An estimated 61 million people depend on the Mekong for their livelihood. The river is also a focus of trade and commerce. -- ST FILE PHOTOS
ABOUT 4,500km long, the river passes through more countries than any other river in Asia - China, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia.
An estimated 61 million people, especially fishermen and farmers, depend on the river for their livelihood.
Rich in biodiversity, it is also a focus of substantial trade and commerce. Recent estimates put the annual value of the river's wild capture fisheries at US$3 billion (S$4.3 billion).
Mainstream dams, which disrupt the free flow of the river, have contributed to the endangerment of the giant Mekong catfish, which can grow up to 3m in length. The catfish population is reckoned to have fallen by about 80 per cent in the past 20 years or so.
In June, a petition signed by about 12,000 citizens of Mekong countries urged Thailand and other Mekong countries to keep the river flowing freely and pursue electricity options that are less damaging than dams.
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