It is estimated that some 60 million people depend on the 4,900-km-long Mekong River and its tributaries for their lives and livelihoods — food, water and transportation. It is the world's largest inland fishery; an estimated 1,000 species of fish live in the Mekong, making it the second-most biodiverse river in the world behind the Amazon. Its waters irrigate farmland as well as provide the lifelines for trade and communication.
No wonder, then, that Laotian plans to construct a hydropower dam on the Mekong have alarmed governments and conservationists around the world. There are fears that the $3.7 billion Xayaburi Dam could alter the entire Mekong River system, altering and upsetting the environmental and economic balance in the region.
Last month, the four nations of the Mekong River Commission — Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam — decided once again to postpone decision on the dam's construction, opting instead to further study the environmental impact of the project. Japan and other international development partners will lead the project.