the Mekong Environment Ian Campbell;

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