The Mekong River, the main artery funneling through six Southeast Asian countries, is a shared resource and a lifeline for many, providing a means of earning a living and a source of food for over 40 million people. But with competing priorities and different styles of governance among Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, there are disputes over the management of the river.
“The biggest challenge is just cooperation amongst the lower Mekong countries and the People's Republic of China as well, and cooperating on transboundary issues such as air pollution and water management, primarily, but responding to emerging diseases as well,” said Steven Olive, who until recently served as mission director for the regional development mission for Asia at the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Amid climate change, however, and the threats it poses to what’s considered the world’s largest inland fishery, cross-border collaboration will be key.