Mekong in Depth

Question 1

Where is the Mekong?

Answer 1

South East Asia

Question 2

Which counties does the Mekong flow through?

Answer 2

China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam

Question 3

Where has most of the development in the Mekong taken place?

Answer 3

The upstream section e.g China

Question 4

Compared to other large rivers, how clean and natural is the Mekong?

Answer 4

Pristine, little pollution so far

Question 5

What is the length of the Mekong?

Answer 5

4880km

Question 6

What is the mean annual discharge of the Mekong?

Answer 6

14,800m cubed per second

Question 7

What is the first 4000km of the river made up of?

Answer 7

Bed rock or thin alluvium above bed rock

Question 8

Where is the large delta at the end of the Mekong?

Answer 8

Vietnam

Question 9

What is the average seasonal change in river depth?

Answer 9

10m, can be as high as 20m in lower regions

Question 10

What are deep river stages important for?

Answer 10

Fish migration and habitation

Question 11

What features occupy the Mekong midway down its length?

Answer 11

Rock islands which can change and divert flow

Question 12

Why does the river says ten constantly change?

Answer 12

There is large variations in water output from monsoons and Himalaya summer ice melts

Question 13

What forms the 4000 Island stage of the Mekong?

Answer 13

Sediment load and bedrock formation

Question 14

When is the peak of river volume?

Answer 14

June

Question 15

Where is most of the Mekong discharge?

Answer 15

Far down the river, the catchment is much larger with more tributaries

Question 16

What is the Tonle Sap?

Answer 16

A large seasonal lake which alters Mekong flow

Question 17

Why is Tonle Sap different?

Answer 17

Has reversed flow in different parts of he year

Question 18

What does flooding in the Tonle Sap create?

Answer 18

Diverse biological floodplain

Question 19

When does the Tonle Sap flood?

Answer 19

May-October (wet season)

Question 20

Where does most of the Mekong sediment end up?

Answer 20

Around the Tonle Sap catchment

Question 21

What is the main Benidorm from the Mekong?

Answer 21

Large fish sticks due to nutrient heavy system

Question 22

Where does most of the protein come from to the Cambodian diet?

Answer 22

Fish

Question 23

How does the Mekong rate for fish stocks?

Answer 23

Most productive fishery in the world

Question 24

What has the large food availability led to?

Answer 24

Huge human population boom

Question 25

What has happened to amount of fish caught per fisherman?

Answer 25

Reduced due to more increased amount of fishermen, from 350-200kg

Question 26

What is the weight of fish caught in the Mekong?

Answer 26

225000tons, gone up from 125000

Question 27

What society was set up in 1957 to manage the Mekong river?

Answer 27

The Mekong Comittee

Question 28

What replaced the Mekong Committee In 1995?

Answer 28

The Mekong River Commission

Question 29

What was the aim of the Mekong River Commission?

Answer 29

"An economically prosperous, socially just and environmentally sound Mekong river basin"

Question 30

What is China's main use of the Mekong?

Answer 30

Power, Trade to the Coast

Question 31

What is Thailands main use of the Mekong?

Answer 31

Water, Power from Laos tributaries

Question 32

What is Cambodias main use of the Mekong?

Answer 32

Water, Fish

Question 33

What is Vietnams main use of the Mekong?

Answer 33

Water, Productive and fertile delta region

Question 34

What is Laos main use of the Mekong?

Answer 34

Power

Question 35

Why are Cambodian officials worries about current plans for the Mekong?

Answer 35

More dams planned which would damage and effect the Cambodian fish stocks

Question 36

Which region is the centre for Mekong dam building?

Answer 36

The Lancang Cascade

Question 37

How much water does the Lancang Cascade store?

Answer 37

40 cubic Km of water

Question 38

What was the first dam build in the Cascade?

Answer 38

Manwan dam

Question 39

How many dams have been suggested on the Mekong?

Answer 39

14

Question 40

Which proposed dam is causing the most controversy?

Answer 40

The Xayaburi in Laos

Question 41

Who has funded the Xayaburi dam?

Answer 41

Thailand, The dams electricity will be sold in part to Thailand

Question 42

When is the Xayaburi dam due for completion?

Answer 42

2019-2020

Question 43

What is the resentment over the Xayaburi dam?

Answer 43

Will start the building of the other 13 proposed dams

Question 44

Why does Laos want to build the dam?

Answer 44

Very poor economy, dam will provide added income

Question 45

What will increasing dam building impact?

Answer 45

The size of the fertile floodplain in the lower Mekong basin

Question 46

What will 1m water level in the Mekong do to the size of the flooded area?

Answer 46

Reduced by 1000km

Question 47

What is the average value of a river world wide?

Answer 47

$3300 per ha/year

Question 48

How many dams is china aiming to build on the Mekong?

Answer 48

8

Question 49

Why is the river Important to those in the Laos area due to income?

Answer 49

They have a high poverty prevalence of 19%

Question 50

What percentage of Laos does not have access to clean water?

Answer 50

21%

Question 51

What will income be from hydropower generation?

Answer 51

3.7billion

Question 52

What would dam building cost to the local economy in terms of fish stocks and conservation costs?

Answer 52

500million/year

Question 53

What % of the Mekong would damming turn into reservoirs?

Answer 53

55% at the lower stages

Question 54

Out of the 11 proposed dams, how many contain fish ladders?

Answer 54

Just 3

Question 55

What percentage of river sediment would be trapped behind dams?

Answer 55

Up to 75%

Question 56

How would damming the Mekong effect the locals diet?

Answer 56

Reduce protein intake by 30%

Question 57

What does the SEA recommend for building of dams on the Mekong?

Answer 57

A 10year no building period after the first dam is built