29 Mekong River Facts: Ecosystem, History, Trivia, And Much More!

Mekong River, a major river of Asia, especially that of the southern region.

Starting from the Tibetan plateau merging finally in the South China Sea, this is the 12th longest river in the world and the seventh longest in the whole of Asia. This wild river has a length of 3,068 mi (4,909 km) covering as many as six countries and eight tributaries providing fresh water throughout.

Mekong turbulent river opens in the South China Sea forming the Mekong Delta with a basin size of about 306,951 mi (795,000 sq km). This river provides livelihood to about 60 million people with a freshwater catching capacity of about 25% of the global freshwater.

Also, this river provides the largest inland fishery in the world while being a wide variety of ecological richness surviving in the water of this river.

Along the banks of this river, you can find a lot of cultural beliefs and faiths according to different backgrounds and professions. A great hydroelectric source, this river provides electricity to many dams and is still a site where many dams are ready to be constructed.

A river is not only a source of the fresh river but also plays some fundamental roles in nature. For example hoisting a whole ecosystem within itself, being a source of trade for humans and a place where people seek aesthetic pleasure.

Similarly, the Mekong River plays a very crucial role and is a major trading route between Southeast Asia and western China.

Not only this but it is also a source of hydropower, and has a rich history contributing to its story. Hence, under this article, we will discover many interesting facts about this river including its history, ecology, location, and dams constructed on it.

Formerly the Mekong River was known as the Mae Nam is an economic regulator in South-East Asia providing different occupation and earning methods to the people living close to it and even the ones involved in trades. This river like any other river in the world is facing issues of pollution, environmental degradation, and many other problems.

Let us have a look at all the important aspects of the Mekong Delta and Mekong River Basin. Afterward, also check facts on River Thames and rivers in Colorado.

Ecology And Environment

Every river plays more integral functions than we can think of. One aspect is that of the environmental impact and the ecological balance it brings along with it.

• A river is not only home to different species but serves a great purpose in carrying on to the diversity of this planet, the only known planet that supports life.
• Mekong basins come in the list of species-rich habitats and have a variety of plants, mammals, aquatic animals, and birds. It is a very rich place for biodiversity.
• This river offers the second largest biodiversity in the world after the Amazon River Basin.
• The Mekong River has more concentration of biodiversity than any other river if calculated per hectare.
• The most valuable fish commercially are divided into two. These are the black fishes that reside in low oxygen, shallow water, while the white fishes live in oxygen-rich, deeper, fast-moving water.
• More than 20,000 plant species, 1,200 birds species, 800 amphibians and reptiles, and about 450 species of mammals have been found to be residing due to this river.
• The world's largest inland fishery is located in the Mekong River Basin. The Mekong River Basin is often divided into the Upper Mekong Basin and the Lower Mekong Basin.
• Even as many as 60 million people are inhabiting the regions through which this river flows.
• Apart from this, new species of plants and animals alike are being discovered here every now and then.
• But the concern for this biodiversity hotspot is increasing with the increasing pollution which is harming the flora and fauna.
• Mekong River is the seventh longest river in Asia and the longest river in Southeast Asia.
• There are some species that are listed in the endangered species list like the Siamese crocodiles, giant freshwater Stingray, and Irrawaddy dolphins.
• Concerted efforts are being directed through the Mekong River Commission for the sustainable development of the Mekong region.
• There is no other river that homes large fish more than the Mekong. These big fishes include Probarbus barbs, giant pangasius, endemic Mekong giant catfish, and many more.
• Irrawaddy dolphins, a freshwater species of dolphins, were once a common occurrence throughout the river. But now there are merely 85 individuals of this species left.
• The Mekong River Commission is an inter-governmental body that ensures co-operation between Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam for sustainable development of the Lower Mekong River Basin.
• There are some protected areas constructed to save some of the biodiversity like that of Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve, where the headwater of this river is protected. Also, in the part where the river is flowing from Yunnan Province, there is a UNESCO heritage site built by the name of The Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan, with another one in Cambodia with the name Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve.
• Due to the tide differences, the river often inverts the direction of its flow causing flooding, especially in Vietnam.

