The Mekong River is more than 4900 kilometers long, traverses six countries and has a direct or
indirect impact on the lives of more than 60 million people. It is considered to be one of the greatest
rivers in the world, and supports one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth (MRC, 2015). Myanmar,
Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam are situated within the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB).
While all of these countries rely on the Mekong River for food, the transportation of goods and
services and economic stability, the Cambodian people are the most susceptible to environmental
change within the Mekong River Basin (MRB). Water from the Mekong River sustains agricultural
activity and the productivity of inland fisheries in Cambodia. These fisheries provide Cambodia's 14
million inhabitants with the majority of their daily protein intake, and its waters sustain crop production
throughout the country.
One of the greatest threats to the ecological health of the MRB comes from large-scale
damming projects that have either been, or are planned to be completed by 2030. The first dam to be
built across the Mekong river became operational in 1995 in southern China. The Mekong River is
called the Lancang River in China, and its catchment is referred to as the Upper Mekong River Basin
(UMB). The Chinese government has completed a series of six main-stem dams along the Lancang
River, and these dams are collectively referred to as the Lancang cascade. The Lancang cascade was
developed primarily for the generation of hydroelectricity that is used to supply the industrial corridor
that is situated in the southern part of China. The Lancang cascade is also used to capture and store
water for municipal water supplies, irrigation and industrial purposes.