Sacrificing the Mekong River Basin in the Name of Electricity
Facing a Mekong River Dam
The Mekong River at sunsetWednesday, 10 December 2008
Written by John Schertow
Toward Freedom
The Mekong river is considered the lifeblood of southeast Asia. It starts out on the Qingzang plateau in Tibet, a place known as 'roof of the world', and makes its way through Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam before pouring itself into the China Sea.
Along this path, carved out over millennia, the Mekong has ensured the health and security of countless people, providing them with food, water for crops, and a means of trade and transportation. Today the Mekong supports as many as 100 million people. However, the onset of Hydro development, which began in the early 1990s, threatens to drastically change that.