Geography And Its Physical Features

The Mekong River starting from Tibetan Plateau is 2,718 mi (4,350 km) long and travels through the lands of China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam with its source as Lasagongma spring which is at an elevation of about 17,139 ft (5,193 m) located at mount Guozhong Mucha.

• Did you know that in the Thai language and local Lao language Mekong River is called Mae Nam Kong which translates into Mother Water in English?
• The mouth of Mekong is the Mekong Delta that lies in Vietnam with a basin size of 306,951 sq mi (795,000 sq km) discharge at the South China Sea.
• With Stepok, Nam Nam, Tha, Nam Ou as tributaries on the left and Mun, Tonle Sap, Kon, and Ruak on its left, there are a total of eight tributaries that rise from the Mekong River. If we try to estimate an average number for the water discharged by the Mekong River every year, then this will be about 114 cu mi (475 cu km). With the largest basin in China, 63,706 sq mi (165,000 sq km), the smallest basin lies in Vietnam with only 25,096 sq mi (65,000 sq km).
• The Mekong River is divided into six different reaches on the basis of the hydrological regimes, and physiological land use. These reaches are as follows,
• Reach 1 is Lancang Jiang, commonly known as the Upper Mekong River flowing in the China region.
• Reach 2 will be from Chiang Sean to Nong Khai.
• Reach 3 will begin from Nong Khai in Vietnam to Pakse. Somewhere between the two reaches, the hydrology of Mekong begins to change.
• Reach 4 will be of Pakse to Kate.
• Reach 5 starts from Kratie and ends at Phnom Penh.
• Reach 6 is from Phnom Penh to its final destination the South China Sea.

Location & History

While we discussed Mekong's location and the course of its flow, it's time to have a look at the history of the river with the early settlements and the cultural beliefs that reside at the bank of this river.

• The river had faced difficulty in navigating, thus instead of uniting the people, it played the role of dividing them.
• The very first settlement that can be traced is that of Ban Chiang in 210 BCE. The culture that was followed can be of the typical Iron Age.
• The first civilization in the Mekong Delta region can be that of Indianised-Khmer.
• The coins from the Roman Empire were found in the Oc Eo area.
• If we consider the European encounters, then the first will be Portuguese Antonio de Faria in the 1540s.
• Next came the French in the middle of the 19th century in the year somewhere in 1861.
• Many other advancements were brought in by different settlements, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand built the Mekong River commission in 1995. This was done to unite and manage the river.
• The next step was when China and Myanmar became a dialogue partner and that’s how six countries together take care of the River Mekong.

Hydroelectric Power Dams

Flowing water is a source of energy and to convert this energy into something useful for humankind, is in the form of hydroelectricity that is generated by the construction of dams on the river.

The Mekong River has many dams constructed on it, making it heavily dammed, while there are many more projects that are either being constructed or are being planned to be made.

Construction of dams while on the one hand is extremely useful, there are some disadvantages that are tagged along. The first dam that was built on the Mekong River was the Manwan Dam in the year 1995.

This was the first dam built by China, while about 11 more dams followed suit. While China is the main investor in building dams on this river, other countries including Laos and Cambodia are planning on building dams on the mainstream river flow of Mekong.

Not only is the hydropower generated by these dams a good alternative for fossil fuels but also is a source of income generation. For example the Laos dam, Xayaburi built on the lower Mekong River used 95% of the power generated by the plant to satisfy Thailand's electricity needs.

The estimated rise in such income is $169 billion by the end of 2040, which is made by the Mekong River Commission.

While these are the advantages, there are some disadvantages that rose with the rise in the number of dams of the Mekong River.

The first will be the draughts and floods that became common and the biodiversity getting affected due to the low sedimentation. The sediments which were useful and were being carried from the origin and the other places were reduced making the aquatic life suffer.

These sediments also help in controlling the river flow, when the sediments that were carried from China to Vietnam depleted they became a cause for washing away of roads and houses.

While on the one hand, dams are proving to be a very great source of economy and alternative for the fossil fuel-generated power, they are degrading the natural flow of the river as well as are a great threat to biodiversity. As they say, one thing compensates for another, but are we ready to pay that cost?

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Mekong River facts then why not take a look at rivers in Mississippi, or Puerto Princesa underground river facts.